1942: District Of Columbia

Area and Government.

The District of Columbia, originally an area of 100 sq. mi. of which 30 sq. mi., south of the Potomac, were retroceded to Virginia in 1846, is now entirely comprised within the city of Washington, the capital of the United States, which is rapidly becoming the social, cultural, and financial heart of the nation and the chief city of the world. The government of the District (since 1878) is under the control of the President and Congress (working through a Committee for the District of Columbia in each House), acting through three commissioners, appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate, whose routine duties and powers are determined by statute. Under the general control of the commissioners are the administrative boards, police, fire, engineering, traffic, health and the like. The public schools are administered through a superintendent responsible to the Board of Education, whose members are named by the justices of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In the artistic interests of the city a Zoning Commission now endeavors to follow more closely than in the past, Major L'Enfant's original superb plan.

Local residents of the District are without the franchise. Without any form of representation, they are taxed for about 80 per cent of the costs of the government, which are higher than any other city of corresponding size. The Federal Government contributes about $6,000,000 to the District budget in lieu of taxes on Federal buildings and lands.

The Capital in Wartime.

Washington is at present a war-boom city desperately overcrowded, regimented, and hard-working under longer hours and shortage of help in the various personal and domestic services. The population of Washington is over 700,000 with a total in the metropolitan area of nearly a million and a quarter. There were, in October 1942, 306,144 civilian employees at work on governmental boards and agencies, an increase of 88,553, despite the recent removal of several bureaus to Chicago, Richmond, New York, Kansas City and Philadelphia, because of the local shortage of office and housing space. In war agencies, there were an additional 110,667 employees, and because of clerical demands the age limit was reduced to 16 years. Due to the difficulties they encounter, and the increased cost of living, about 1,000 girl clerks leave Federal positions per month.

As a result of the wartime population, waiting lines stand at theatres and restaurants; bank deposits have risen to $516,000,000, and bank clearings approximate $2,000,000,000; retail department stores have had a 20 per cent increase in sales; the last two months of 1942 saw a government payroll of $50,000,000 and a private payroll of $30,000,000 per month; 100,000 persons pass daily through the gates of the Union Station — with 200,000 during the Christmas rush. There has been a decline of $100,000,000 in public and private construction on account of priorities, and because most of the Federal contracts were recorded as of 1941; the transportation burden has increased 52 per cent, and in the later months almost doubled because of rubber and gasoline rationing; the police and fire departments are overburdened and lack sufficient personnel, because of the draft and withdrawals for war work; domestic service is out of the question even at wages of $18 per week; women are employed in many capacities heretofore regarded as requiring men; telephone calls have doubled, especially long distance; the difficulty of obtaining clerks has left an army of young officers at desks lacking complete office equipment; and public and private schools are jammed with the children of incoming workers.

To prevent gouging, ceilings have been placed on house and room rents. To meet the lack of housing, in part caused by the Government's absorption of apartment as well as office buildings, many million dollars have been allotted for war workers' housing in and near the District, including demountable defense housing, and alley clearance housing. Several million dollars have been appropriated for filtration plants and water reservoirs. A Senate Committee of investigation prevented an increase in water rates, thus saving the residents several million dollars.

New Buildings.

Among large new projects completed or under construction are the Census Building, a great air port, a Naval Hospital, the Cancer Institute in nearby Maryland, the Navy Annex and Pentagon Building in the Virginia suburbs, and the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin. Federal activities (air, war and navy) in Virginia have caused jurisdictional problems and conflicts between the District and Virginia, so that there is a reviving interest in regaining the lands across the Potomac which some hold were retroceded unconstitutionally to Virginia.

Tax Exemptions.

During the year Congress resolved doubts and disagreements with regard to tax exemptions in the District, by passing a law which grants generous exemptions for religious, hospital, charitable, research, educational and scientific institutions which carry on there a local or national work. The District houses great libraries, museums, and art collections, as well as several universities and colleges, although there is no publicly supported college, except Howard University for Negroes. The necessary and desirable exemptions (amounting to $111,000,000 in 1940) cost local taxpayers about $225,000.

Crime and Health.

Despite black-outs, moderate dim-outs, and an incursion of disorderly and criminal suspects from other cities, the threatened crime wave had receded with more effective policing and the assistance of volunteer policemen of the OCD. Prostitution has become an increasingly difficult problem, along with the fight against social diseases. Hospitals are over-burdened, but a recommended increase of a thousand beds failed because of priorities though there have been some increased facilities through reconstruction. Medical and dental services are difficult to obtain even at higher rates because about half of the District doctors are in the armed services. A rider on an appropriation bill has temporarily, at least, ended the planned day nurseries for the babies of working mothers.

Wages.

Unemployment has ceased. Wages are relatively high, with projected increases for government clerks, school teachers, police and firemen. Hence there have been no strikes. However, net salaries in old-line agencies and in non-governmental work are declining, even in the face of rising taxes and cost of living.

All in all, no city in the land is more prosperous, war-conscious, or patriotic in people, press, pulpit, and schools, than the nation's capital.