Evening star., 1936-01-13
Jackson and Fiscal Equity.

paJAeClc interest IN GIle DlStTlCI ol W.
lumbia was not confined to advocacy of
political equity through giving the resi-
dents some control over their local af-
fairs and a voice in the Congress. He
took practical interest in and was much
concerned over its financial condition
and was an advocate of fiscal equity.
In his seventh annual message to
Congress in December, 1885, he said:
1t is my duty to call the particular at
tention OF Congress to the present con-
oition of the District of Columbia. From
whatever cause the great depression has
arisen which now exists in the pecuniary
concern of this District, it Is proper that
its situation should be fully understood
and such relief or remedies provided as
are consistent with the powers OF Con-
gresS.
The deplorable state of the Districts
finances at this period is shown by the
report in February. 1885, by Senator
Southard, chairman of the Senate Com
mittee on the District of Columbia. This
committee made the first comprehensive
study of the relations which should exist
between the Nation and the community
in developing a National Capital. One
conclusion reached by it was that at the
outset neither the Government nor the
original proprietors contemplated that
the whole or even a large proportion of
the burden of Capital upbuilding and
maintenance should be thrown upon
the inhabitants of the city.
The committee found that the Dis
trict's financial difficulties were not to
any great extent the fault Of the Dis
trict, but were largely due to the patri-
otic effort of its citizens to perform the
national task of Capital development.
an undertaking not properly falling upon
them and beyond their strength.
The following are extracts from the
report:
The inhabitants and city authorities
- have, it Is believed, in some in
stances been misled into expenditures
which did not appropriately belong to
them, but the views by which they were
governed were of a liberal and public
spirited character. The commit
tee do not find in their conduct, any
thing which should excite in Congress
q reluctance to come to their relief.
The first cause of embarrassment to
which the attention of the committee
was directed was the expense incurred
in the opening and repair of the streets.
The plan Of the city Is one OF unusual
magnitude and extent. The avenues and
streets are very wide, and for the num-
ber of the inhabitants much greater in
distance than those of any other city on
this continent. and necessarily require
proportionate expenditure to make and
keep them in repair. -
The plan of the city was formed by
the public authorities; the dimensions
of the streets determined by them,
without interference by the inhabitants
or regard to their particular interest
or convenience. 1t is plan calculated
for the magnificent Capital of a great
Nation, but oppressive from its very
dimensions and arrangements, to the
inhabitants, If its execution to any con-
siderable extent is to be thrown upon
them. No people who anticipated the
execution and subsequent support of it
out of their own funds would ever have
dreamed of forming such a plan. It
would have been the most consummate
folly. At that period neither the Gov
eminent nor the proprietors contem-
plated that the whole or even a large
proportion of the burden should be
thrown upon the inhabitants of the
city. '"s
The committee are of opinion that
the Government was bound by every
principle of equal right and Justice to
pay proportion of the expense in
CURED upon this subject, equal to the
amount Of the property which it held,
end which was to be increased in
value and benefited by it: and this
would have been. greatly more than
The early action of the Government
and its agents is believed to have been
in conformity with this principle, but
the Government has not heretofore
borne anything like it's relative pro-
portion. Its expenditures for this OBJ
Ject have been comparatively small,
and devoted almost entirely to the ave-
nueS and streets. which were indis-
pensably necessary for the convenience
OF Congress and the public officers I"
While they the committee) do not
think that the city was bound to expend
the money of the inhabitants upon the
streets which the Nation claimed and
regulated, they believe the narrowest
measure of justice would have required,
and does now require, that the Gov
ernment, having in its private build
ing lots and public reservations at least
an equal interest in the improvement
Of the streets, should pay at least one
half Of the expense of those streets,
and that one-half Of the money ex-
pended by the city for this purpose ought
now to be refunded to it.
Other expenditures by the local COM
munity which were in truth national
obligations were discussed, and the con-
clusion was reached that in respect to
important items Congress was not only
under obligation to refund certain local
expenditures of the past, but to con-
tinue to, share maintenance expenses in
the future.
Congress did come to the relief of its
bankrupt Capital City and from time to
time thereafter made appropriations for
specific purposes. But, as in the days
before 1885. the patriotic ambition Of
the District people to see the Capital