Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-30
RELIEF FROM TAXATION
PLAN SUGGESTED IN BEHALF OF
LOCAL INSTITUTIONS.
Enormous Payments on Account OF
Special Assessments-Laws
Enacted by Congress.

Taking their cue from Senate bill J072, n
report on which they submitted today to
Chairman c. W. Fulton of the Senate CONF
mittee on claims. the District Commissions
ers have recommended a plan for the relief
OF religious and educational institutions In
the District which have enormously paid
taxes on account of special assessments.
Senate bill 1902 provided an appropriation
OF slg2.S9 for the relief of the Gurley
Memorial Presbyterian Church." but tho
Commissioners. in substitute bill. not only
increased the relief OF Gurley Memorial TO
S2oo24. but they have made the substitute
bill the vehicle FOR the relief of some
forty-three religious and educational insti.
tutions. The new bill provides for an ap.
propriation Of si.Iol.39. which amount Is
divided among the forty-three churches.
etc, according to the sums they paid in
faxes.
1t is stated that the act of Congress Of
June IL, 1870 exempted all schools and
school houses from general and special
taxes Then came the act of August Z. 1884.
directing the manner in which special taxes
should be assessed and collected, and this
measure was constructed by the Comrnis-
sioners to repeal the law OF 1870. Tits
matey this construction was contested IN
the courts by the Sisters OF the Visitation,
and an assessment against their property
Has declared invalid.
Between the time the Commissioners bes
gan TO levy assessments under the act OF
1894 and the time the adverse decision of
the court was recorded special taxes ag.
gregating more than $1,000 were collected
from a number OF churches and schools,
and 1t is for authority to refund these pay
ments and for an appropriation of the nec-
essary money that the Commissioners have
drafted their BILL One change has been
made from the form in which the Gurley
Church relief bill was drawn. in that hale
the cost Is recommended to be paid by the
District and half by the United States
treasury. The original bill for the relief
of the Gurley Church made the United
States liable for the entire cost.
List Of the Beneficiaries
The religious and educational institu-
lions which will be benefited by this fund.
together with the amount to be paid to
each, according to the list In the Commis>
soners bill include the following: Cor.
coran Gallery OF Art. S16153; Columbian
University. sl35o5; Medical and Dentat
Howard University. selaI4: Church
of the Covenant, s16T.01: Shiloh Bap-
list Church. s9.O1; Gunton Temple Me-
mortal Presbyterian s Church ss2 st, 81;
Church, s1l4.32; Epiphany Church. s12 %:
Fourth Baptist Church S66.1s: Universaliso
General Convention, S695; st Pauis
English Lutheran Church. $l45.52: Mar
win Methodist Episcopal Church. S1I94;
Westminster Presbyterian Church. S44 I6,
Lutheran Church. sd61s; Mt. Moriah Bap-
tlSt Cnurcn, $fS.op, t1oHza&a Sohese No''
Aloysius church,, s79.4o: vestry of St.
Marks parish. s+1.al: Metropolitan Pres
byterian Church. S7o2l; German Baptist
Brethren Church, S44 As; Mount Jezriel
Church, s12.S5; Washington Seventh Day
Adventist Church, S49.56; Ninth Street
Christian Church. s52-27: Douglas Memorial
NJ. E. Church, s23;6; Israel Baptist
Church s14.4S; Missionary Board
Brethren Church. s22.96: st. Cyl
prian's Church, ss266; East WASH
ington Station c. NJ E.; 5000; Methodist
Protestant Church. sl92.25; First Colored
Church. s24. ~: B. T. Mccoy ct al, trustees
of church. 500: First Baptist Church. Mount
Pleasant 1915: Mount Pleasant Congrega-
tionaI Society. s79.S: vestry OF Takoma
parish, 1850: Memorial Church of the
United Brethren in Christ OF WashingtozD
D. c., So, 10: Gurley Memorial Presbyterian
Church. s20024 Presbyterian Alliance. $S6o7:
st. Anthony's Church, $3.50 Brookland
Baptist Church. 1855; yestry Emanuel p.
E. Church. $500.
Commissioners Explain.
In their letter accompanying the pro-
posed bill the Commissioners explained that
the refund recommended was much in
the nature of an equity, in that all those
institutions which had objected to paying
any special assessment levied against them
had by the decision of the court, escaped
all expense, while those who paid willingly
were the only losers. The aggregate
amount which various institutions refused
to pay willingly aggregated S4,5lo.46, and
these assessments, by the language OF the
proposed bill. will be Cancelled.
Under existing law, construed by the
courts 1t is stated that the District authori-
ties are without power to refund any tag
that has been willingly paid, and this is
the reason for asking special legislation on
the problem at issue.