Evening star., 1931-12-25
Reputation of Federal
Debt to District Hit
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
Have the morals Of our Federal Gov
eminent been contaminated by asso-
citation with foreign governments that
evadc or repudiate their just debts7
Has our Government itself started on
the road to reputation?
Reputation Of just obligations Is
reputation Of debt, and there is no
essential difference between avoidance
OF Just ob!igation to pay equitable
taxes by the Federal Government and
repudiation OF its debts expressed In a
bond.
The Federal Government stands in
Ia unique position Of advantage in
dealing with the District Of Columbia
In that 1t has the power to refuse to
pay its way without fear that the mu-
nicipality will sell its property for non
payment Of equitable taxes. It is the
sole arbiter to determine whether It
shall! pay any tax at all Now that
!, 1t Is proposed to 60 more than half
way toward reputation, why should
Congress not go the full length at once
and refuse to paw anything toward the
expenses Of the Capital?
1t Is conceded by every one that II
washington were not the seat of Fed
eral Government this city would b. in
a bad way. In fact, 1t never would
nave become city OF half a million
people except for that fact. It was
created as the Capital and would never
naye come INTO existence except for
tnat purpose. We are fortunate in re-
siding here and have been favored nv
! that circumstance of destiny. Very few
OF the population would have come here
except to find employment with The
FEDERAL Government. Let us admit the
Federal Government is the whole
thing IN the life OF the city and that
all OF us depend upon It directly or
indirectly for our living and wellbeinp
and we are glad to reside in this beal1ti-
full city.
HcWever, that same statement in
some degree applies to MANY other
cities that do not exempt their factories
and other business interests that form
the background Of their prosperity from
tne payment OF taxes Gary. Ind. was
nullt oy the United States Steel Cor
poratlon as location for steel mills.
put the Steel Corporation pays its taxes'
Wnat would Detroit be without Ford
aho other automobile manufacturers
eilat pay tner taxes on the very facto-
res tnat give the people their means
OF livelihood? New York's skvscrapers
house the corporations that give EN-
ployment to the people, but they are
taxed. The pictures at HOLLYWOOD pro-
vide the essential employment there
but they pay their full share of taxes
So 1t is everywhere
whenever a citizen of the District of
Columbia receives permit from our in-
spector OF buildings to improve business
mousse and residence to better adant
them Tor use, that proceeding is fol-
lowed by an increase Of his tax to allow
Tor the added improvement without re-
gard to any Increased income such i'm
proVement may bring But now when
the Federal Government is pronerlv
housing its employees in buildings that
Will provide more economical and
needed facilities for its business. it pro-
poses TO cut down instead of increas-
ing its own taxation.
All OF these happenings are coming
INTO prominence about three weeks be-
Iore the District Of Columbia proposes
70 sell at public auction some 40 900
pieces OF real estate for non payment
OF taxes, rated higher than they would
oe II tne Federal Government paid its
taxes on the same basis of appraisement
that applies to privately owned real
estate. large proportion of these de-
llnquent taxpayers are EMPLOYED bv the
Government, but there is no suggestion
tnat any one should assist In keeping
.hem IN their homes because they have
taXaton without representation.
rms all happens concurrently with a
moratorium OF payments on debts of
our foreign debtors to our own Gov-
ernment, proposed by ourselves and
there is advocacy of Cancellation of
those debts by some Of the very men in
Congress who are Indifferent toward
the sacrificing of the homes of their
own employees on the taxation auction
oiocK and who advocate having the
Feoera! Government refuse to nav its
equitable taxes on the workshops II uses
here. ~ u'es
II Is not usual for taxpayers to Ax
the amount OF their own tax. and If the
people OF the District Of Columbia are
10 nave no voice in fixing the amount
OF tax TIER big corporation shall paw is
hol time to call in some disinterested
oooy 10 act as mediator and to deter
inlne the principles that shall apply to
taHauon? Congress is easily excited
over arbitrary and selfish acts n nv; y u
Vate corporations. 1t is readily re-
sponsiVe to appeals to have our private
corporations pay their Just taxes and
lnvokes the machinery Of the Govern =
ment to see that the amount is fixed
nigh enough and is fully paid. WHY
not apply the same reasoning to the
big Federal corporation with its no.
600, 900 stockholders. whose directors
consist OF their Senators and Repre-
sentatives IN Congress, who actually fix
the tax on their own shops in the Dis
trlct OF Columbia on a vanishing scale
An untaxed Federal building in other
cities is no criterion for the applica-
ton OF that rule in the District of Co.
lumbia. post Office Is devoted to
the business OF the community in which
1t Is located. Here Federal Government
buildings house the people who are en-
ployed in conducting the business of
100000 people, less than one-half
OF one per cent of whom live here.
Members OF Congress should remem-
Der that they form our town council
and legislature combined and. indeed,
IN matters of taxation. our supreme
court also, because there IS no appeal
from their decisions.
In this day of marchers, 1t is about
time the many thousands of disfran-
chised taxpayers Of the District of Co.
lumbia promote a march on the Cap
ital bearing banners inscribed:
Honesty Is the Best Policy"
1T Is Not Brave to Club the De-
fenseless."
"Ill-gotten Gains Do No Man Good" 4"
Equity at Home Comes Before Gen.
erosity Abroad"
CHARLES KERN