Evening star., 1902-01-06
by street Extensions.

Bankruptcy by Street Extensions.
The attempt to pay for street extensions
Exclusively from the current tax revenues,
the United States not participating, Is re-
sponsible for the enlargement in the DIS
trict's finances Such improvements, of
which the benefits are more largely to De
enjoyed by the citizens of the future than
by those of the present, should not be paid
for from the current tax revenues, even
on the lust basis provided by the organic
act of 1878 But when In addition to i'm
posing upon the taxpayers Of the present
a burden which should be shared with the
taxpayers of the future, Congress doubled
that burden by shifting from the national
shoulders their half of this weight, re-
sulting local bankruptcy became inevitable.
The street extension which is Immediately
pressing is that of 18th street. Congress
declared that the cost of extending this
street should be met. as to one-half of the
damages awarded by an assessment of
benefits on abutting owners, and the other
half was to be paid from the local tax
fund, the United States not contributing
a jury has now found that the actual as
certained benefits to abutting property
owners amount not to so per cent, but only
to 10 per cent of the amount of damages.
The question is whether this finding by the
jury should be accepted, and If so in what
way the 30 per cent of the cost intended to
be met from benefits is now to be paid.
The contention of the District has con-
sistently been that in making these street
extensions there should first be deducted
from the cost the actual benefits to ad-
jacent property owners, and that the re-
mainder should be met under the organic
act by equal contributions the part of
the United States and the District of Co
rrl,,1
was actually adopted was excused by this
course of reasoning: The District of Colum-
bia should pay half the cost of these extern
sions, and is not especially concerned
whether the United States or abutting
property owners or any one else pays the
remaining half, and by this street extern
sion legislation the United States In effect
causes the abutting property owners to pay
its half of this cost" But now a case
arises where the United States does not
cause its half to be paid by abutting prop
erty owners, the jurymen under their oaths
finding it impossible to declare that more
than Is per cent of that amount was en-
joyed in actual benefits. Who is to pay the
30 per cent unprovided for? Senator Nc
MILAN declares that he favors acceptance
of the situation in the 18th street case and
the collection In benefits from abuttfng
L.
that this departure from the arbitrary rule
of a 80 per cent assessment of benefits Is
tustifable in view of the extraordinary
width of 10th street and Of other conditions
which characterize it a great national
avenue. forming in connection with Rock
Creek Park part of the capitals park
boulevard system. Sixteenth street is in
truth, such a national avenue; but if this
fact renders it just to permit the abutting
property owners to escape from the arbi-
trary and inequitable law which calls on
them for 80 per cent assessment, why
does it not also, in justice and consistency,
furnish the same avenue of escape to the
local taxpayer? If So per cent of the cost
Of this extension is justly to be removed
from the abutting property owners because
the avenue is of national proportions and to
serve national purposes, why should this 80
per cent be added to the already excessive
burden of the local taxpayer? If the re-
lief is furnished on national considerations
should not the local taxpayer as we'll as the
local property owner be relieved, and should
not the nation itself shoulder the burden?
Congress has said to the District in the
matter of street extensions: in any event
You pay only 90 per cent of the cost" But
In the case of 18th street, if the nation does
not participate, the District taxpayer will
meet 50 per cent of this expenditure and
the local tax burden will be thus enormous
~ increased because Congress has decided
that the street is a national avenue in pro-
portions and purpose and is therefore only
slightly beneficial locally
If Congress were now disposed to do alb
solute justice in the matter of street ex-
tensions. it would in this case of a thor
oughfare which benefits very slightly either
the local taxpayer or the local property
owner. shoulder the national share of the
burden. 1t would collect from the local
property owners that percentage of the en-
tire cost which was ascertained to renre-
sent the actual benefits enjoyed, and it
would then share with the District the re-
mainder of the cost of this national ave-
Eue. In any event the monstrous infustice
OF collecting from the current tax revenues
OF the District S5 per cent or 1921 ,117.54
OF the cost of extending such a highway as
18th street must be obvious to the most su-
perficial observer.