The Washington times., 1915-01-08

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one of the courts of the District is
in handling business which is forced
upon it because the law of Congress
has made it the Court of Patent
Appeals for the whole country?
Is 1t quite realized that the func-
tions of administration in the Dis
trict are more extensive and expen-
sive than they would be in an ordi-
nary city of this size, by reason of
the fact that the Federal Govern
ment has its home here?
1t is objected that the taxation of
the District ought not to consider in
any way the fact that a large share
of property valuation here repre-
sents the Federal Governments
ownership. 1t is pointed out that the
States do not tax State property in
State capitals; therefore why should
the Federal Government, in effect,
tax Federal property here?
The answer is that conditions
here are not like those in States.
Take the capital city of Iowa as an
instance. It is the States metrop-
oils; but Washington is not the ma
tion's metropolis. State property in
Des Moines is an almost infinitesi-
mally small part Of the total prop
erty. ,a
The people of Des Moines are en-
ployed in the multifold activities of
any other great city. Here, the basis
of the population is the community
of Government employees. In another
city, the mass of workers would be
employed in factories and the like,
owned by private capitalists, and
paying taxes on many millions of
property value. Here, the Govern
ment buildings are the industrial
plants; but they pay no taxes. Sup
pose that in Des Moines the prop
erty in which people worked was ex-
empted from taxation: what would
be the effect on the rest of the
property? Suppose industrial es-
Establishments were untaxed: how
much would taxes on homes 90 up?
Some illusions have been made to
the improperly of the Government
spending its money to provide parks
in Washington for local people to
use. But the delegation from Iowa
will recall that in the recent election
leading issue was that the State
had passed legislation to buy and
clear a great public park surround
ing the capitol building; the whole
State was to be taxed in order to
spend some millions providing the
town with that park. The candidate
for governor who had been COM
mitted to this program was up for
reelection; and he was triumphantly
reelected, with. the support of the
two present Senator's from Iowa.
What is the difference between
Iowa spending millions to provide
park space for Des Moines, and the
nation spending millions-by the
way, vastly less sum in proportion
to provide park space for Wash
ington?
Iowa stood by and vindicated the
administration which had sought to
make it's State capital a credit to
the State. We guess that Iowa will
also stand by an administration of
Washington affairs that undertakes
to do as much for the nation.
Senators expressed some amaze
ment when they were assured that
there has been in this town for
long time a fixed and unvarying rate
Of both property assessment and tax
levy. No wonder.
But they will be unfair if they do
not recognize also that they and
their predecessors made that condi-
ton. Washington didn't do it.
Washington couldn't do it, or undo
it. Congress could, and did. Objur-
cations against the people of the
District as tax dodgers are not in
order. They are the only taxpayers
in the country who haven't a word
to say about whether they will be
taxed, how much, or in what form.
Not only this. The Commission
ers of the District have specifically
called attention in vigorous fashion
to the anomaly of having both as
sessment and levy fixed and unvary-
ing, and asked that they be given
power to fix the levy rate year by
year so that they might vary it in
accordance with the needs of the
community. Congress has not seen
fit to act on that recommendation.
Senator Kenyon, as a member of the
District Committee, had more power
to get that much done, than all the
people of the District. He didn't get
it done; it hasn't been done; and to-
day the people of the District read
of themselves as tax dodgers, be-
cause CONGRESS- wOuldn't do the