Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-12
ASCAP|TAL BUILDERS
Argentina and Brazil Far Sur
pass United States.
CAPITALS ARE FOSTERED
Financially and Industrially With
Affectionate Pride.
LIGHT TAXES AND FRANCHISE
National Treatment of Buenos Aires
and Rio Contrasted With That
of Washington.
CAPITALS ARE FOSTERED
LIGHT TAXES AND FRANCHISE
III.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.

BY THEODORE W. MOVES.
Editorial Correspondence %: tn S:ar.
Argentina and Brazil not only set an ex-
ample to the United States in capital
building, but also in adequate and I'M
ErudginS capital maintenance.
These nations IN relation to their cap
1tals have been the liberal and cheerful
contributors TO municipalities in many re-
spects self-governing. fully represented in
the national government and energetically
advanced by the nation in commercial
and industrial prosperity, in wealth and
taxable resources.
AS Americans we are with reason proud
of what the nation has done in the up
building and equitable maintenance of
the National Capital within the last forty
Years, and especially within the last fif-
teen years. AS WashiEgtonians we re-
gard with grateful appreciation the pa
1riotic and philosophical labors of the
faithful among our constitutional legisla-.
tors. who in unselfish devotion to a task
at times apparently thankleSS have raised
the nations ward from the gutter Of uni
Sersal deriSion and contempt to the pin
nacle OF wor d wide admiration and
honor, and who have made of Washing
ton not merely the City Beautiful, but the
City Healthful. the City Intellectual and.
comparatively speaking. the City Good.
Since 1878 the nation. faithfully adhering
with few exceptions to the implied COM
pact of the organic act and wisely liberal
in developing on artistic as well as utilita-
rian lines the national public building
equipment of the nations city, has made
a record in capital building and mainte-
nance of which no American needs to be
ashamed.
In view. however. of the corresponding
achievements of other nations, like Ar
Rentina and Brazil, We have no right to
be arrogant in our pride as capital build
crs. either in the line of creation. or of
maintenance and development
In a PRIOR letter / have written OF the
vast and intelligent expenditures made
by Argentina and Brazil in creating the
wonderful capitals Buenos Aires and Rio.
The same lesson is taught by the record
of these nations in adequate capital
maintenance.
Lessons in Capital Maintenance.
The attitude of the national government
toward Buenos Aires and Rio respective
~ has been such rs To reduce to an alb
solute minimum the capitals need OF and
appeal for financial cooperation by the
government nevertheless I ximum of
sub cooperation has been eheerfully
rendered.
I'D Argentina and Brazil have in every
conceivable way increased the ability of
their capitals to raise tax money. The
United States has. on the other hand.
habituaily reduced the tax-ra:sing caEac-
ity of Washington. The South American
cities are great and rich in taxable re-
sources and their wealth and commercial
and industrial prosperity have been as
vigorously promoted by the nation as by
their own enterprise Washington II and
has been always poor IN taxable re-
sources. and has been crippled CONNER
cialiy and industriaiiy by deliberate ma
tional policy.
In the interest Of Baltimore. Richmond.
Philadelphia and other :eighborng COM
mercial cities Congress has, historically,
discouraged Washinstons commercial and
industrial growth. 1t has deprive the
washingtonian of the means of self-sup-
port found in the local industries that de-
velop in the ordinary American city. 1t
has concentrated the great local indus
tries corresponding to the factories, mills
and manufacturing plants OF other cities
in the hands of the government. and then
by the apportionment-of-offic law shuts
out from the classified service in these
great national-local industries all who
claim Washington as a residence. end
ing the growing youth of the city. Thus
Congress denies the capital great indus
tries of its own: il shuts out Washing
foniars from the national-local industries;
II drives out from the city the growing
youth that they may find elsewhere the
means OF self-support.
81 Argentina and Brazil have taken
from their capitals only that degree OF
protect the national interest: here the
nation reserves to itself exclusive and
despotic control. The South American
capitals are In important respects self
governing, with distinct municipal gov
eminent and full representation in ma
tional government. With us the nation IS
In absolute control of the capital in every
particular. with exclusive legislative, eN-
ecutive and judicial power. and the cap
ital is not self-governing in any respec.
whatever. and not in the smallest degree
represented in the national government
Here the municipality does not even tax
itself in forms that 1t prefers, and does
not eXpend its tax money for the pur-
poses which please It. The nation decides
how nH!ch money shall be eXactei in
taxes. ard in what manner IL shall be
raised and expended.
- Under these conditions the national
appropriations for carital maintenance in
Argentina and Brazil pub,ic-spirted
and patriotic eiona.io;is which may rea-
SOnably vary IN amount ~ the pleasure
% the donor. In their financial relations
with the nation liz. South American CAPT
tails are the principals, and the nations
are liberal and voluntary cont .ibutors.
In the northern republic all the power
and the primary responsibility arc with
Congress representing tile nation. which
Is Enthusiastically the principal, and Wash
tngton is the Incidental CONFERENCE.-The
compulsory contributor OF All amount fixed
not by il. but by Congress.
Thus the South American nations have
made their capitals rich and able to pay
heavy taxes: have permitted them in large
measure to control their own taxation
and then have, in addition. contributed
handsomely to their maintenance. With
as the capital has for many years been
denied any control of its taxes. and has
been kept impecunioUs and with a mini.
mum of ability 10 pay taxes by the con-
sistent policy of the nation, which for
the first seventy-fve years of the city's
life openly shirked its own equitable
financial obligations TO Washington
Little in capital maintenance has been
eQuitably expected from the South Amer
lean governments: they have given much
Much has been equitably expected from
the United States; il has given nothing,
since what 1t has paid has been. under
the conditions of capital creation Nnd
development. not a donation, but the