The Washington times., 1915-10-20
THE CITIZENS COMMITTEES
FISCAL BRIEF

tween the Federal Government and
the District of Columbia, is printed
in full in The Times today. Per-
haps as emphatic an appreciation
as could be extended to the citizens
who have voluntarily prepared this
excellent document, would be the
observation that every citizen Of
Washington ought to read 1t, and
the earnest wish that they might do
so. There is here presented an ar
ray of facts worthy the knowledge
of the whole citizenry; important
for Washingtonians, and, indeed, for
all Americans, to know. They are
facts that clarity many questions
that have been mooted, and that
shed illumination on the history Of
the Capital City. There are too
many Washingtonians, too many
Americans, who know the history of
Rome better than they know that
of their own Capital.
This review of history and survey
of conditions clearly shows that the
Capital was established here with
the full expectation that it was to
be sui generis among American
cities, Federal city in the COM
pletest sense. 1t was to be denied,
and has always been denied, most of
the prerogatives of the autonomous
American city. The denial of these
prerogatiyes presumed from the
very beginning the assumption Of
special and peculiar responsibility
for the city, by the National Gov
ernment. That responsibility has
been discharged in various ways
during the 125 years CT the city's
existence; one of the chief draw
backs to proper development during
the first two or three generations
was the constant shifting Of gov
ernmental policy. In 1878 a policy
was adopted, under which the ma
tional Treasury has ever since con-
tributed to municipal government
and development an amount equal
to that raised by the taxation of
property here.
Before examination of the equi-
ties Of this plan, it is to be set down
in the most emphatic way that it
has been the one plan under which
the city has achieved progress and
development of a kind to inspire
pride and satisfaction in the ma
tional mind. This cannot be too
strongly iterated; the citizens COM
mittee has rightly laid insistent en-
phasis on it. In the last analysis,
this is the phase that will have
most weight with Congress-, because
it ought to have most weight.
Washington today is a beautiful
city, worthy the nation, and testi-
monial to the general efficiency of
the plan that in less than half a
century has made it out Of a strag-
Cling village.
Whatever may be the fate Of the
system under which this much has
been accomplished, the plan that
will be substituted for It will have
to be an arbitrary one. 1t may be
admitted that the present system
is arbitrary; probably it does not
present the substance Of absolute
justice. But would any arbitrary
scheme do better?
Suppose the equal division plar
were abolished, and it were enacted
that privately owned and Federally
owned property should pay taxes in
the ratio of their values. This is 9
favorite project of many of the re,
formers. Now. the Citizens Com.
mittee brief shows that the tendenc,
is for the Federal Government to ac,
quire constantly a larger and large,
hare Of the land; therefore, under
such a plan its proportionate con
tribution would be constantly in
creasing. There would be no fixit,
Of conditions under that plan; tn,
proportions would be CONSTANT,
hanging; the revenue situation
would be unstable, and the outcom,
uncertain. In the end, moreover, tn,
Government would save nothing; i
would merely create a chaotic con
dition for long time to come.
The plan of an indefinite centribu
ton by the Federal Government i
equally bad, as the citizens brie
shows. This plan would have tn
property taxes collected and the ap
preparations made with reference
not to the collections, but to tn
needs of the situation; and then,
there was deficit, Congress woul
appropriate for it from the Nationa
Treasury. This would make tn
city's status uncertain, dependen
on the whim of some momentaril
powerful person or group in Con
sress. Surely, the town and tn
Congress have in recent years see
ute enough of the unfortunate et
cts of having ignorant, incapable