The Washington herald., 1914-02-08
The Joker in he George Bill.

Inc JOAe1 u Sue oeUtBe Duis
Should the George bill, affecting the
taxation of real estate in the District
of Columbia, be enacted by the House
of Representative, il will add no little
to the tangle OF legislation concerning
the revenues and expenditures OF the
District in which the Senate District
Committee will find itself epmeshed.
just what the George bill is intend
cd to accomplish is not clear at first
glance. Its main provisions arc that
real estate III the District, instead of
being assessed for taxation at two
thirds its actual value, shall be as
sessed at full value, and that the rate
of taxation. now fixed by law at $3.50
PEI 500, shall be determined by the
District Commissioners, in accordance
with an estimate of the expenditures
which are to be met.
The change from a two-thirds to a
full value assessment would, of course,
increase the. revenue from real estats
taxation by one-half, amounting 10 a
sum far in excess OF thar required for
the support of the District, under the
present half-and-half arrangement with
the Federal government. In fact, the
thirds assessment, more money than
Congress-the House, at any rate-is
willing to let it spend. This is shown
by the fact that SI,5ooooo of the Dis
tricts revenue remains Incorporated
and unmatched by similar sum from
the Federal Treasury as the appropria-
ZION bill now stands. There is pro-
vision in the appropriation bill to con-
fiscate this money and place it to the
credit of the general government, thus
repudiating and in effect repeating the
half-and-half principle which has stood
every test since 1873 The Senate, al
ways just and fair where the District
is concerned, may safely be relied upon
to obliterate this pernicious section of
the bill
On the surface, there is nothing es-
pecially Objectionable about the George
bill To all appearances it simply pro-
poses to divide 60 by 6, instead of di-
viding 90 by 5, in order to produce
result of 6. But, of course, that
isn't all. The people of Washington
are not for a moment deluded into the
belief that the George bill was framed
solely for the purpose of assessing
Washington real estate at its full value
and at lower rate, instead of at a
lower value and a higher rate. The
previous attitude ard utterances of
members of the House District Com.
mittee leave no room for doubt that
the George bill portends something.
One provision of the measure, soon to
be reported to the House, reads:
That upon the assessed value of all
real estate the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia shall hereafter
levy tax of such per centum as shall,
with other revenues of said District,
be sufficient to pay the portion to be
borne by said District of the estinlat-
ed expenses of the government thereof
| for the ensuing fiscal year and to sat
isfy the portion to be paid by said Dis
trict of any debts thereof.
Very little study of the above is
A
necessary to convince that the purpose
of the George bill is to increase the
revenue from real estate taxation by
onc-half, as part OF the campaign OF
the House District Committee for the
abrogation of the ha!f-and-half princi-
pie.
Heretofore they have had no answer
to the question where the money FOR
the support of the National Capital is
to come from when all or part of the
Federal governments annual contribu-
ticn is withdrawn.
! A provisional addition to the taxable
value OF Washington real estate
amounting to s4o.ooo,ooo, has alread,
been announced by the assessor, and
this. with the full value assessment pro.
vision of the George bill. will add tre-
mcndoasly to the, burden of taxation
of the people of Washington and pro-
wide a fine argumen. from the stand.