Evening star., 1915-03-19
True Basis of Nations ObIiqa-
ton Is National Honor
and National Pride.
PRIMARY OBLIGATION
is ON NATION, NOT CITY
Contribution Exacted From City for
Capital -Upbuilding Should Be
Reasonable, Equitable
and Definite.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES
.litorial Correspondence of The Star.

! Editorial Correspondence OF The star
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.
The only question to be deter
mined under the law creating the
joint congressional committee is
"the proper proportion of the ex-
penses OF the government of the
District OF Columbia or any
branch thereof, including interest
on the funded debt, which shall
be borne by the said District and
the United States respectively
These expenses are now borne
so per cent by each of the parties
under the half-and-half arrange
ment OF the organic" act of 1873.
Washington's conviction is that
this proportion is just and fair to-
day as in 1873, and that it should
not be modified except on con-
vincing evidence of the necessity
in equity of a change and after
the thorough and careful consid-
Grafton which should characterize
the alteration of fundamental law.
I. The organic act, with its
compromises, its balances, its off
setting of equities, is an integral
whole; and any substitute for it
should also be complete, rounded
and balanced in all it's parts; and
its trainers in molding it should
give to all the equities OF all the
parties concerned the same wise
and fair consideration that was
given by the statesmen of the last
century in their four years labor
of framing the organic act and es-
tablishing the half-and-half prin-
ciple.
We are certain of such consid-
Grafton by the joint congressional
committee of this issue so vital to
the capitals welfare.
True Basis Of Nations Obligation.
| 2 The true basis of the nations obli-
] cation of prOpOrtionate contribution
| toward the maintenance and develop
| ment Of the capital Is not solely or prt-
\ marily untaxed ownership Of District
| real estate. This obligation is equitable
| In it's nature, ID based primarily ON
| the circumstances of the capitals ere
| alton which imposed upon the nation
not only the necessity of fulfilling an
| implied pledge hut the obligation and
| responsibility which without words arc
| coupled inseparably with exclusive
| and unlimited power and control; and
60 1t IL based secondarfiy on present
and continuous conditions enforcing
| both the original and a renewed Obif-
| gatiOn upon the nation az the untaxed
| owner Of a large fraction Of Washing
! toms real estate and of over three
Thousand acres OF the unplatted pOr-
| tfons Of the Federal District. This OBJ
LEGATION is as just and binding today
| as 1t was at the beginning of the CEN
tury. National recognition of this OBJ
LEGATION In crystallixed in the organic
act Of 1878.
| Maintenance intact of the organic act
II not only thus a point of honor with
the nation, but In strOnE1y urged by
the dictates OF national pride. During
tiOn, tardfly recognized in 1878. was
neglected. the capital was national
shame. a by-word and reDroach. since
the nation has returned even half way
| to its original obligation the capital
has become an object Of national af-
| fectiOn, In whose nttractivenesa and In
| whose welfare the whole American
| people take pride.
| The general government, by the fact
| of planning a magnificent capital COW
| ering a large area and characterized by
| broad streets. avenues and reserVa-
tions to extent unsuitable for a
| self-supporting commercial city, and
| by founding this capital in a place
comparatively unnhabited, as well as
| By the terms of the bargain with the
/ owners of the soil. and by the declara-
| tions of its representatives at the
| founding of the city and afterWard'
I! showed an intention to build UP ma
| tional city. at the nations expense, on
i a grand scale, irrespective of the fu-
4 ture population of the District. The
! capital was to be primarily center OF
! federal action, and the occupation of
| the ground by settlers was merely Incl
dental to this great purpose
| 1t was to be a meeting place for the
i use convenience and entertainment OF
1 the people Of the entire Union. and the
| expense of Its support and adornment
| was not to be limited by the scanty
resources Of what permanent popula-
tion it might acquire.
Il "A publication eHtltltu
: on the River Potomack, the County
Adjacent and the City of Washington
printed In New York by Samuel Louden
: 4 Son in 1893. says of the federal city
, then developing:
The original proprietors of the land
on which the city is laid out, in con
j, sideration of the great benefits which
Z they expected to derive from the 1oca
: tton of the city. conveyed in trust to
the commissioners for the use of the
public and for the purpose of estab-
| fishing the city the whole of their re-
!. spectiye lands which are included
/ within the lines of the city upon con
dition that after retaining for the pub.
> lie the ground of the streets and any
number of squares that the President
. NAV think proper for public improve.
ments or other public uses, the lots
shall be fairly and equally divided be
! tween the public and the respectiv.
: ! proprietors. BY this means the public
had possession of more than 10000 lot,
from which funds are to be raised tt
defray the expense of the public build
: jngs Gin addition to s192.0 given b,
the states of Virginia and Maryland
3 for that purpose) and to effect sucl
l other things may be incumbent upor
! the public to do in the city Betweer
three and four thousand lots have beer
: already sold by the commissioners, ant
. the average price at their public sale
: has exceeded s240 lot. The price o
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