Evening star., 1928-04-17

obligation over and above that which
Is imposed solely by the fact that
city Is a capital
The Nations Intention.
The general Government, by the fact
or planning magnificent Capital.
covering a large area and character
lied by broad streets. avenues and
reservations 10 an extent unsuitable
for a Self-supporting commercity city.
and by founding the Capital in a
place comparatively uninhahited, as
we'll as by the terms of the bargain
with the owners of the Soil, and by
the declarations of its representatives
at the founding of the city and after
ward, showed an intention to build up
National city. at the Nations eX-
penSe, on a grand scale, irrespective of
the future population of the District.
The Capital was TO be primarily a CEN
ter Of Federal action, and the occupa-
ton of the ground by settlers was
merely incidental to this great purpose.
II was to be meeting place for the
use, convenience and entertainment OF
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-
ton 1t might acquire.
The original owners OF Washington
donated five-SeventhS Of the cityS soil
and yielded the right Of Self-govern-
ment to the Nation on the understand
ing and implied agreement that the
Nation was to build up here a mag
nificent Capital at its own expense. re-
imhurSing itself from the proceeds Of
the sale of donated lots. A preten-
ssaN xNl1 IAsc
sold by the Government on the
strength of this understanding. For
three e-fourths of century the Nation
violated or neglected the obligations
which IL had thus incurred. In 1873
the Government. which had In the be-
ginning impliedlv undertaken TO meet
all the expenses OF capital making and
tnen shifted that burden. in the main. |
upon private citizens. decided that jus |
tice required it to pay one-han OF the |
Districts expenses.
Washington'S Equities.
Study Of the equitable foundations |
upon which proportionate contrihu- |
ton toward capital maintenance by |
the Nation is based brings the convic- !
tion that no fixing of that proportion /
can be Just which ignores national |
neelects Of obligations in the past in /
the equitable measure OF |
contribution for the 1
future
AS an annual contributor to mu-
nicipal maintenance in definite and |
liberal amount the Nation has since
1878. under the wise and fair legisla- |
ton OF that year, surpassed other ma
lions in this form of patriotic expendi- |
tuTe The result has been 10 restore /
the Nations Seif-TeSpect as a~fuifiileT |
Of Capital obligations. and to build up |
the Capital of today, in which every !
American has proprietary interest /
and in respect 10 which every American |
new feels a proprietary pride.
Obligation Follows Power.
The second obligation, that which Is. |
coupled with and measured by the de- |
gree 10 which the Nation controls its |
Capital is. as I have noted. extraordi- |
narily great in Wasfington's case.
The teaching OF these comparisons |
is that obligation Is coupled with !
power; /. e. financial obligation IS
coupled with political power If the !
Nation controls. il pays; and 10 the |
extent that it controls il pays.
washington Is the only capital in |
A84E MnI&1 IA N4SsNA4t II XXI hd4A3 RAb~ /
posed policies prevail. the Nation |
would do all OF the controlling and |
none of the paying Paris wants |
France to pay without controlling.
some men would have the United |
States control without paying.
In CanberTa. the new capital CT
Australia. q supreme national con-
trol OF the capital may be exemplified |
as IN the case of Washington: but II So !
this condition will result from the fact /
that the Nation viii secure and retain |
fee simple title 10 all the land In the |
federal district and will simply lease |
to individual residents II viii logically
couple national government ownership
with national government control In an
interesting socsalistic experiment In
Washington, IL certain theories prevail.
the Nation win retain exclusive and
complete control Of the Capital, equal
To that Of Canberra. without extin-
gushing by purchase all individual title
70 property and without even recogniz-
ing and meeting the obligations which
arise from partial ownership and full
control.
The assumption and exercise Of ABB
seiute and exclusive legislative power
by the organic act were coupled with
recognition OF q pFe-existtug and con-
tinnfng financial obligation. The Ma
tion cannot equitably repudiate or re-
duee to a minimum It's financial oblIRa-
ti0n and retain and exercise its fuIl
despotic and exclusive power TO tar
and TO govern.