+2 cards > +2$. +2 Actions < +2$.
That's not how it works though.
Then chastise him first. "It's worse than Wharf because it gives a worse benefit both this turn and next turn."
Be consistent.
Well, I compared two cards with similar in-game roles (making hands bigger without being terminal all the time). But District is actually a village, and I should probably have compared it to villages, rather than terminal draw.
Merchant ship is a strictly payload card, and it shares with them only the "free play" on turn 2.
So I think my comparison was more fair, keeping in mind that Wharf is a god card. That's why I said "much much weaker" - being weaker tha Wharf is desirable, but this is as near stricly inferior as you get without strictly being strictly inferior).
Turn one: You play Wharf, I play District. You get a +Buy, I don't. But let's ignore the +buy now since that's a lot of what makes Wharf such a power card.
Turn two: You get 7 cards, 1 action. I get 5 cards, 3 actions. To get to the same place where you are now, I have to play 2 Districts. So District has (of course) strictly inferior drawing power.
But it's also a village! Problem is, it is worse than most villages out there, simply because I have to buy twice as many, and get a very unreliable engine out of them.
If I'm driving an engine, I'll probably want to play a fixed number of Districts per turn, +/-1.
After I've duration'd one, and played one, I'll be at +2 actions, +1 cards, the same as an activaded city, or lost city, but this is only if I manage to connect them. If I am so unlucky as to skip a connection one turn, then I'll have to start up again my engine one or two districts at a time, since I'll be left with no extra actions next turn.
So, I think it's an interesting card, but I personally would price it at 4.
The comparison with non terminal draw is also interesting, and also leads me to want to price it like that.
Please chastise me if you want, but I'd be the first one to be chastised in this thread.