Evening star., 1915-10-30
Wealth Four Times Greater.

| Congress at any time it desired.
Wealth Four Times Greater.
| He contended that the total wealth Of
| Washington today was four times as
great as it was in 1878. the population
was double, and yet the wage Garner
| in Washington is no better off than he
| was forty years ago.
Mr.. Kelley said that the government
employees in the District made up very
large proportion of the entire popula-
ton, and declared that the conditions
| SO far pay is concerned-of these
government employees was no better,
and in some cases was worse than it
was thirty or forty years ago.
There are $4,000 government en-
ployes here" he said. land their pay
amounts to about S40.000.000 a year,
probably half Of the money that keeps
all activities in Washington going every
year"
He pointed out that from 1860 to 1850
the per capita wealth of the city was
about $780, and that today the per
capita wealth here is between $1,000
and s1700.
IF the per capita wealth of the city
is three times great as it was in
1878, and the government clerk no bet
ter off" said Mr.. Kelley. Il ask who
has received this advance in wealth.
He argued that the big increase in
to the federal contribution to the ex-
penses of the capital, had created mil
lionaires.
Mr.. Kelley spoke of the inherent
rights of citizenship of the people of
the District. He discussed the history
of the establishment of the District of
Columbia and referred to il speech by
former Senator Root in the Senate last
winter when the District appropriation
bill, bearing the johnson rider, was be-
fore that body.
Objects to Term Wards"
THE eminent senator from New York
referred to the people as the wards of
the nation" said Mr.. Kelley. That
was the unkindest cut of all. When l
heard that Characterization / immedi-
ately thought of the Indians
WAS it any consolation to you,'' in
terrupted Senator Chiffon, ito think
that at all events you were good In
dians?"
Mr. Kelley discussed at length the
powers of Congress over the District
and maintained that while the jurisdic-
tion over the District was undoubtedly
entirely in the hands of Congress, the
people here still had rights of citiz.ans
of the United States.
ITO my mind" he said, there is a
threefold citizenship in this country:
There is the citizenship of the United
States, of the states and of the local
communities in which the people live.
1t seems to me that we residents of
the District have the citizenship of the
United States and of the local COM
munity. That is the reason why 1
was puzzled by the characterization
of Senator Root"
Mr.. Kelley said that he sorry
that Congress had not seen fit to open
up the whole question of District gov
ernment when it passed the act Great
ing the present joint select committee
to Investigate into the fiscal relations
between the United States and the Dis
trict. He said, however, that he was
glad the committee itself had thrown
open the discussion so as to cover all
matters of Importance bearing on the
questions of taxation and expenditure
in the District.
Likes the Works Idea.
He said that he rather liked the idea
contained in Senator Works resolution.
offered at the opening of the hearing.
which would do away with the District
entirely. He suggested that it would
be better still for the government to
purchase all the property in the Dis
trict and lease the land to the residents,
as he said was done in the capital of
Australia now: He suggested that Sen
ator Works amend his resolution to
that effect.
Bonds could be issued bs the gov
ernment to cover the purchase price,,
he said. Il think that S600,000,090
would be high estimate to put on the
privately owned property. The annual
rentals would be quite capable of pay
ing off the bonds"
Mr. Kelley discussed the situation in
Washington when there was local
government here. He said that in those
days the federal government was poor
and could not help the capital, and the
citizens here did their best. He said
that state jealousy also was a factor in
retarding the growth of the capital. He
referred to the bitter political feeling
that existed in the capital over the bills
giving suffrage to the negroes, and said
that the political situation also had
good deal to do with keeping back the
capital and holding down government