Evening star., 1914-01-30

i
/ and that the District is to be forever
menaced by the shifting fancies of a con-
Sressional majority. let me meet square
| ly the question whether it would be wise
equitable or patriotic to repeal the hail-
and-half provision of the organic act
| He said Representative Crisps charge
| that millions have been paid out to ray
and pave streets for real estate specula'
tors is not true and continued;
| What the facts? Under an aci
| approved March :. 1895. to provide for a
permanent system of highways in that
part of the District of Columbia outside
of the cities of Washington and deorst-
town, il is expressly directed that MOI
| one penny of the cost of establishing OF
| improving a suburban street or highway
shall come out of the Treasury OF the
United States. In the matter OF the CON
demnation of property. One-half OF the
! cost is to be paid by assessments upon
contiguous land and the other haif is
taken out of District revenues. ne cN-
pense of improving the highways Is taken
entirely out of the District revenues
1T is common belief. but not based
on facts. that the improvements made
in the suburbs are at the expense OF
the people of the United states Ihe
Law is distinctly otherwise. As a mat
ter of fact most of these improve
ments are made by private enterprise.
\ notable instance of public improve
ment ar private expense was the dona-
tfon of Connecticut avenue extended.
from Rock Creek bridge to Chevy
Chase, to the District. and its grading
and paving at cost of between $500
600 and S40o, 000. not cent of which
was paid either by federal or District
taxpayers The United States does not.
as the gentleman from Georgia asserts.
pay this bill for new streets nor any
part of it.
The claim is also made. as affordins
foundation for attacking the half and
half principle. that the property own
ers of the District are underassessed.
The main basis for this claim is re-
port from some members OF the House
District committee, who accepted fig
ures given to them by persons en-
ployed for the purpose. According to
this report, which is quoted by the
gentleman from Georgia. the total
valuation of real estate III the District
of Columbia should be s7+4.o00.00o.
which is said to be s+l4.6o0.OO0 below
its true value AS matter OF fact. the
total valuation of real estate made by
the District assessors for the current
Year is $4,000. 900. with revenue of
s1.50 per 800 on two-thirds valuation.
or approximately s5.170,oo0.
1t is. of course, inevitable that eN-
perts will differ as to the value of
real estate. There is one way, however.
to determine whether District real
estate is underassessed. and that is by
comparison with the figures from other
cities. This comparison shows that
Washington is over. rather than un-
der, assessed.
Now Bears Full Burden.
Mr.. Hayes presented d comparative
table To prove this statement, adding;
In this list there are only two cities
San Francisco and Los Angeles
where the total valuation is in excess
of Washington, While Cincinnati, Buffalo,
Detroit, New Orleans and other large
and tiourishins cities are far below the
National Capital This would not be
the case if Washington property was
underassessed. As matter of fact,
Washington property is now bearing
an the burden that ought in equity
to be placed upon il.
Nothing could better illustrate the
fact that the National Capital is the
home of many people of moderate means
than to state tina; the number of prop
lerty owners who pay s5,l10,000 in taxes
ANNUALLY is $4,000. This is an average
per capita of Sl0S.
Another indication of the COM
paratIvely small wealth in Washington
and the almost entire absence of d COM
mercial population is the fact that the
Commercial Club, an institution organ
lied especially by business men. has d
modest home with about 400 members
while the Cosmos Club, which appeals
to government officials. scientists con-
nected with departmental bureaus and
Isemi-public institutions. and others vino
are not in the highly taxed class. num-
bers fully 1000 members. Illustrations
TO show that any increase of taxat ton
in Washington would fall largely upon
a very large number of residents who
are already denying themselves in order
to buy small homes could be Indefinitely
multiplied.
There is also another method whereby
it can be determined whether the people
of the District of Columbia are tax
dodgers and shirkers of civic response
blity. This is the per capita tax.
With revenues from all methods of
taxation agsreeating about S1.ooo.o0o,
and the population being approximately
$4,000. it will be seen that the per
capita tax in the District is about 500.
The actual census figures are $500.
The per capita tax on the basis of real
estate revenues is high.
The per capita tax in Washington,
high it is. must be considered in re-
lation to all the facts in order to fully
appreciate the price which the taxpay-
ers pay for the privilege of residing here
The colored population of Washington is
about 5000. about Is per cent of the
total While there are many thrifty col
ored persons here who own their homes
or otherwise pay taxes the fact remains
that fully M per cent of the colored pop
ulation does not belong to the taxpayng
class There are fully 5000 more white
persons, who, by reason of poverty on
the one hand. or transient residence on
the other. belong in the same category.
Consequently. there is per capita tax
OF $40 upon the taxpaying population and
it is proposed by the Crisp bill to raise
this to $50 per capita, a figure far in ex-
cess of any other city in the country
With taxes equitaby and not excessively
assessed, the National Capital may be ex-
pected to steadily progress. Increase tax,
alton to the point of eXtortion and CON
fScatIon and Immediately the accessions
| TO the population will cease while thou
sands of residents will seek refuge in
places where they are not in danger OF
| being taxed out of existence"
No Occasion for Change.
| Representative Page of North Carolina
author of the District appropriation bill!
asked Mr. Hayes if he was familiar witt
the section of the bill providing for tn.
repayment to the United States of sur.
| plus District funds. Mr. Hayes said h,
was familiar with it. and remarked tha
| he saw no occasion for any change ii
| policy. He continued:
| Il wS~!1 like to see all the south sid.
| of PenpsylSauia ayenue n tho control q,