Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-03

legations and embassies, ought to re-
| tain a big interest in the department.
of protection. Mr.. Davis said he mere
| ly expressed his views on principle o.
! self-government and had not studied
the details of the matter involved II
Representative Cooper's inquiry.
Existing Federal Responsibility.
THE government has responsibility
here" said Senator Works, and it is
questionable whether the United States
| could relinquish its control In the fire
police and street department or any
thing else important in maintaining q
| capital city,
| Mr.. Davis was asked by Senator
the system here that he would recon-
mend.
I'VE have land. taxes on improve
ments and taxes on various activities.
| including special licenses. All OF
these are unwise except the taxes on
! land values. The holder of land gets
his share of public protection. I be-
l1eve the ideal system would be to tax
lands at their selling value. or, in
other words. to preclude the possibility
of speculation. would not recon-
mend this change to be made sudden
". as it might be too much of a jar.
but l would say that is the ideal con-
ditlon; the goal toward which we
How long would you give to make
the changer asked Senator Works.
Not over five years"
IF it should jar it would be jar in
the right direction?"
Yes, indeed
Question by Mr.. Worthington.
Mr.. Worthington asked Mr.. Davis:
What would be the effect on the
small home owner if the present half
and-half system should be abolished
and taxes collected on the present sys-
tenn of assessment and taxation?"
1T would be oppressive" Mr. Davis
replied.
DISASTROUS said Herbert j. Browne
me committee then viewed the charts
prepared by Walter l. Swanton, secre-
tary of the Tax Reform Association.
Ihey were plain and graphic curves
showing the trend of tax figures. as
sessments. expenses, charitable insti-
tuition figures, etc, for many years
back. The figures were taken from re-
ports of the auditor and from the
George report on taxation and assess
ment in the District.
Mr. Swanton showed one chart which
Indicated that in 191112, the time of
the George report, the proportion Of all
the taxpayers of the District was over
so per cent This included the water
taxes and other funds contributed by
the citizens to which the federal gov
eminent does not contribute.
Cited as Argument.
Mr. Swanton said that this showed
conclusively that the half-and half plan
had not been followed, and really did
not exist today.
Mr.. Worthington of the citizens COM
mittee interrupted to say that no one
had maintained there had been no de-
viations from the half-and-half plan.
Commissioner Brownlow told the
committee that for the present year the
proportion of all the expenses of the
District paid by the taxpayers was 81
per cent, leaving the federal govern
ment paying only SO.
LAS a practical matter, then" said
Representative Cooper, the 60-40 plan
is in effect"
Mr.. Swanton, in showing his charts
based on the figures of the George report,
said that since that report was made new
assessments had corrected very many of
the inequalities which existed at the time
of the George report. He argued, how
ever, that more assessors were needed,
and urged that annual assessments be
made instead of triennial assessments.