Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-20
cations Of Government to Aid Long Admitted in Congress

Columbia which is nothing but ma
tional capital. In many cases, as IN
London, Paris. Berlin. Rio de Janeiro
and Buenos Aires the national capital
city, in which the national government
occupies comparatively little space. and
it's activities are practically incidental
to the life of the city. In some OF these
Vienna in Europe and Rio de Janeiro
and Buenos Aires in America, the ma
tional government has spent enormous
amounts of money for strictly national
capital purposes, and especially upon
parks. boulevards and buildings and
river, harbor and wharf improvements.
Besides these expenditures for national
objects the national government has
municipal expenses, including SANTA
ton, police and fire departments. pub
lie schools and other municipal sefV-
ices. The citizens of all the foreign ma
tional capitals are not only taxpayers
but participants in the local and ma
tiona1 governments and with a large
measure of self-government: Rio de
Janeiro and Buenos Aires are in process
of being transformed into model cities
on definite plans. The plans for the
physical Improvement of Rio de Janeiro
now in process of execution Will cost
5000. 100000. Similar plans now under
practically the same amount. The con-
tributions of the national governments
in these two cities to ordinary munich
pal expenditures are on a similar scale.
Citizens in Other Capitals.
eign capitals Compiled for this commit
tee as to Rio de Janeiro. Buenos Aires
and Mexico by John Barrett. director
general of the pan-American Union.
and as to other capitals by Mr.. George
F. Bowerman, librarian Of the District OF
Columbia, transmitted through the Com
missioners of the District Of Columbia)
shows that the citizens Of foreign CAPT.
tails have the advantage over the District
of Columbia, first. in that they are clothed
with all the rights. privileges and duties
of the other citizens of their countries.
including a large extent of self-govern-
ment and a full representation In both
houses Of the national legislature. giving
them a direct voice and vote as to all
measures affecting their interest, and es-
pecially questions of taxation and ex-
penditure; second. in that they are en-
couraged by the national governments in
every possible way to build up manufac-
lures and commerce and to make their
cities the business capitals as well as the
political capitals of their countries, thus
developing great wealth and large basis
Of taxation, and. third. in that contribu-
lions of the national governments for
national capital purposes have been In
the more important capitals much larger
proportionately than those which have
been made by the United States govern
ment In the District of Columbia.
That feature of the Mexican plan which
provides that all the taxation of the fed
eral district shall be national taxation
and all the appropriations national APP
preparations. which has been suggested
for the District of Columbia, and which
is unique in the government of national
capitals. cannot be separated from the
local self-government feature of that plan
or from the more important feature Of
representation by two senators. and also
one representative for each $4,000 inhabi-
tants, in the national Congress. which Is
precisely the same representation as that
of the states of the Mexican federation.
In Brazil the national capital is repre-
scented by three senator's and a number
of representatives in the national con-
gress. and in Argentina the national capt.
tai is represented by two senator's and a
number of representatives in the national
congress.
The principal sources Of revenue in all
Latin American countries are from indi-
rect taxation and not from taxation on
real or personal property.