1 74 WRIGHT 



are very near the truth. The per capita wealth of the District 

 of Columbia is greater than that of any of the States in the 

 Union, except the mining States, where the presence of rich 

 mining districts in relation to a sparse population makes the per 

 capita much larger than in other parts of the country. 



These conventional facts that have been recited are those 

 which would be used in considering, as I have already indicated, 

 the economic development of any locality, and on the whole 

 they are fairly satisfactory when it is considered that the District 

 of Columbia is not a great commercial emporium nor a great 

 manufacturing center. The economic development of the Dis- 

 trict has been due largely to causes other than the presence of 

 business interests, the business interests being those identified 

 almost entirely with the population of the District itself, the 

 District having but little relation to the outside world so far as 

 production is concerned, but bringing here, through its peculiar 

 industry, that of law-making and governmental business, the 

 products and wealth from the outside. It is this consideration 

 which is the most interesting and in which the sociological aspect 

 of economic conditions, unique in themselves, is to be found. 



In this consideration we must take cognizance of the different 

 forms of government under which the affairs of the District 

 have been conducted, for in this lies one of the most emphatic 

 exemplifications of the influence of law or the action of govern 

 ment upon values. The District of Columbia now consists of 

 69^ square miles of territory instead of 100, when it was estab- 

 lished. The municipal government of Alexandria was organ- 

 ized under charter in July, 1749. ^^ became a part of the 

 District when it was established, but was receded to Virginia 

 July 9, 1846, and need not be considered as an integral part of 

 the District. To be sure, it has in a sense furnished some 

 facilities in the way of transportation and residence which have 

 had their influence upon the development of the District itself, 

 but these influences are not of sufficient magnitude to delay the 

 consideration of the development of Washington. 



Georgetown, always a part of the District of Columbia, was 

 founded in 1751, and incorporated by the legislature of Mary- 

 land in 1789. Its citizens then were actively engaged in do- 



