Evening star., 1915-03-29
HOW OTHER nations
TREAT CAPITALS
Argentina and Brazil Surpass
United States as Capt.
tai Builders.
CITIES F0sTERED
WITH LOYAL PRIDE
National Treatment Of Buenos Aires
and Rio Contrasted With That
Of Washington.

Star Nov. 30. 1911; March IL. 1872 and March
4 1915.
(see page I. Square Deal for National Capitall
In the recent House debate on the
Underwood amendment. knocking out
the Johnson amendment to the District
appropriation bill, Representative Crisp
said:
Now. want to show how the other
governments of the world deal with
their capital cities. The Senate Of the
United States adopted a resolution
calling on the various ministers of the
United States to inquire of the gov
ernments to which they were accred-
tied as to how those governments
treated their capital cities. 4" The
Russian government does not pay taxes
on property unless the property is
rented to individuals and yields a rev.
enue. Portugal pays nothing on Its
property nor contributes nothing to
ON its property. Chile pays no tax on
its property. Netherlands pays no
tax on its property. Japan pays no
tax on property owned by 1t. In Spain
property used for governmental pur-
poses Is not taxed by the municipality.
Buenos Aires pays NO tax on property
used for governmental purposes"
These and other references to non
payment of taxes to the capital mu-
nicipality on national property within
rate. but they are misleading when
cited ito show how other governments
Of the world deal with their capital
cities" Let us consider. for example.
the cases of the capitals Rio and
Buenos Aires. in respect to which cities
Mr.. Crisp indicates that Brazil and Ar
gentina pay no taxes on national prop
erty therein. Editorial correspondence
by Theodore W. Noyes printed in The
Star March II. 1912. after visit to
South America. shows how. in fact,
Brazil treats Rio and Argentina treats
Buenos Aires. in comparison with the
manner in which the United States
treats Washington. In none of the
taxes directly to the municipality on
national property. So the compa risons
of national treatment of the respec-
tive capitals must be made on other
lines, and The Stars editorial corre
spondence shows that Brazil and Ar
gentina do far more for their capitals
in the light of surrounding conditions
than does the United States for Wash
tngton.
Lessons in CAPITAL Maintenance.
The attitude Of the national govern
ment toward Buenos Aires and Rio. re-
spectively, has been such as to reduce
to an absolute mi,!inum the capitals
. need of and appeal for financial CO.
, operation by the government: never
theless maximum of such co-opera-
tion has been cheerfully rendered.
"I) Argentina and Brazil have in ev-
cry conceivable way Increased the abil-
ity of their capitals to raise tax money.
The United States has. on the other
ing capacity of Washington. The
South American cities are great and
! rich in taxable resources. and their
wealth and commercial and industrial
prosperity have been as vigorously pro-
noted by the nation as by their own
enterprise. Washington is and has
been always poor in taxable resources.
and has been crippled commercially and
Iindustrially by deliberate national
policy.
In the interest of Baltimore, Richmond,
| Philadelphia and other neighboring
| commercial cities Congress has, his
torically. discouraged Washtngton's
commercial and industrial growth. 1t
has deprived the Washingtonian of the
means OF self-support found in the
local Industries that develop in the or
dinary American city. 1t has concen-
trated the great local industries. cor
responding to the factories. mills and
manufacturing plants Of other cities. in
the hands Of the government. and then
by the apportfonment- of offices law
shuts out from the classified service In
these great national-local Industries all
VINO claim w VdSHlflS ton as a residence,
including the growing youth OF the
city. Thus Congress denies the capital
great industries OF Its own: II shuts out
Washingtonians from the national
local Industries: 1t drives out from the
city the growing youth that they may
find elsewhere the means Of self sup
| port.
"t2) Argentina and Brazil have taken
| from their capitals only that degree of
control which Is absolutely essential to
protect the national interest; here the
nation reserves to itself exclusive and
despotic control. The South American
| capitals are In important respects self
| governing. with distinct municipal
| government and full representa- ton in
| tfon 10 In absolute control of the capi-
| tai In every particular. with exclusive
| legislative, executive and judicial pow
| er. and the capital Is not self-governing
! in any respect whatever, and not in the