Evening star., 1935-12-08

ing the amount Of their municipal
taxes, on what objects taxes shall be
levied and how tax revenue shall be
spent. In the same way Washing
tonians must through national rep
resentation participate effectively in
raising and spending national taxes,
to which in internal revenue taxes
the District contributes more than %
States, more than States combined,
and per capita more than 80 States.
It is hard to realize that the District
pays more than % States into the
national fund from which its lump sum
national contribution is derived, from
which the salaries of CongresSmen and
President are paid, and which sup
plies the hundreds of millions of
grants, bounties and subsidies to the
States. And 1t must send a. shock of
fear down the District taxpayers
spine when he realizes that if present
methods of national taxation are fol-
lowed he and his descendants must
pay more absolutely than the people
of % States and more per capita than
the people of 38 States in meeting the
obligation incurred by the many bill
lions Of vast expenditure in New Deal
experimentation.
Campaign for Fair Play.
"Our campaign to secure from Con-
gress, representing the Nation, the
same fair play, the same square deal
that was won in 1878.
For more than 10 years after
Washington's birth, the world saw
with contemptuous derision the shap-
ing into repulsive ugliness of the dis
creditable Capital which had resulted
from leaving a national plan of mag
nifcent intentions to be carried into
execution by local population, feeble
in numbers and resources and ham.
pered by the hostility of some and
by the indifference and neglect Of q
great majority of its legislators and
constitutional defenders. Indicating
Uncle Sans repentance for this Pc
riod of neglect and national shame
came the wise and equitable enact
ment of 1878, under the operation Of
which the Capital has been converted
from the Nations shame into a just
cause of profound national pride.
Following the era Of shame and the
period of pride, the last 10 years have
been disturbingly marked by recur-
renee of congressional neglect, from
which the Capital has suffered, Is suf-
fering and fears with reason future
disaster, unless through our petitions
and campaign sympathetic fair play
can be substituted for prejudice. in
difference and neglect in the majority
Of our legislators and constitutional
defenders in the House.
'The venerable patriarchs of our
association have grieved in our city's
period of shame, have rejoiced in its
era of national pride, and are keenly
apprehensive of disaster from con-
tinued recurrence among our legisla-
tors of hostility, indifference or neg
lect.
For the reasons indicated, no other
Washingtonian will feel stronger i'm
pulse to buckle on his armor and to
fight for Washington. thus assailed.
than the Oldest Inhabitant: and since
the impending battle is not one Of
physical strength, but of reason, Of
logic, of equity, the physical ailments
Of the Oldest Inhabitant may not pre-
vent him from enlisting In this war
and from rendering good service in the
cause.
"The signs of the times are so men
acing that all Washingtonians, old
and young, well-to-do and poor, Of
whatever profession, trade or occupa-
ton, must stand together in the COM
mon defense Of the Capital COM
munity.
Trade Board Work Outlined.
President Saul of the Board of
Trade outlined the accomplishments of
the board and pointed out that the
Oldest Inhabitants, as the first civic
body, had "blazed the trail' for re-
newed interest in development of the
Capital.
President Locher of the Central La
Dor Union pledged that 100, 900 men,
bers of organized labor will be found
on the firing line, along with other Or
ganized forces to fight for Wash
ington." -..-
President Emery of the Society of
Natives stressed the contribution of