Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-01
FOR DISTRICT NEEDS
Local Legislation Of the
Present Congress.
IMPORTANT WORK DONE
PERSONAL TAXATION AND REAL
ESTATE ASSESSMENT.
Progress Toward Abolition of Surface
Steam Railway Tracks-Municipal
Building Provided.

A review of the legislation enacted dur
ing the first session of the Fifty-seventh
Congress shows many improvements that
have been secured for the District of Co.
lumbia. The session has in many respects
been one of unusual interest to the people
of this city.
The Personal Tax.
The personal tax law enacted in the Dis
trict appropriation bill has been the object
of much criticism the part of many cit
liens who did not believe the necessities of
the District made necessary a law of that
kind in face of such great opposition. This
law goes into effect today, but the taxes
imposed by it will not be collected until
next May, after the adjournment of
the next session of Congress, so that
there will be an opportunity to amend
it In any particulars that may be
suggested after the bill passed has
been more carefully analysed. Not only
does this law SO greatly affect the system
of raising taxes in the District. but the bill
in which it is embodied also makes radi-
cal change in the matter of taxation on
land, providing that all real estate shall be
assessed at two-thrds of its true value
and taxed at the rate of IL per cent There
is no provision for a lower rate of tax on
land unsubdivided and used for agricul-
tural purposes, such land formerly having
paid tax of but 1 per cent. 1t has been
claimed that in the advancement of the
District there is now no land the price of
which is fixed by its value for agricultural
purposes, and that much land held in large
tracts for residence purposes only has been
relieved from the full tax that should be
assessed against it. While the pra ctice of
the assessors has not been TO assess land
at its full value it is claimed that in MANY
cases the provision of law that land shall
be assessed at two-thirds of it's value will
result in lower assessments than have pre-
vailed in the past.
The Union Station.
The great advances that have been made
include the progress on the union railway
station bill, which provides for the re-
moval of railroad tracks from the mall and
the location of the union station north of
the Capitol. The bill was the subject of
such general discussion among citizens of
the District that it was late in the session
when the District committee of the Senate
reported 1t, and when it was passed by the
Senate but a few weeks before adjourn
ment. The chief difference that has arisen
between the Senate and House has been in
relation to the location of the station
which the Senate placed on Massachusetts
avenue on the axis of Delaware avenue,
While there has been comment in the House
favorable to locating it on C street between
North Capitol street and LIST street east
There has been some discussion among
members of the House on the proposition
for a union station to be built and
the railroads using it, but it is not
thought that that proposition will have
sufficient backing to make it important in
the passage of the bill. This being the first
session, the bill can be taken up by lead
ers in the House early next December, and
it is generally believed that a satisfactory
bill providing for union railroad station
will then be passed. and that the two
houSes will be able to come to an agree
mert on its details, so that the District will
secure the long-sought abolition of grade
crossings, the removal of the railroad
lS frnT he ma nd hp nlrotr ri1,,
of the passenger traffic of all the railroads
practically in one depot.
Park Commission Plans.
The report of the park commission au-
thoriZed by the Senate during the last Con-
gress was made early in the present session
and has been the subject of much discus
sion which has arisen because of a miscon-
ception concerning the commissions re-
port. 1t has frequently been stated that the
commissions plans would in their execu-
ton involve an expenditure of hundreds of
millions of dollars. The fact is the plans
are simply suggestive of desirable ways for
improving the park system of the District
and for the location of public buildings
whenever they are provided. The plans of
the commission point out in a tentative way
sites for buildings that may be secured
twenty, thirty or forty years hence. There
are many reasons of economy and general
desirability why these sites should be Sc
cured at once, but the salient feature of
the commissions plan has been to provide
for the needs of the government on sufti-
GENTLY comprehensive scale that as the
magnitude of the governments plant in this
city increases the general plan adopted
shall not be found too small.
The commission has not said when the
government should proceed to provide pub
lie buildings or when Congress should COM
plete the park system but it has suggested
how it should proceed when it proposes to
add another public building to its plant or
to improve it's system of parks. No at
tempt has ever been made to have these
plans approved as a whole by Congress,
as such an attempt would be futile, as one
Congress could not bind another in such a
matter. The plans have been made and
what is good in them it is believed will live,
and If defects are found they will be cor
rected.
The work of the park commission has re-
suited in attracting national attention to
the upbuildng of this city and it has called
forth such comment to make it plain
that the people of the entire country have
only commentator for every effort that is
made to beautify their capital. 1t has
called attention to the need of grand
plan if grand result is to be accomplish
ed Every discussion of the plans only
convinces people that some plan should eX-
ist so that every dollar that is spent IN the
District in the future will have a relation
to a plan that conforms with the needs of
the capital.
Outgrowth of the Plans.
The plans of the park commission were
made after consulting those government
officials in the District who had charge of
improvements, and these officials have very
naturally since given the report their
War, the Attorney General, the Secretary
IT, ha Of