Evening star., 1915-03-29

ernment make these statements
from data furnished from the treasury
department and other departments OF
the government. which give accurately
the items. with dates of appropria-
tions. etc
The report of the Commissioners OF
the District FOR 1873 gives the figures
of the exhibit which has been pre-
pared unde~ the direction OF the Treas
ur,- Department showing all the eS,
{ penditures made from the national
Treasury for national aud District pur-
poses within the District Of Columbia
from 1890 to 1876 After dedUctinS
from the total expenditure of the peo-
pie OF the District. So, ,1oG.65v of BOND.
ed debt onehalf of which the United
States has been paying since 1879 the
Commissioners report that there stiil
remains an absolutely paid-up eNpendi-
ture by the people of the District
greater than that of the United states
by sii.15u. 710.I4. In respect to this
amount the Commissioners report
If an equal division Of the e~penti-
! lures for the local government be-
trict of Columbia is a just one. as IL
row admitted. then the United states
Is in equity a debtor to the District of
Columbia az above shown
\ balance should be struck. and
whatever sum is necessary to make the
expenditures Of the general govern
,nent upon the capital equal to those OF
its citizens for tho citx's life should be
credited to the District. or this eauita-
hlc credit should he taken into account
in HNins future prOpOrtionate contribu-
tions.
f>ee nagc~ :. . and 10. Square Deal for Ma
tlonal capital. Also page S This hroadsidei
".
Primary National Responsibility.
The primary responsibility for the
support aud development Of the Na-
Stnl is .
Congress. not the people of the federal
District. fixes the amount of the lat
tcr'S tax contribution toward the cost
Of the capitals maintenance.
As ALREADY stated the original owners
OF Washington donated fve-sevenths OF
the citv's soil on the understanding and
implied agreement that the nation was
10 build mp here magnificent capital at
its own cXDenSe. REIN bursting Itself from
the proceeds Of the sale of the donated
lots. 4 pretcntious city was planned and
lots We're sold BY the government on the
strength of this understa nding. Patrick
Henry complained that the residents OF
the District might. under the arrange
fnent, enjoy exclusive enlo'unents TO the
great injury of the rest of the people,,
and ramphlet protest was entered against
Congress meeting Ill the needs Of the
capital. on the ground that the inle-
i,endence and self-respect of its citizens
. would be degraded
1t was from the besinning. in theory
Mt least. the city of the nation. and not
the city Of it's residents, and the prf-
mary responsibiiit. for Its development
has always beep in equity upon the
nation. and the residents. who have NO
voice in the disposition OF the money
exacted from them. are the incidental
contributors.
! In spite OF tins conceded relation OF
nation and capitat the local taxpayers Of
the District for three-fourths of cen
tury We're compelled to assume practically
the entire burden Of capital making. the ma
ti0n viola ting o: neglecttag the obiiga
tiotts which il had incurred. In 1873 the
amount o. the contributions of the resi-
dent taxpayers toward the expenses of
the capital fixed by law at onehalf
the total amount, tine nation tardily and
iradequately fulfilling it's original agree
nent The people Of Washington, under
this agreement, make q dochle contri-
button. First. as American cittZers. pay
ing national taxes direct and indirect,
they contribute their proportionate share
Of the national money expended OH the
capital. and, second, as local taxpayers,
they contribute an amount equal to that
supplied by the people of the United
states whole. including themselves.
They thus assessed on both sides of
the partnership, and they are the only
contributors who have no say in the
partnership affairs. for they are American
citizens only for the purpose Of taxation
ana military service. and not for the pur-
pose of representation in the national
legislature which controls all the nartner-
Ship concerns.
iI'ace this hrnads.de See also Square Deal
for National capital
Exact Only Fair Contribution.
Congress in the exercise of this
power Of cAactinE what II pleases
from the District taxpayers should de-
The burden imposed by Congress upon
the local taxpayers in fully as heavy
ns that which the average self-soyern-
ing municipality imposes upon itself,
and IN view OF the capitals lack OF
taxable resources and other peculiar
disabilities under which the District
of Columbia iabOrs its tax l. harder
icnn community.
90 Washington taA levy, combining
ta> rate and assessment and measu9-
ing accurately the real tax burden, Is
hisher per capita t.an that OF y. of
the 1Jl pIlcr American cites in 1919
81 In comparing the per capita tax
levy Of Washington with that OF other
cities ii is to he considered that tn
contribution in lieu of taxes OF the
largest tluasi) taxpayer is. In Wash
ingtons case. omitted from the calcu-
iation. 1t is as if the steel trust and
other great plant ow ming corporations
were omitted from the tax levy OF
Pittsburgh. If Uncle sam was treated
in the calculation as a single taxpayer
his tax contribution added to the levy
and his own name added to the popu-
ltttion. WaShington's $ per "a pit:t would
be doubled, amounting to $3.50, q
greater per capita than that OF any
other city in The United States, more
than doubling Philadelphia, Baltin ore
an, New Orleans. and nearly doubling
Chicago. Cleveland and Milwaukee.
t3D Not one of the cities with which
Washington is compared has so large
q percentage of floating nou-taX paying
population as the capital, with its one
third negro population and it's thou
sands of temporary visitors and the
government employees. and this non
t;.xpaying population reduces the NOM
ht;li per capita tax levy without reduc
ing it in fact by cash contributions.
MOI one of the cities enumerated has
SO few mouey-mstking resources in
nlanufa ctures, trade and commerce, in
proportion to its population. to meet
this drain of taxation.
"a Clearly WashingtOn's tax levy
not only averages up in actual figures
with those of other American cities,
but for the reason stated 1t must be
doubled in order to make a fair COM
parisOn with other cities. and even
without this doubling Its tax burden iA,
owing to it's peculiar conditions. harder
to he borne than that OF any other
municipality with approximately the
same census figures of tax levy.
Page this broadside See also Square Deal
Tor Ma atioual Capital
The nation. primarily responsible
for the maintenance and development
of the capital. In 1873, after exhaustive
Investigations. fiNed the incidental con-