The Washington times., 1915-10-21
politan cities, these excerpts from
the citizens committee report will
be especially Illuminating:

cS UopSSiohy
There is no other national capital ex-
cept the District OF Columbia. which is
nothing but a national capital. In many
cases. as In London. Paris. Berlin. Rio
de Janeiro. and Buenos Aires, the ma
tiOnal capital Is a great industrial and
manufacturing city, in which the ma
tional government occupies compare
lively little space. and Its activities are
practically incidental to the life OF the
city. In some of these national capitals,
especially Paris and vienpa In Europe
and Rio de Janeiro and BUenos Aires In
America. the national government has
sDent enormous amounts of money for
strictly national capital purposes. and
especially upon parks. boulevards. and
buildings and river. harbor. and wharf
improvements. Besides these expendi-
lures for national objects the national
to the strictly municipal expenses. in
cluding sanitation. police, and fire de-
partments, public schools. and other
municipal services. The citizens Of all
the foreign national capitals are not
only taxpayers, but participants In the
local and national governments and
with n large measure OF sclf-govern-
ment 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 dc
Janelro. now In process Of execution.
will cost 5000 uoo. 900 Similar plans now
| under execution In Bucnos Aires call for
practically the same amount The con-
| trlbutions OF the national governments
| In these two cities to ordinary municipal
expenditures are on similar scale.
| A careful study Of tho facts az to
| foreign capitals compiled for this
committee as 20 Rio de Janciro. Buenos
| Aires and Mexico hv John Barrett.
director general Of the Pan-Amcrican
| Union. and as to other capitals by
1 ..t... 81 sIa
District OF Columbia. transmitted
| through the Commissioners OF the Dis
trict Of Columbin) shows that the citl-
zens of foreign capitals have tho ad'
!. vantage over the District OF Columbia
first. In that they are clothed with al
| the rights privileges. and duties Of the
| other citizens Of their countries includ.
ing a largo extent Of self-governmen,
| and n full representation In both houses
| Of the national legislature. giving them
| n direct voice and vote as to all meas.
urcs affecting their interest. and es'
| pecial,y questions Of taxation and eS'
penditurc: second. In that they are en-.
| courngcd nv the national governments
In every possible way to build m manu-
| features and commerce and to MAKE
| their cities the business capitals a;
we'll as tho political capitals of thcii
countries. thus developing great wealt'
and n largo basis Of taxation: and. third
in that contributions of tho nationa
governments for national capital pur
poses have been In the more importnn
capitals much larger proportionatel,
than those which have been made h,
tho r'nitcd states Government in thu
District Of columbia.
That feature ~ the Mexican plan
which provides that all tho taxation
Of tho Fcdcral district shall he nationa
taxation and all the APPROPRIATIONS ma
tional appropriations. which has h"er
suggested for tho District NJ Columbia
and which IL uniuue In the governmen
q, national capitals. cannot hc senara
tod from the local self-Vovernm"nt fea
ture of that plan or from the moro i'm
portant featurc Of representation h.
two Senators. and also one Representa-
tive for each so mn Inhabitants, In tn
national Congress. which Is prccisel,
the Same representation as that Of tn
states Of the Mexican federation.
In Brazil the national capital IL ron
resented nv thr"" senators and n mum
her or REPRESENTATIVES m tho na'iona
congress. and IN Argentina tho ra.iona
capital IL represented by two senator
and n number ~ representatives In tn
national congress.