Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-20


ntah --.--...-..... 100000 30, aO0. 90
Vermont ..---.--... 5O.OO.W 30, 600 90
Virginia ......... 50 no, 90 90 oo7 no
washington 50.odU.G0 2s. $751; 95
West Virginia $50. 100000 20 600 90
Wisconsin 100000 30 900 90
Wyoming commence. 5ooOOoo 70 uro %
travail 50,000.O0 .
forto hlco 100000
Total .........-. $4,000, 10000 Isl. 4ss. s7e. 81
This total does not include payments on ac-
count OF Alaska. Guam, Hawaii and Porto Rico
sla7 ,2l7.s5 ~
NO appropriation whatever has been
made under the Morrill, acts for the
District of Columbia.
What District Resident Have Done
for the Nation.
During all this period the District
residents had contributed their full
snare in national taxation to the ma
tlonal revenue. AS the District is on
the Atlantic seaboard, 1t comes within
the assumption that the people of sea-
coast cities pay their full share of tar
IN taxes. But 1t can be shown by the
returns OF the national excise taxes In
the annual reports of the commissioner
OF internal revenue that during all that
period the District residents paid abso-
lutely and per capita more than the
citizens OF number of the states. For
example, in the latest published report
OF the commissioner of internal rev.
enue, that for the fiscal year ended
June 80. 1914, 1t appears that the Dis
trlct OF Columbia paid more excise
taxes that year than any ono of TWEEN
ty-two states and two territories, name
ly. Alabama, Arizona. Arkansas, Colo
RADIO. Delaware, Georgia, Idaho. Kan
sas. Maine. Mississippi, Montana. Ne
vada. New Hampshire, New Mexico.
North Dakota. Oklahoma, Oregon,
South Carolina. South Dakota, Utah,
Vermont and Wyoming and Alaska and
Hawaii: The per capita payment of the
District of Columbia was greater than
that Of the people of any one of thirty
three states and two territories, name
~, Alabama, Arizona. Arkansas, Colo
rado' Connecticut. Delaware, Florida,
Massachusetts,. Minnesota. Mississippi,
montana. Nebraska, Nevada, New
hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota.
Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island. South
carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah. Vermont, washington
West Virginia. and Wyoming and
Alaska and Hawaii. 1t has also paid
Its full proportion of income taxes,
Population About $4,000.
Yet the population of the District of
Columbia for the fiscal year ended June
80, 1914. was only about $4,000. of
which $4,000 were negroes, the largest
negro population In any city in the
world. Moreover, about $4,000 of the
population are employees Of the federal
and District governments. many of them
on salaries fixed before the civil war
and inadequate at the present time.
1t Is, of course, evident that this is
not a manufacturing or commercial
city. and therefore not city Of wealth.
and this is borne out by the reports of
the United States census bureau.
At this point it may be well to state
that the District residents have not
only done more than their share in
contributing money through national
and local taxation. but also by volun-
tary gifts in response to appeals in
times Of national calamities. such as
the San Francisco earthquake and fire.
the Mississippi and Ohio river floods
and the Galveston disaster. It is typi-
cal that the District of Columbia is
one Of the few jurisdictions which have
completed their subscription to the
permanent endowment of the Ameri-
can Red Cross, and that that subscrip-
ton exceeded the quota expected Of 1t.
In fact. 1t is matter OF history, sup
ported by official records, that besides
performing all their local civic duties
at least as we'll as any other people in
the world. the District residents have
war and in peace. In the civil war
they furnished the first defenders of
the National Capital, and more than
their quota Of troops and more In pro-
portion than any except 1--WE states.
quota required OF the District of CO.
lumbia in the civil war was 1878, and
that credit was allowed for 1854 men
furnished. In the war with Spain the
District again furnished more than Its
quota Of troops. The War Department
states that the quota required of the
District of Columbia was 719 and the
total of volunteers furnished was $50.
tional Capital was fought for as the
symbol Of the nations sovereignty
and the idea Of Its removal after the
vast expenditure of blood and treasure
in its defense became impracticable.
sirous to sec its capital made worthy
of the nation in every way. The ire
mendous growth of the country in
wealth has not been equaled by a SINH
lar QeVelOpIleul III tIc 1NdIlOHAl Sdp1-
tai, but since 1873 there has been
progress In that development. and
every step of advance has been ap-
proved by the people Of the country. as
reflected In the press and in national
gatherings here and elsewhere.
Assessment and Taxation Of Wash
ington Compared With Other
Cities.
The Joint select committee of Con-
gress is not required by the act Great
ing it to pass upon the question of
assessment and taxation in the District
of Columbia. That question would, of
occupy all the time that could
be given by the joint select committee
of Congress before preparing its re-
port as required by Congress, to be
submitted by the first of January next.
But. apparently. no consideration of the
general question Of the proportion of
the expenses Of the District of Column
bia to be paid respectively by the
United states and the District tax
payers can be had without incidental
reference to the assessment and taxa
tion of those taxpayers for local pur-
poses. Therefore, 1t has seemed neces-
sary to our committee in it's endeavor
N aid the Joint select committee of