The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-25

IN charge OF the measure were unani-
nous in declaring that the government
should bear 4 fixed proportion of the ex-
pense of maintaining the National Capt..
tai Congress finally fixed the proportion
at so Der cent
Various attempts have been made since
then TO change the basis of division or
even to return to what the mcfarland
committee dubs the Indefinite contri-
button" plan. All were defeated; the
latest Is now under consideration.
Realty Tax Burden Heavy.
Washingtons realty tax burden is very
heavy Its tax rate is moderate, but its
assessment is excessively high. Its per
capita realty assessment exceeds that of
hfty-three out of the Target fifty-eight
cities in the United States. II is per-
maps the only city in the country whose
realty assessment actually forms a higher
percentage of true value than the nomi-
ma! and reported percentage. Intangible
personality is not taxed at all: therefore.
real estate aTTd franchises. which pay a
heavy tax on gross receipts. must bear
all the burden. washingtons city tax
burden alone is heavier than the COM
oined city. county. and State taxes of
such cities as Cleveland, Indianapols.
Atlanta. Birmingham. Wilmington.
wheeling. Philadelphia. and Newark.
proposal has been made to raise rev.
enue by taxing the citizens and the gov
eminent at an equal rate upon their
real estate holdings. Government prop
erty exempt from taxation here is val
ued at about s3iO. 900 The assess
ment OF real estate in the District, on a
two-thirds basis. is about $3.50 Ooo, ooo
But two serious objections to this plan
are cited. each in a measure involving
the other. In the first place, the gov
eminent is continually taking land from
the District. thus reducing. the district
resources and adding to the non-taxable
holdings OF the United States. Secondly.
for this and other reasons the assess
ments then would be fiuctuating, and all
experience demonstrates that one of the
vital necessities of the question OF taxa
ton is that the proportions shall be fix
ed; While this would not be exactly the
lnoennite contribution plan. II would
present many OF its most Objectionable
features. Whatever the proportions may
be. they should be determined perrna-
nently. or the guideboard to economy will
disappear
Compared with Other Capitals.
The Federal government. even though
II pays half the taxes in the District Of
Columbia, actually does less for Wash
lngton than do some other governments
Tor their national capitals. Indeed, there
Is no other national capital except this
which Is nothing but a national capital
In many cases. as in London, Paris Ber-
In, Rio de Janeiro. and Buenos Aires.
the capital is also a great industrial and
city, in which the govern
ment occupies little space. In these for
eign countries the national government
has spent enormous amounts of money
for strictly national capital purposes, and
especially upon parks. boulevards, and !
buildings, and river, harbor, and wharf |
improvements. The government contrib |
uted also to strictly municipal expense. |
while the citizens Of all foreign capitals |
in the local and national gov |
which the residents of WASH
ington do not. Several of these capitals |
also. If not most of them. have repre- |
sentatives of their own in the national |
government. Not only has Washington
none, but the cheap agitstors who have
been trying to overturn the system here
have assailed Washingtonians as lobby
SITS" when they have gone to the Capital
70 ask a due respect for their interests.
The questions here asked and the men
who forced them to a fresh considera-
ion must be answered by the people and
press OF the country. The issue is theirs,
or the residents of Washington are
helpless. They have no vote here and
hey can command no influence except
Is the danger which threatens them Is
made known TO the country and the sup
Dort OF right-thinking men and women
outside Is obtained.