Evening star., 1921-12-08

also been ably presented. Clearly, or
for this vital American privilege, right
and power until IL is won.
Two-Fold Problem.
The campaigns for material devel-
opment and for financial equity are In,
separately interviewer. Our two-fold
problem asks: How can we make the
capital more gloriously attractive. more
healthful, stronger intellectually and
a better city? How can We get the
.pian without imposing excessive bur-
dens upon the local taxpayers and
without doing injustice to Uncle Sam
or to anybody else?
We need a comprehensive plan in
volving large expenditures to be
least three lines of municipai devel-
opment, curing past neglects, bring
ing construction and equipment up to
GATE and with wise forethought pro-
viding to meet the ever-developing
needs Of the near future. Millions
more than current revenue AFFORDS
must be provided TO carry out sys-
tematic and comprehensive plans:
% To provide many new and recon-
structed school buildings to house ad-
equately pupils In the public schools;
S2) To build a new water supply plant,
ioh oSiy nv CdSill6 anu due
gate Washington's water supply and
later to develop for the capitals benz
eft the Potomacs water power. and
CD to bring the city's streets up to
date in repairs and resurfacing and
to develop the city's street system to
wise, Of the future greater Washing
ton.
How Millions to He Raised.
;r,,x 10
be raised? There are three groups of
obvious contributors. First, taxpay-
ers of the present. who will contrib
ute such percentage of current tax
revenue as can he spared from meet
ing other municinal needs. Second
taxpayers OF the East, who contribute
unexpended accumulated surpluses OF
taN-money to be applied in payment
of the Districts percentage of all OF
any of these important projects
Third, taXpaNcr. of the future, who
will pay lar'Er part of any indebted
advances from the Treasury. or bond
issues, if the District undertakes to
borrow.
"All should contribute, in accord
a9ce with equity. The taxpayers OF
today. paying temporarily for 60 per
cent Of capital development, with a tax
rate Of $1.S2 applied TO comparatively
high assessment, are already heavily
burdened. Undoubtedly also the tax
payers of the future. who will profit
most by these permanent improve
ments. should pay their share of the
cost. Finally. supplementing especial
ly the present taxpayers, are those OF
the past, whose accumulated sur
pluses of taxes unexpended by Con-
gress in the war time amounts. the
Commissioners report, to approxi-
mately s4,650.000.
All District Tax Money.
Every cent of this fund Is District
tax money. applicable solely to meet
the Districts share of the cost Of capt.
tai maintenance and developmnt. II
was collected under the haif-and- -ha II
appropriation, and was not doubled
and spent at the time on sorely need
ed items of development because the
municipal needs which 1t ought to
have satisfied were neglected and un-
met in the stress of war. As these
annual unmet needs. as for additional
school buildings, increased water sup
ply and additional and improved
streets have accumulated. 30 also has
the tax money collected in surpluses
accumulated to pay the District S
share of the cost. Now that these &C.
cumulated needs are at last to be met
the money accumulated to meet them
course, be doubled under the law and
applied to satisfy them.
No wise municipality will increase
present high taxation or borrow
money and pay interest on the loan
to meet it's maintenance and develop
ment expenses until it has utilized for
this purpose its reserves and surplus
funds
IF Congress will take up and pass
the Jones bill regula ting District
of Columbia finances and taxation.
now pending in the Senate, the
problem of surpluses will autOmati-
cally be solved. Let US all push
unitedly and heartily to secure the
enactment of this equitable and whole.
some law"
MIR. Rudolph's Remarks.
Commissioner Rudolph said:
Prom a village of Isolated struc-
lures, scattered over the grand design
of Washington, Jefferson and rEn-
fant as it appeared when you first
beheld it. to the Washington Of to-
day, you have seen a transformation
as startling as those which greeted
the possessors of Aladdin's lamp.
But it is not for US to d.sparage
the public spirit or private enterprise
of our townsmen of the earlier days
sight nor in the energy becoming
their opportunities as citizens and
patriots, but the country had not ar
rived at the stage of it's growth when
it could adequately second their Wo-
jects and zeal for developing it's capi-
tai to compsrt with the ideals of its
.'The national authorities were never
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