Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-18
BY CHARLES r. CARUsI.

TIME casual V1Sltor 10 washington,
who should see by our local
press that debate is now going
Il on in the Capitol as to whether
the United States will con-
| tribute millions or IL millions to the
! expenses of our municipality, WOULD
| probably feel that the residents OF
Washington were specially favored.
Should this person be himself tax
payer In a city of comparable size. 1t is
not unlikely that he would envy the
residents of Washington their good for
| tune, and regret that his own city was
not equally favored by such generous
donation from the public purse. Per-
haps this envy would be commingled
with pride as he viewed the splendid
| buildings, the streets and avenues OF
royal dimensions, and the charming
parks. when told that in addition to
/ his own native town or city, Washing
| ton was in a sense also his city, he
would probably consider this an ami
| able expression Of hospitality.
Appears Like Ordinary City.
Superficially, except for the splendid
public buildings and parks, Washing
ton would seem to be very much like
any other American city. The occu-
pants would seem to be engaged in or
binary civic occupations: building, buy
ing, selling, transporting. amusing He
would perhaps notice that the police
and fire protection seemed to be about
the same as that of other cities. Some
of the fine school buildings he would
| admire. some perhaps he would be
astonished at but the thing that would
astonish him most perhaps would be to
be told that there is a growing serti-
ment of resentment between the resi-
dents of Washington and certain
/ IF
the people. due to mutual misunder-
standing just upon the question as to
whether Washington Is really an ordi-
nary American city, benefiting specially
by the generosity Of Congress, or
whether it Is a unique city In America,
and that what looks like generosity Is
! in fact something less than justice.
Members Of Congress come and go.
Many Of them come to Washington for
the first time with no previous fam1l-
iarity with the city, its history or Its
relationship to the Federal Government.
They not infrequently take the view of
the casual visitor, and even in some
instances find this view popular one
with their constituents. OF course,
many other me mbers Of Congress In
both Houses, who have given q study
to the situation, would be prepared to
take a different view. but unless they
some reason are especially interested,
they are not apt to insist very strongly
upon their views.
Both Sides Misunderstood.
Nor is the misunderstanding on one
side only. Many residents of Washing
ton view the city as typical American
municipality. They talk Of its local
government as If that were thing
apart from the National Government,
and not infrequently they make COM
plants from which they would refrain
/ If they had a more clear-cut apprehen-
| sion of the real status OF oar National
Capital.
To some Of both groups, Federal off,
GERS and citizens alike, the Capital City
is looked upon as an ordinary American
municipality In which the Federal Gov
eminent happens to maintain its head
| quarters, and to which, in return for
the privilege of occupancy tax free of
the necessary buildings to house its ON,
GERS and employees, 1t makes an annual
contribution roughly equal to reason
able taxes upon the value Of the prop
erty 1t occupies.
A quite different view, shared also
by many citizens and officials. and the
one believed to be more nearly correct,
is that Washington. In Its more impor-
tant aspects-legal, political and fiscal
is not q ftypical American municipality
at all. The local government. except
| for certain bookkeeping and other spe-
cial purposes based upon convenience.
should not be regarded as q separate
corporate entity from the Federal Gov
eminent. It Is the Federal Government
| itself, acting municipality and locally,
| that we really ought to have in mind
when we speak of the District govern
| ment. The chief executive Is the Presi-
dent Of the United States, and he adj
ministers the city through three Com
missioners appointed by him and re-
sponSible to him. All revenues, from
whatever source, are brought into the
Federal Treasury, and are expended
only when appropriated by the Federal
Congress.
The residents Of Washington have no
voice either in national or municipal
affairs, although the city in which they
reside is managed and controlled by
the elected representatives of the people
at large. AS far as the local residents
have gone has been to ask that they
shall have q small voice along with the
erning powers over the city of WASH
ington in the selection of the President
and Vice President. Also in the choice
| OF q representative or spokesman in
the legislative halls. who may from time
to time call to the attention of the
national legislators the viewpoints and
wishes of an electorate as large as that
Of some entire States in the United
| States.
City Is Federal Territory.
Washington, then, is Federal terri
tory, In which, in addition to some
| quarter of million cat a guesswork
estimate) of Federal officials, employees,
their families and dependents, like
| number of other persons own property
and participate in the activities of city
life From this point of view the pri-
mary obligation Is, of course, upon the
! Federal Government to finance the
| Governments own municipal project.
! This obligation Is not incidental to the
! maintenance of headquarters in WASH
ington and to the ownership of tax
exempt property therein, but because
the National City is national project.
The obligation to contribute is upon
| the unofictal residents or the private
property owners in the Federal terri
| tory.
The measure Of the Federal expendi-
| ture Is limited only by the resources
of the Federal Government and by the
| scope and character Of municipal ac-
| tivity 1t desires to see carried on. On
| the other hand, the measures of the
| resident property holders contribution
is based upon no such obligation at all
and Is necessarily limited by his tax
able resources. How futile, therefore,
to make appropriations under the gtiise
Of loans, which upon analysis amount
to no more than expenditures accom-
panied by threats Of increased taxation
High taxes, which, of course, are paid
by the occupier or consumer of taxable
property, in so far as they are paid on
property occupied by the off1cial and
employee half of the resident population