Evening star., 1922-02-19

The Districts public schools have
never been adequately supported from
the public funds.
Public Lands for The plea for more
School Support. anee has been
voiced almost from the beginning Of
the National Capital. Fifty years ago
such a plea was uttered in The Star
of February is. 1872, in the follow
ing terms:
"The people of this District do not
now stand in the attitude of beggars
to Congress. They have voluntarily
assumed the burdens of carrying out
the onerous and expensive system
OF improvements made necessary by
city was laid out. Justly, this eN-
pense, or much of II, should have been
shouldered by the government, since
the city was planned in this way, not
for the convenience or use OF the
citizens. but for the purposes and con
the work of improvement needed TO
be done for the credit of the National
Capital the people have undertaken
1t and will carry 1t out.
"It Is not therefore as supplicants
to Congress for favor, but as asking
only the plainest justice, that we now
ask our share of the public lands
for school purposes. Have members
of Congress ever given thought to
the enormous burdens thrown upon
this District in the support of its
school system, simply by occasion OF
the seat of government being hereE
The reports of School Superintendent
Wilson and Census Commissioner
Walker present data showing these re-
markable facts:
THAT the annual expenditures for
public schools of Washington have
increased since 1860 from $4,000 to
$4s2.000.
"That the tax now paid by the peo-
Pile of Washington for the support OF
the public schools is the highest OF
any city in the country. The school
tax of Chicago in the last fiscal year
reported was III cents for each Sloo
of taxable value; of Boston. 1fS
cents: of Baltimore, % cents; oi
Philadelphia. 26 cents; OF Cincinnati
s5 cents: of st. Louis and San Fran
cisco, 40 cents; of Washington, SO
cents.
That one reason for the remarkable
difference to our disadvantage which
is here exhibited between Washington
and other leading cities Of the couu.
try is found in the large amount OF
real estate which is exempt from tax.
alton as the property of the general
government. constituting not less
than one-third of the total value OF
real estate.
THAT another reason why the school
necessities of Washington are found
to be more burdensome than those OF
any other city in the United States is
that far more than one-haf OF that
element in the present population OF
the city which makes the largest de-
mand for separate expenditures,
without having the ability to con-
tribute in any appreciable measure 70
the public funds, was brought upon
us during the war. by virtue OF acts
and laws Of the general government.
which looked to the interests OF the
whole country. By reason OF this ac-
tion of the government the number
of colored persons in Washington has
been increased since 1860 from less
vast influx of unprovided and unin-
structed freedmen is in obedience to
no social or economic laws, but Is the
result of the direct acts of the general
government, that government is in
duty bound to share in providing at
least for their intellectual and moral
needs.
should feel the justice of granting to
the District at least a proportion OF
public lands for the support Of schools
SO freely given to the various states
and territories is the fact that nearly
all of the government clerks and
other employees. who for the most part
pay no taxes here. and nothing what
ever for the support of the public
schools. are enjoying all their advan-
tages.
Does Congress think ii fair that
We should sustain all these burdens
without receiving at least our proper
tion of school lands"