The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-01-06


an economic necessity to lift tho burden
OF debt from the oppressed District and
it's tax-paying citizens was justlned Dy
the exigencies Of the time and the con.
BEING BECAUSE THE CONSENSUS
OF THE BEST THOUGHT OF THAI
DAY WAS HA JUSICE DEMANDEB
THAT THE EEDERL GOV 5Es6lSI y ~,
THE AID OF THE DISTRICT AND
ITS CITIZENS IN TIE PAYMENL
OF THIS VAST DEBT INCURREp FOB
PUBLIC. WORKS THIS aI5,, We Isor IH TEk
PASSAGE OF THE HALF AMI
HALF" LAW.
while there were those in 1878 who
doubted the. propriety or even the K
and definite ratio OF contribution BY
the Government to the payment OF the
expenses OF the District. this act was
apparently considered satisfactory
compromise solution OF a problem then
exceedingly difficult OF proper de-
termination by reason OF the conditions
In the District OF Columbia at that
time.
But we think that the conditions Of
today and of the few years last past
are 80 different from the conditions Of
1873 that this arbitrary rule-a rule OF
then seeming necegsity-need no longer
be applied to District appropriations.
Then the District was under q great
largely paid. and the, next few years
will see it completely paid In the man
ner we have described herein.
Tim the District was surfing from the
many experimental forms Of govern
ment which had been tried In successive
years almost: today the form Of gov
eminent is one Of long existence. tried
and tested.
half OF the nearly 10000 people who now
reside in washington.
Then the pIenoid utility and beauty
of the city planned on a national base
Government has many buildings which
are of the very highest standard OF
architecture, and has laid the founda-
ton by purchase Of additional areas OF
land for more public buildings, parks
More and more every year is lana
| being acquired and held for strictly
governmental purposes. withdrawn
from participation In assessment ana
The increasing needs Of the Govern
ment In this, its central home, demand
and will continue 70 demand more
land. more buildings. more reserva-
tons.
All OF this means that the District
l of Columbia and the National Gov
eminent should not be longer on any
that the National City, the nations
home. should he a district where the
national authority is not only supreme,
but n district where the just pride or
/ n great people should insist upon its
| maintenance in a manner most fitting
\ to the dignity of the citizens whose
! manifestations of central government
/ Il iG.
/ Nothing Is clearer to us than 1t never
| was the iIEent that this District should
/ bear all the very extraordinary our
dens OF expense incident to its plan
/ and occupancy as q National City, and
1 fln
/ inequitable and unjust now.
/ But around and about this great
| workshop OF national affairs has grown
a city with all the complexities incident
ern American city
The rights OF the people Of the Dis
trict are to be considered, and we would
therefore recommend that the people
| in assessment, rate and amount to that
tax paid by the residents of other cities
similar In population and location to
| the city Of Washington.
This we believe is emineltly fair, and
= there should be no greater exaction in
taxation from the people Of the Dis
trict of Columbia.
In seeking to apportion benefits re-
sultinE to the general government and
10 the citizens and residents of the
district Of Columbia, II is manifest that
no line or rule OF distinction can ne
The expenditures Of the District CT
Columbia are FOR police and fire pro.
lection, education, sanitation, and
health, charities. correction and REFORM
the care Of the insane ana the poor
and in each and every one OF there
specific times Columbia are benefited,
but the ratio OF benefit is impossible
TO determine and under our thought un-
Here, in addition to the Executive
and his Cabinet, the Supreme Court
and other Federal Courts, ana the
/. Congress of the United states, are
over 10000 employees of the Federal
Government. These persons, drawn
from every State in the Union. with
, their families, compose a large part
Of the population of the District.
Here come every day also Thousand
, whoIa the lessons OF patriotism re-
. suIting from n visit to the Nation s
i Capital result in a higher type OF cit
! izenship, and the pride OF partic!pa'
tion in the affairs of our Government
grows stronger with the realizatior
CT its latest power and outward Gig
nifty and grandeur
! The protection to life and property
the measures TO secure, hesltn, happi
: ness, and TIE benefits of education, al
we'll as the measures for the care o
: the poor and the sick. are benencia
l not alone TO the actual residents o.
1.-The District OF Columbia. but 10 al
: the American people between tbs
( The annual tax in Washington Il
: approximately $500 per capita.
In the Judgment of your committe
this IL a res sonable tax levy at thi
, time. especially when we consider. a
we must; that q large proportion Q
:, the population here pays but sma
: amount of the taxes Imposed.
The subjects OF taxation In Washing
I ton differ somewhat Srom those o
u many other American cities. Here, 40
4 instance Intangible personal propert
is not a subject OF taXtN'On and take
: on franchises and earnings of public
E service corporations are not classed a
: we find from the evidence OF f&T
minded men. resid$ots OF Wblshingto
= familiar with real estate values /
9 general, that the present assessment o
d real estate for taxation is fair an
! reasonable.
: We are perfectly aware that mar
q discrepancies may appear even in tn
!, best regulated assessment plan and IL
i stances OF inequality may DC found !
d the present assessment in Washington
IS; hut taken as a whole, the assessment
y made against all classes of property j
( the different locations in the city az
equitable.
= An eNaminati Cn OF the assessments /
: some former years leads u5 to bsliev
q that in those wears many of the to
- valuations were ton low and tEat the
u many more inequalities of taxation ~
e listed thar now, and that under til
n | pTpsent asReS sment nu earnest and he y