Evening star., 1914-02-05
ASQUARE DEAL
FOR WASHINGTON

, CONTINUED from First age)
from one end of the Capitol to
the other. The Districts battle
is not over. 1t has only Just be-
gun.
| In this struggle for equity
| Washington is sustained by i
supreme confidence that Congress
representing all Americans, will
never, in its final action, violate
the spirit Of iairplay which domi-
mates the American people. The
capital knows that most OF ITS
| legislators wish it we'll and are
proud of the nations city. Wash
| ington remembers that while Con-
gress has often in its history
seemed indifferent or even hostile
and has always compelled Wash
ington to put up a fight for fair
play, it has never in any great
crisis in the capitals career failed
in the end to act fairly. wisely and
even synlpathetically in dealing
with the nations city.
At the bottom of all Of these assaults
on the capital is the mistaken thousnt
that the Washingtonan is underassessed
and undertaxed; that if he were proper
" taxed the resulting tax revenue would
suffice to maintain and develop the ma
tion's city; or at least Wouid amount
to much more than one-haif of the nee
cessary maintenance and development
fund of the capital.
Hence results the clamor to increas Sc
the Washingtonians already excessive
assessments. to cut down in this. that or
the other way the national contribution
or to withdraw il entirely, and to b.ister
the local taxpayer with the enlargement
of every old tax and the imposition OF
every new tax that ingenuity can de-
wise.
But not too much money is raised
under the half-and-half law, and the
Washingtonian Is already heavily taxed,
when the meagerness of his taxable re-
sources is considered
THE facts and figures in respect to the
tax-burden of the Washinetonian have
been given in great detail in preceding
letters. using for the purposes Of com
parison the census figures of 1910 The
same lessons on this subject which are
taught by the census figures of 1912, now
available for comparison.
There are variations in the status and
relations of the various cities that are IN
cluded in the comparisons, but the figures
of 1912 as a whole show even more Inn
pressively in some respects than the fig-
ures of the preceding years that Q the
, Washington assessment, compared with
those of other cities, is excessive. and CID
that coupled with its moderate tax rate
10 assessment
out a tax levy that Is burdensome upon
an almost resourceless community, that
Is heavier than that of the vast majority
of American municipalities. and that Is
as heavy today under existing condi-
tons and laws as should equitably be inn
posed.
No Excessive Revenue at Present.
The money raised under existing Law
for capital maintenance and development
has been and is honestly. economically
and with wonderfully effective results
spent By the government. Washington
shows forth In its present condition an
inspiring response to this expenditure In
increased attractiveness and healthful-
ness as the national capital and In the
marked Improvement of the physical. men
tai and moral welI-being of the people of
the capital community. But much remains
to be done in this development.
Every cent that can properly be raised
under existing law is needed today for
wise and economical maintenance and
upbuilding of the capital.
The District Commissioners, in their
recent estimates, proposed for next year
an expenditure of the District revenues
under the act Of 1878 which provided a
maximum of maintenance and a minimum
Of permanent development Great plans
of public improvement, like the Great
Falls water power project, were post
poned because the revenue was not i'm
mediately available. The characteristic
feature of the Commissioners proposals
Was the fostering of projects for the bet
terment OF conditions affecting the people
of the community along the lines of
health, education, mental and moral up
lift.
The House cut down the Commission
ers' estimates BY s3.W0.GD, omitting or
reducing such items as the following:
Physica! valuation Of public utilities
tnay be carried elsewherel. $4,000; mu-
nicipal hospital, $4,000: inebriate hos
pital. s75ooo: central storehouse, sls6.-
COO; municipal market tplans) 81 OOO;
new bathing beaches. xs7.396; Patterson
tract park, $4,000; reconstruction of
wharves. $4,000: fish wharf and market.
SI2.,,SO0: Benning road viaduct, $4,000;
repaving part of Ith street. S3O,UD: re-
surfacing approaches to Highway bridge
10000; alteration of Pennsylvania Ave
nue. bridge. StDOOo: Fairgrounds (reduc-
| ton of. S65..-O; public convenience sta
tons, l,Up: teachers longevity pay tre-
ductionl ,S62,935. altering and remodehng
public school buildings and grounds 500
90: new school buildings treduetion).
S4o2o0 police increase, s2s 595. perma-
nent improvements fire department, S33.-
go; Improvement of Eastern Branch
! flats S1oo.0p.
| Are not these items all wise and eco
| nornical expenditures for the capital? II
amy Of them are not approved by Con
E. gress is there not long list Of crying
| needs of the District along other lines
| which Congress may n part substitute
| for the Commissioners proposals IL its
| best judgment dictates this course?
| An unwise law prevents the Commits
sioners from suggesting to Congress any
| alternative methods of eXpending the
District revenues and confines them to q
| single line of proposals within the limits
| o: the probable revenues. The result fol
lows that II Congress disapproves any
| suggested expenditure there remains ar
| unexpended surplus of District revenue
piless Congress substitutes some othe!
| wise expenditure In its place. If Con
! ercss does not substitute some better