Evening star., 1941-05-11
Reciprocity in Fair Ploy

Debate on the proposed formula for
measurement Of the Federal pay
ment to the District is expected to
occupy the House tomorrow and this
naturally will center attention on
District of Columbia affairs. In
what spirit will the House approach
It's task, and in what spirit will the
Washington community view the
proceedings?
Congress and the Washington
community are partners in the i'm
portant work of National Capital
maintenance and development. Con-
gress possesses all the power and,
with it, the responsibility. The
Washington community furnishes
the greater part of the revenue, with
no effective voice in its collection
and expenditure. The Washing
tonian often feels that individual
legislators abuse their power and
sometimes the Washingtonian exer-
cises too freely the privilege of the
hopelessly defeated litigant and
"cusses the court" Too many of
Washington's legislators have come
to view their yoteless constituents as
unappreciative, ungrateful, greedy
and censorious, and too many of these
constituents have come to view the
legislators, selected for them by the
Constitution, as carelessly ignorant
of their needs, as contemptuouSly
Indifferent to and neglectful of their
welfare or as actively hostile.
The great need now is for change
of policy that will make the part
nerShip between the National Gov
ernment and the Washington COM
munity work; a change of heart, a
new policy under which each of the
Capital-building partners shall heed
the injunction, Put yourself in his
place." with the result of substituting
mutual appreciation for recrimina-
ton. Fair play and mutual regard
are watchWords of the new policy.
In accordance with this policy, the
Washingtonian will render deserved
and belated tribute of grateful ap-
probation to the long line of Senators
and Representatives who now, as in
the past, faithfully perform the
unselfsh, difficult and almost thank
less task of dealing as considerably
and justly with their Capital con-
stituents as with their home constit-
uentS. Washington knows and hon.
orS these men-its loyal, helpful
friends, public-Spirited workers in
the task of Capital building-though
it may not have put this apprecia-
ton and honor into words as
promptly and as adequately as it
ought.
When Washington puts itself in
the place of Congress and realizes
the difficulties and embarrassments
under which Congressman labor as
District legislators it will be easier
for the city to substitute at times
appreciation for fault-finding. The
Capital may then even feel pride
In having as its local legislature the
greatest legislative body in the
world; legislature which, though
neglectful and sometimes threaten
ing in District legislation, has al
ways in the great crises in the
Capitals history acted Justly and
wisely and sympathetically.
And as Washington should subject
Itself to a rigid self-examination to
ascertain whether it has not been
lacking in grateful appreciation, so
should individual members of Con-
gress test the question whether they
do not fall short in just apprecia-
ton of their Capital constituency
and deny it American fair play, not
merely in specific legislation, but in
general attitude and theory of action
as legislators; not merely, for in
stance, in respect to the money ex-
acted from year to year in taxation,
but in respect to acts and words
which traduce the good name and
bruise the self-respect of the most
misunderstood and most misrepre-
sented of American communities.
The extensive powers in respect to
the Capital conferred upon Congress
involve equally far-reaching respon-
sibilities and obligations, and Sacri-
fees in the Nations interest are
required on both sides of the part
nership. A great power is to be
greatly, nobly exercised, controlled
by no motive or impulse that is small
or m7an or base.
The greatest legislative body in the
world, representing the worlds fore
most Nation, is to build up, typifying
that Nation, the worlds greatest
Capital. The Nations City which
lhe forefathers planned is not merely
lhe physical city, but the people
who live in it, the men and wom-
en who make the sacrifices in
the Nations interest which call for
sacrifices of time, thought and pa
aent consideration by the Nation,