Evening star., 1915-03-29
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.

defray the expense of the public build
inss Gn addition to $4,000 given by
the states OF Virginia and Mary land
for that purpose) and to effect such
other things as may be incumbent upon
the public to do in the city. Between
three and four thousand lots have been
already sold by. the commissioners, and
the. average price at their public sales
has exceeded $40 d hot The price OF
lots has lately risen very much. and a
great increase of price is still expected
as the object comes to be more invest'-
gated and better understood.
After furnishing very ample funds
for the accomplishment of every object
in the city on the part OF the public a
large surplus of lots will remain the
property of the city. which hereafter
may. and undoubtedly will. be APP
piled as to defrny the annual expenses
incident to the city; and the citizens
and their property. will lie forever Tree
from heavy tax which is unavoidable
In other large c1ties."
President Jefferson in his message
of 1902 voices the same thought ann
holds our to lot purchasers the same
hope. He protests against the hastS
forced sale of the lots donated to the
government. He recognizes a residu-
airy interest OF the city" in these lots
pointing out that if wisely handled
they would not only meet the national
requirements but would insure a con-
siderable surplus to the city to be emf
ployed for its Improvement. II
Indulgence for the fund can be permit
ted they will probably form Il resource
OF great and permanent value"
CoteNporaneot publications in Great
Britain show that to induce the pUr-
chase Of lots from the government this
suggestion OF complete or partial i'm
rnUnity from local taxation was dan
sieG before prospective purchasers
And lots were sold on the strength in
part OF this representation
frobable faEoritism toward the pop
uiation of this endowed city was the
ground OF one of the arguments against
the ratification Of the clause Of the
constitution which provides for tho
ten miles square In the Virginia
convention Patrick Henry said: The
people within that place may be ex-
cused from all the burdens imposed on
tne rest OF society and may enjoy e..-
elusive emoiuments to the great in
jury of the rest Of the people And
In the course of pamphlet discussion
respecting the government of the Dis
trict protest was entered against Con :
gress meeting all of the needs of the
capital. on the ground that the indie
pendence and self-respect of it's citizens
would be degraded. Congress seems
for a long time to have obeyed this
protest SO far as to render no assist
ance whatever worthy the name in the
work of capital making. in connec-
ton with the gift to it of more than
ton. in order TO sell lots carved from
tn's gift. the nation promised that
ashington should be the permanent
seat OF government. and pretended tha,
this permanent capital would be iln-
proved at national expense. without re-
gard to the scanty population that
would be at first attracted TO it, Uav-
ing secured this Magnificent donation
and pocseted the proceeds from the
sale OF lots, the nation utterly failed
to meet its promises. II frequently
threatened to remove. the capital
which meant, of course. the death OF
Washington. II pra ractically abandoned
the work of street Improvement and
capital making to the scanty resident
population.
For more than thirty years. during
which period 100000 had been
realized from the sale of lots pledged
for the benefit OF improvements lis
expenditures upon streets aud ave-
nues. which We're its exclusive prop
erty, were less than 800 per year. and
time until u recent period in the city S
history have been widely varying in
amount and at the best Inadequate IN
1873 the government. which had in the
beginning impliedly undertaken to
meet all the expenses OF capital max
ing, and then shifted that burden In
the main upon private citizens. decided
that justice required it to pay one
half of the Districts expenses
The nation has now returned hall
way to The original ard appropriate
idea OF the federal city. This guardian,
VINO for ri.ree-fourths Of a century
was unIaithful to his trust. now
without making tie slightest rcstitu-
tion for the wron5s of the past. shares
the expenses @! the ward whom he
equitably bound himself III the begin :
ming to support, and some men call it
charity.
ISce pages ) 10 S this broad>id" Also page /.
Square Deal Cor National Capital.l