Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-25
Northwest Suburban Associa.
tion Makes Suggestions to
District Commissioners.
URGES CHANGE IN PLAN
OF TAXING SUBDIVISIONS
Strongly Endorses Legislation Pro
posed by Senator Galiinger Regu-
lating Assessment: Of Benefits.

Appropriations for twenty eight spe-
citic improvements, twenty-five OF
which are desired for the grading and
macadamizing of streets. are requested
by the Citizens Northwest Suburban
Association in its annual list of rec
concentrations to the District Commits
sioners.
The recommendations, which are
printed in pamphlet form, were left at
the District building yesterday after
noon by Charles C. Lancaster, presi-
dent of the association. They will be
considered by the Commissioners in
connection with the preparation of the
Districts annual budget next month.
In urging liberal appropriations for
street improvements in the section
over which it has jurisdiction the as
ISOLATION criticiseS the so-called paper
benefits resulting from the subdivision
of property on which taxes are required
to be paid before the land in question
is improved by public expenditures.
Subdivisions Discussed.
when suburban acreage land is SUBJ
divided states the communication.
and the subdivision becomes a public
is donated to the United States, taking
from the original tract from 25 to 30
per cent of the land, and at once the
assessment for taxes is changed from
acreage value to lot value. BY this
change practically on paper, the taxes
are speedily and excessively increased
from 800 to 800 per cent without any
material change in the character of
q ia Of 1.sp
out a dollar of public funds expended
for municipal improvements, such as
the grazing and naca damiZinlc of DaDer
streets, laying of surface sewers, water
pipes and cement sidewalks. This tax
alton burden amounts almost to the
taxing of private property for public
use without just compensation, and may
ne pFoIeriy termed contiscation by COM
mission and omission
second. 1t is a well known fact that
pubic improvements must precede pri-
Vate improvements. Without well con-
structed streets, sewers and water
mains. it would be waste of labor
and money by the property owners to
bulld houses without sanitary con-
veniences. which would neither sell nor
rent. In every section of the suburbs
where municipal improvements have
been made, private DEVELOPMENT speed-
lily follows, for every dollar the public
eXpends the property owner expends
from hfty to a hundred. TO further this
wise business policy. our association
mas urgently recommended the above
improvements and appropriations.
Grateful to Senator Gallinger.
I'VE are greatly indebted to Senator
Gallinger. the noblest Roman of them
all, who introduced in the Sixty-third
congress bill, S. 503S, providing that
no benefits assessed for condemning
land for the opening of any street or
avenue should be payable or collected
until the highway has been improved
for public purposes. Heretofore own
ers of land have been compelled to nav
these assessments with interest many
years, in some cases ten wears In adj
vance of an appropriation to actually
open and improve the street for travel
How can it be possible that a proceed
ing for transferring the naked title
from the owners to the United States
confers any benefit in dollars and cents
on the adjacent owners when not a
weed or shovel of earth has been re-
moved and the proposed street is a
mere thing on paper?
we strongly recommend the enact
ment of this just legislation and we
will use our influence to have the bill
introduced in the Sixty-fourth Con-
gresS and passed. We appeal to all
our fellow citizens to unite in remoy-
ing this patent injustice to our taxpay-
erS.
! Other improvements urged by the as
| sociation are the purchase of Il site
for a new primary school on FesSenden
| street near River road. and the cree
| tion of a six-room building, at an esti-
mated cost of $4,000 and the restora-
| ton of electric lights on Nebraska ave-
| nue from Wisconsin avenue to Chain
! Bridge road and the National Training
School.
| Enactment of legislation to permit
| the operation of street ears throug h
| Rock Creek Park also is strongly rec
| commended. In the act providing for
the ACQUISITION of this park states the
| ASSOCIATION, Congress declared that it
| should be pleasure ground for the
| benefit of the people of the Init ed
| states. which includes the District of
| Columbia. 1t may be safely asserted
| that not more than 10 per cent of our
| people enter these grounds, and the
| very people that Congress Intended
| should enjoy the rest and fresh air of
! TINS park are actually barred there
| from for want OF Il public conveyance.
. as they cannot afford to hire or own an
automobile.