Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-19

or two ago by Theodore W. Noyes, the
tact was demonstrated that assessments
IN Washington are on the whole higher
In comparison than the assessments in
good majority of cities of similar class.
The largest property owner here by
far Is the government. The splendid pub
lie buildings. the streets. parking and
public grounds are it's property exclu-
sively while it exercises exclusive juris-
dlctlon over all the rest of it. The chief
part OF the population. at least in i'm
portance, are dependents on the govern
ment-its representatives, its army of en-
proves. present. past or prospective, and
people who have come here because of
some relation TO the government And
even those who are fortunate enough to
be exempt from this dependence may
claim the members of Congress as their
representatives, either as residents of the
District or of their several states. And
as the Congress has the ownership. the
use and the power. so it has the re-
sponsibility and the whole responsibility
of administering wisely and justly its
trust
District breathing of malaria and sick
ness, but has been the fault of the Con-
gress, which should long since have filled
them in, and is now happily doing so. Not
a sink of iniquity and disease in a back
| alley but lies at the door of the Congress-
which should have banished them: not a
woman is stricken down by a miscreant
on an unSuarded street she goes to
Congress, which has failed to furnish
the necessary police for her protection.
Rights of the Population.
In much of the discussion which has
gone on of late touching the rights and
/ liabilities of the population of this Dis
| trict, the arguments of certain represent
tatives in Congress-, If not unfriendly to
the District. at least unfriendly to the
District. have been based on erroneous
District. have been based on erroneous
assumptions: first. that already referred
to, that this city is composed largely of
wealthy population engaged for the
most part in Sinking its proper duties
to the District of Columbia. If not to the
country at large. and with considerable
number of them engaged in enriching
themselves through speculation at the ex
pense of the rest of the population of the
country: secondly. that this city stands
on precisely the same footing with other
cities of the same size throughout the
country and should be dealt with on this
assumption. Both of these assumptions
are absolutely erroneous. Doubtless
considerable amount OF speculation IN
values has gone on from the earliest
foundation of this city to the present
time. and doubtless certain number OF
persons engaged in such speculation nave
throughout that period endeavored. with
or without success, to take advantage of
existing conditions.
Within the range Of my own observa-
ton L will say that the most public
spirited and far-sighted citizens whom l
have known in this city have been among
those men whom | have seen publicly
charged with undue efforts to enrich
themselves at the expense of this capital
feel that l am competent to speak with
out prejudice on this subject, for, beyond
my home and one fifteen-foot lot. which
have never seen, lying somewhere to the
northeast of this capital. j am SO unfor- |
tunate as not to have a dollars worth OF
interest in any real estate in the District |
of Columbia. My position as defender OF
this city is due not TO any personal in |
terest that have. but to a patriotic feel |
ing that 1t is in d way the heart of this
country and should be cared for.
Il would call the attention of those rep !
resentatives who make apparent their UNI |
friendlness to this city to a few facts
whic happear to me quite pertinent to
the matter.