Evening star., 1914-05-13
A Square Deal for Washington

In \ suppIement today The Star col
| lects and reprints its recent editorial
articles In defense of the National
Capital against campaign OF repudl-
alton. confiscation and Viliticaton, and
! III a vigorous counter-campaign for
square deal for Washington
/ These articles. while they all tend to
the same conclusion. cover a wide range
OF discussion and present Washington $
defense and vindication from many
varied viewpoints. For the convenience
of the reader. enabling him to refer
quickly to the discussion of any par
ticular issue in which he may be in
terested a full table of contents is
printed on the first page of the sup
plement.
These articles follow the course of
the struggle in the House and Senate
in connection with the recent series of
vicious assaults upon Washington. They
demonstrate that in comparison with
other cities Washington is overas
sessed and that its tax burden meas
ured by it's per capita tax levy is
distinctly heavier than that of most
American cities. They expose the bank
ruptinG taxation scheme. based ON the
delusion of Washington of fabulous
values. proposed by Representative
Crisp to justify repeal of the half-and-
half provision of the act of 1873, and
| later pushed by Representative Johnson
and Prouty. They discuss piecemeal
destruction Of the act of 1878. includ
ing the ancient resurrected claim of
million dollars for advances in the
seventies of the last century for in
terest on the 3.65 bonds. and the covert
repeal of the half-and-haf provision
by section s of the pending District
appropriation bill In touching upon
the so-called Boriand amendment. they
take as text the United States in it's
relation to the capitals street plan
and to street extension and improve
| ment
| Meeting anti-District campaign of
| vilification. they urge that reciprocal
courtesy take the place of reciprocal
revilings in the relations of Congress
and the local community.
| They discuss the proposal to increase
| one-half the Districts tax burden
by increas asing assessments from two
| thirds to fun valuation without altering
the tax rate Among the texts Of dis
| course in these articles are IL j.
| Brownies confiscatory estimate of
ues in 1912: the claim of full assess
| ment valuation as a universal false
| pretensc. the rotten foundation of the
Prouty charts and statistical tables: the
Johnson-Prouty new taxation proposals
| 10 blister and bankrupt Washington. and
the JohnsonProuty exposure of the crime
of 1902 tax-dodging conspiracy which
| enlarged tax burdens.
/ hipp ri n
| in a condensed sketch of the capitals
| life. development and hardships, and in
d comparison of the treatment of Wash
| ington by the nation with that of for
eign capitals by foreign nations, with
| special reference to Buenos Aires and
| Rio de Janeiro.
Fair play is urged. not only for
| Washington, the material capital, the
| city of buildings. streets. parks and
| monuments. but for Washing tonans,
| the people of the community. who are
TO be developed in body. mind and soul.
| These articles show that neither the
| single-taxers nor the local suffragists
| should be hostile to the half and-half
| provision. They urge a political as
| we'll as financial square deal for
| Washington. They advocate that the
| nation retain control of the capital
and participate in capital maintenance
and development and that Washington
at the same time participate in the
municipal government through refer
endum and recall and have voting rep
resentation in Congress.
| Yesterdays inspiring victory in the
House is prophetic of successful de-
fense by the capital against the
lother varieties of savage assault
| which ii is now enduring. But the
struggle over the District appropriation
bill with its destructive features as
il came from the House. is still TO he
| fought and this is time for com
| pIacent apathy among the capitals de
tenders.
| The battle for square deal for
| Washington iS at its height. The
vigorous and effective cooperation in
this campaign of every Washingto tonian
is the plain duty of the hour. The Star
submits this publication weapon
OF Enlightenment and conviction in the
| good tiIht.