Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-12
The District Taxes.

The District assessors preliminary state
ment. traversing the ground to be later
more fully covered by his annual report, in
dictates that the affairs of the capital are in
excellent condition. On the basis of a fixed
assessment of the taxation value of the
land in the Dstrct-the time for the tri-
ennial reassessment not having arrived
there has been during the past fiscal year
an increase of "a 36O. 265 in the valuation of
all the realty. this increase standing for the
buildings constructed the improvements.
This Is therefore substantial, permanent
betterment. and indicates a wholesome
growth and a stable prosperity. The taxa
ton increase incident to this advance in
realty values is $50, 4o4.
1t is a significant fact that 81 S3S. s01 of
this Increase In the assessed valuation has
occurred in what is still formally styled the
county. that portion of the District
lying beyond the long outgrown city limits.
This is more than forty-two per cent of the
whole advance. Washington is indeed
spreading and improving beyond it's old
boundaries. The day is not far ahead when
the ridiculous line of demarkation must be
legally abandoned.
Another gratifying sign of prosperity is
the fact that there are less taxes outstand-
ing at present than ever before in the his
tory of the office The assessor estimates
that at least ninety per cent of the personal
taxes have been collected. The property
owners of the District, it is thus plain to
see. are prepared to meet their obligations
to the municipal government promptly.
There is no stringency and no present pros
pect of such condition.
The organic act provides that the annual
estimates for the expenses of the District
shall be submitted through the Secretary
of the Treasury, to Congress- and that to
the extent that they are approved by Con-
gress fifty per cent of the necessary funds
shall be appropriated from the federal
treasury and the remainder shall be raised
by taxation upon the privately -owned
property in the District. For years. how
ever. this process has not been strictly fol-
lowed During part of the period the
method commonly adopted was for Con-
gress to prune the appropriations down to
the estimated revenues of the District, null
tiplled by two, the product representing the
joint fund of both municipality and federal
government for the maintenance of the
capital. Undef the system prescribed by
the organic act there could be neither sur
plus nor deficit. Theoretically under the
amended system. as practiced for a time,
there was for some years a disposition in
Congress not to let the District spend all it
raised, plus an equal sum from the federal
treasury, and in consequence surplus of
District funds was accumulated. This sur
plus tempted Congress to commit several
acts of injustice toward the District, re-
Quiring it to pay wholly out of it's own
pocket for public improvements that were
logically subject to the half-and-half rule.
This led TO a deficit and to the present
method of making appropriations, avowed,y
in excess of the expected revenues.
If the spirit of the organic act We're re-
spected in the framing of the next budget
the total appropriation for the next fiscal
year would be. exclusive of the water de-
partment. 81 sos 800. sum obviously made
quate in view of the enormous sums needed
to carry on the great permanent works
now in progress on the cash-payment plan.
Thus another deficiency is certain to occur,
to swell the sum now owed by the District
to the federal treasury. which under the
present arrangement is annually advancing
sufficient sums to the Districts account to
make good the difference between the
local revenues and the charges against
them. The acting auditor states that this
debt to the general government, not count
ing deficiency and Immediately available
appropriations which may be made during
the coming session OF Congress- will be
$4.214. 1922 by June 30 next. This is more
than the estimated local revenues for the
year. 1t is evident that the process of in
creasing the deficit will continue during the
next year and that eventually Congress
must undertake the equitable REIMBURSEMENT
of the obligation, placing this Indebtedness
on business-like basis for settlement in
part by the taxpayers of the future.
Tom Watson senerallY MANAGES to haze