Evening star., 1913-12-18

discuss an increase OF the comparatively
light personal tax burden. for instance.
unless corresponding reduction Is pro-
posed in the excessively high real es-
tate tax burden Why suggest tina: the
personal tax assessment be extended to
intangible personal property. il the local
taxpayers prefer that the revenues be
raised from realty and, tangible personal
property taxes Instead the theory
that these taxes are the fairest, The
most uniform. the most easily and ac-
ciiratclN .tSceftained. and the most read
lily collected of any that could be inn
posed? Why should not Congress. the
constiiutionally chosen local legislature
! Of Washinsto act rs faithful and SYM
pathetic representatives of these people.
whose interests are intrusted exclusively
to their legislative protection. and devise
and put. in operation or preserve and
keep in operation means of raising the
needed local tax revenue which will
pinch the least. which will he the most
popular or the least unpopular, and
which VIII create the minimum of
friction and oiscontentc Why. on
the contrary. should Congress be
tempted to play the oriental lnot the
| American) role of alien, despotic tax
gatherer. searching for in order to apply
, to this defenseiess community every con-
ceivable form OF general or special tax
/, that has ever been devised anywhere to
extort money from helpless taxpayers.
whose taxation IS without representa-
ton?
! VIII Congress decide that il is its func-
ton, unnecessarily. SO far as the raising
| of revenues for legitimate public pur-
poses is concerned. to see that the Wash
ingionian is blistered with every form
! of tax exaction from which any unfor-
tunate taxpayer suffers in all the world !?
Because this or that municipal taxpayer
! here or in Europe under his own pecul-
| lar local conditions Guvolving perhaps
extravaganza. corruption, the reign OF
the grafter), pays 4 poll tax. road tax.
| an inheritance tax, an income tax, or a
tax on everything he produces and on
everything lie consumes, on every cent
! he takes IN and every cent he pays out
must all these taxes bc levied upon and
collected from the Washington taxpayer
under entirely different conditions and
with compelling necessity in evil
dence?
1T has been suggested that all possible
taxes should he imposed by represent
atives of the states upon residents In the
District. in order to prevent any one
from coming to live in the District to
escape some especially Objectionable form
of taxation in any of the states. The
contention is that Congress-. acting
the local legislature representing in
theory the Washingtonians in deciding
for themselves on American principles
their own forms OF taxation, should dis
regard the wishes ard welfare of its
Washington constituents and local
legislature should decide questions af-
fecting these constituents solely from the
selfish viewpoint Of otner constituents III
the home districts in the states.
If all congressman performed their con-
stitutional duties as exclusive local leSis-
lators for Washington, on the suggested
low plane. ignoring or repudiating any
obligation to consider the interests OF the
local community coniided 10 their pro-
lection and management as trustees. and
basing every vote in respect to local con-
Germs solely on the supposed selfish or
| ignorant wishes OF their home constitu-
ents. Il thousand or two thousand or
! three thousand miles away. the logical
| effect of this combined cooperative hos
/ tility- would evidently be to depopulatc
! the District of permanent residents by
deprivinG il Of every attraction to tempt
/ the resident of state, and by imposing
upon IL such unbearable restrictions as
would tend to render :. uninhabitable.
Too much of past local legislation has
been in effect. If not in intent. hostile
and hurtful. If Congress had wished. in
| the interest OF the states, to drive out
and keep out from Washington AL deSir-
able permanent residents it could hardly
! have acted differently on certain lines OF
! legislation. In the interest of Baltimore,
I Richmond. Philadelphia and other neigh
boring commercial cities it has, histori-
cally discouraged Washingtons COM
mercial and industrial growth. 1t has
deprived the Wasnpgto tonian of the means
| OF self-support found III the local indus
| tries that develop in the ordinary Anleri-
| can city. Ii has concentrated the great
| local industries. corresponding 10 the fac-
tories mills and manufacturing plants oi
other cities, in the hands of the govern
ment, and then, by the apportionment-of-