Evening star., 1915-06-23
ON REPORT
Of FISCAL RELATIONS
Mass of Facts and Figures to Be
Presented to Congressional
Committee.
District Citizens Requested to Con-
tribute to Expense Of the
Pending Inquiry.

The history of the District of Co
1umbia. together with mass of facts
and figures concerning taxation and
assessment under the local govern
ment, will be contained in the brief to
be presented August l to the joint Sc
lect committee of Congress. which will
investigate the fiscal relations between
the United States and the District.
According to an announcement made
following a meeting of the executive
committee of the joint citizens COM
mittee on fiscal relations held in the
Office of Chairman Henry B. F. Mac
farland last night, considerable prog
ress is being made
Committee Statement.
| The brief is now we'll under way, the
| outline which was read at the last
meeting of the joint citizens commit
tee having been partially filled in with
arguments and facts.
| 1t is being prepared by the executive
committee strictly according to the In
| structions of the Joint citizens COM
mittee to advocate the maintenance of
the present fiscal relations. commonly
| called the .'half-and-hal plan, between
! the United States and the District of
| Colum bia, and will sum up the history
| of the National Capital from it's foun-
dation to the present day. the argu-
ments of the former joint select COM
nittees of Congress on the subject and
reports and debates on bills Of the reg
ular committees of Congress on the
District of Columbia.
1t will summarize the reports of the
Treasury Department and of the Dis
trict government on the past money
contributions of the United States and
the District of Columbia, respectively.
1t will give the data as to comparative
assessment and taxation. to prop
erty exempt from taxation and other
| facts necessary to the presentation of
the case of the District of Columbia
Assessment and Taxation.
The facts as to assessment and taxa
tion of property in the District of CO.
lumbia and comparison of such assess
ment and taxation with other cities
embodied in the municipal statistics of
the United States census bulletin No.
| 1876 of 1914, covering the fiscal year
| 1913. have now been analyzed and tabu-
lated by the executive committee
| through Theodore W. Noyes with the
assistance Of LIE Verne Beales of the
| United States census bureau and A.
! NJ. Fisher
| A report is being prepared by William
| P. Richards. assessor of the District OF
! Columbia. under the direction of the
7 District Commissioners, on the facts
! IN his possession as to the assessment
/ and taxation. and will be sent shortly
to the executive committee.
The subcommittee on assessment and
taxation. John Joy Edison, chairman,
and Thomas Bradley, secretary, are
supplementing these official reports
with the collection of data from author
itatiye sources in Washington and
twenty other cities with the assistance
of the National Association of Real Es-
! tate Exchanges through the real estate
exchange of the District of Columbia
Much of the detail will not be ready
until the time of the meeting OF the
joint select committee of Congress on
the 18th of September. when the execu-
, tive committee will produce 1t at the
oral hearing. By that time the execu-
tive committee will have tabulated all
the great masses of facts which 1t has
been gathering with the assistance OF
subcornmittees and from many official
sources. including. besides the District
government. the Treasury Department,
the United States census bureau and
other departments of the national gov
ernment When finished the work will
probably be the most complete pres
entation of the whole subject ever
| made. The extent Of it has surprised
even those members Of the executive
committee who knew most about the
subject.
Preparation Consumes Time.
Besides the voluntary labors Of tho
members Of tho executive committee and
/ other members Of the joint select COM
mittee and of tho paid experts employed
by them, tho collection Of the facts has
cost q largo amount Of time to the Dis
| trtct government and to bureaus Of tho
| national government All the District and
national officials have shown a cordial
| interest and an appreciation Of the i'm
to the joint select committee of Con-
gress and to tho National Capital
| Tho finance committee, made up of
| the presidents of the civic organiza- :
| tions represented IN the joint citizens
committee. which has been raising the
necessary money for the statistical ex-
| perts, for the stenographic and other
| clerical services. and for printing, post
| age and office expenses. has received
| subscriptions from about 500 persons.
| chiefly in small amounts. which have
not yielded all that is necessary, and
| therefore. the committee would like to
| have at once additional checks for
| larger amounts, which may be made
payable either to p. T. Moran az treas
| urer and chairman of the finance com
| mittee, or to Chairman Macfarland OF
| the executive committee.
Letter Cited as Typical"
| A typical letter to tho joint citizens
| committee has been received from
Charles W. Fairfax. vice president OF
Stone Fairfax. inclosing a check. In
that letter Mr.. Fairfax says:
I'VE feel that you and other gentle.
men who are giving much Of your time
| and thought to this subject are en-.
titled to the financial support OF the
| taxpayers and business men OF thit
city, all of whom are deeply interested
| in the final decision Of the congress.
| sional committee.
We want to express our appreciation
Of your efforts and believe they will
produce results beneficial to all par.
ties interested.
We sincerely trust that you Will b.
tble to collect . sum sufIiciently large
to cover your expenditures In thii