The Washington times., 1903-12-11
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
WILL LOSE 100000
Federal Government Hold
ings Now Enormous.
REVISION OF RATIO URGED
Commissioner mcfarland, However,
Thinks Time Not Yet Ripe for
Such a Request.

according TO data on file in the Office |
of the Assessor of Taxes, the District |
of Columbia will lose, in the present
fiscal year, approximately $500 600, be-
cause of the present system. by which
the United States pays 81 for every dol
lar collected by the District as revenue.
The report Of the Assessor for the year
ended June 80 1903. shows the total as
sessed value of taxable real property in
the District as SOS, 5l9 ABS. The Assessor
further says the value of United States
holdings in the District is S2S7 100. sos
The organic law Of June II. 1873, pro-
vides that the United States shall ap-
propriate an amount for District ex-
penses equal 10 the amount collected as
tax. The law. it is believed. contem-
plated equal division of property
holdings, so that the value or taxable
realty and realty belonging to the Fed
eral Government would be about the
same. and the dollar for dollar -atio was
adopted in lieu of levying an assessment
against the United States.
District Doubly Deprived.
Conditions have changed since 1878,
and now the Federal Government owns
$2S,5s1. 432 in excess of that upon which
taxes can be collected The present
system, therefore. deprives the District
not only of the tax on this excess hold
ing which would amount to S42S. 721. As
but also the dollar for dollar" due
from the United States. bringing the
loss this year up to 1851.
When presented with the above facts
Commissioner mcfarland said:
The growing disparity between the
United States holdings, together with
those of the District exempt from tax
an important fact which has been used
by the Commissioners in conferences
at the Capitol TO support their argu-
ments for equitable treatment of the
District taxpayers. 1t furnishes a rea-
son for adopting the Commissioners
plan of financing the Districts share
of the cost of extraordinary improve
ments by advances from the United
States Treasury. to be repaid gradual
" with interest"
Money for improvements.
1T furnishes a reason why the Dis
trict should not pay for such extraor
binary improvements Immediately. and
out of current revenues. II furnishe!
a reason why no appropriation for any
purpose should be made wholly from
District revenues. 1t furnishes a rea-
son why taxation should not be made
burdensome. 1t is an overwhelming an.
swer to the man who thinks the United
States pays too much in meeting hall
the expenses Of the District.
AS the disparity increases 1t vii
sooner or later require a revision OF
the ratio of contributions between tn,
United States and the District fixed al
half and half by the compact of 1873
But the Commissioners have not felt
that the time had come for asking thai
revision. In time, 1 believe, the propo
sitiOn to have the taxpayers pay rea
sonable taxes, and the United State,
pay all of the expenses of the Nationa
Capital. which the District revenues
do not meet. Will be adopted
w. c. T. U. Hall Exempt.
The District Commissioners hav
added another 10 the already long lis
of institutions whose property is exemp
from taxation. This time IL is tn
Women's Christian Temperance Union
The hall of this organization at 81
Sixth Street northwest. Will hereafte
be stricken from the tax books of tn
District Assessor.
The action was taken upon reQues
made recently by a committee from tn
W. c. T. u, headed by Clayton Z
Ernig-