Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-17

Behind the recent outbursts Of
Commissioner F. Joseph Donohue.
complaining about the inadequacy Of
Federal payments to the District,
there lies the story Of one Of the
rawest financial deals ever pulled by
Uncle Sam. It Is an old, old story
to longtime residents of the District.
But it is always a new story for
newcomers to this Federal city-and
it Is q story every Washingtonian
should know by heart.
The deal which Uncle Sam has
been handing the District for the
last az years is so raw that--if the
situation were reversed and he were
on the receiving end of the would
be in the courts right now moving
heaven and earth to recover what
was due him. What he has done is
neither complicated nor edifying: He
has. quite simply. welshed on his own
clear legislative promise to split with
residents Of this community the cost
Of running the Nations Capital.
Philadelphia. 1888
To understand why the Federal
Government has a moral duty to pay
q large share of the operating costs
Of Its Capital city. one must go all
the way back to warm June 10,
1888, in Philadelphia. There was
more noise than usual both inside
and outside independence Hall. In
side could be heard the argument
Of the members Of the Executive
4 Council Of the State of Pennsylvania,
while in another chamber the Con-
gress of the Confederation was in
session. Outside, a band of soldiers
milled noisily about, demanding that
the council hear its grievances.
From its chamber, the Congress
sent plea to the council to suppress
the disorder In the street. Nothing
was done. Angry. and fearful
Of rioting. Congress adjourned to
Princeton.
To this incident. historians say.
can be attributed the decision Of
confederation leaders to ignore exist
ing cities In the establishment OF q
capital for the fiedgling Republic. The
capital was to be situated on Federal
land, where Congress would have ex-
elusive control to see to It's own pro-
lection. 49,
The idea was that the United
States would realize this principle Of
exclusive control, provided in the
Constitution, by developing at its own
expense its own magnificent head
quarters here. It was on this UNDER
standing that the original owners
donated i've sevenths Of the city
area to the penniless Federal
organization.
Sale of the donated lots was to
make up part of the cost.
Costly Mognificence
AS one Of the few capitals Of the
world set up without having to con-
form to an existing city pattern.
Washington was magnificently con-
ceived. It was to have vast avenues,
larger by far than the street areas
OF other. cities Of. the old or new
country It was to have spacious
parks and tree shaded sidewalks, i'm
posing monuments and sweeping
vistas.
It was concept so grand that the
community resources were never able
to keep up with it. They cannot keep
up with it today. When you build a
bridge In Washington it can be no
mere functional structure. It must
be magnificent, for it must blend
with the other magnificent struc-
lures. There are agencies to see to
this-agencies representing the Ma
tional interest. But magnif1cence
costs money = money which could
often be spared by the community If
it did not have to worry about being
worthy Of a nation of $50 million
people.
This practical factor in capital
development makes the Federal obli-
CATION obvious. But from 1900 to
1885, the United States sat by and
watched the community founder
hopelessly into debt trying to de-
velop itself of its own resources.
Finally Congress came to the rescue,
and the Federal obligations were
clearly pointed out in q report by
Senator Southland Of New Jersey.
Still nothing was done. Forty years
later. Uncle Sam once more was
called upon to bail out the debt
ridden community. This time q new