Evening star., 1915-11-05
FAVOR FAIR TAXATION
OF PRIVATE PROPERTY
All Money to Be Covered Into Treas
ury and U. S. to Pay All Ex-
penses, Is Suggestion.
VIEWS NOT OF ENTIRE BOARD
Both Believe Present Form of Gov.
ernment Here Should Be Re-
tained-Assessment of
1915 Defended.

The recommendations OF the
civilian members of the board of
District Commissioners urging a
new system for paying the ex-
penses of the National Capital to-
day were laid before the congress
sional committee investigating
the fiscal relations between the
United States and the District OF
Columbia. Commissioner Oliver
P. Newman was the first to ad-
dress the committee. He said
that Commissioner Brownlow
agreed with him.
The recommendations of the
civilian Commissioners provide
for the abandonment of the pres
ent half-and-half plan. They pro-
vide that the federal government
shall in the future pay all the ex-
penses of the District, and that
the citizens of the District be
taxed fair and reasonable
amount, to be paid into the fed
eral treasury.
The civilian Commissioners
also recommend that the present
form of government in the Dis
trict be retained.
The views of Commissioners
Newman and Brownlow are pre-
sented individually and not as the
result OF action by the entire
board OF Commissioners. Engi-
neer Commissioner kutz will ex-
press his views on the matter at
issue when the hearing of the
other Commissioners has been
concluded.
Commissioner Newman made
a detailed defense of the 1915 as
sessment and made reply to a
number of charges regarding as
sessments of the District made by
Herbert ]. Browne
(The arguments of Commits
sioner Newman, in detail, will be
found on page I3.)
Effect of Single Tax.
| Commissioner Newman opened his
statement to the committee by replying
to question previously asked him by
Senator Works to what would be the
effect on the tax in the District of CO.
lumbia if land values only were taxed,
assuming that the present revenue is
to be raised. This is the straight sin
gle tax proposition.
Mr.. Newman replied, both as to land
values only at two-thirds valuation and
at full valuation:
Taking real estate he said, "our
calculations now show that there Is
! SOS, 100000 of land value here, and in
order to raise the present real estate
tax revenue the rate on two-thfrds
valuation would be S3.062 hundred.
and if applied at full value the tax
rate would be S2.041 hundred. Taking
into consideration all the miscellaneous
revenues and the gross receipt taxes OH
public utilities, the District revenues
are s7,127, ,309. and to raise this same
figure by taxes on land value only the
| rate if applied at two-thirds valuation
| would be S5.i21, and at full value would
be S2.2S4."
In beginning his prepared discussion
of the assessment now in force he
said:
II am not violating any confidence
when L say that one of the jobs we were
directed to attend to by the President.
| when went into office, was the as
sessment of property here"
Some Defective Machinery.
The committee took considerable in
terest in Commissioner Newman's pre-
lude on the subject of the machinery
of the assessors Office, including the
board of assistant assessors and the
makeup of the board of equalization
and review. which is composed of the
assessor the three real estate assist
ant assessors and the two personally
assistant assessors. Mr.. Cooper want
ed to know why the Commissioners
had not recommended a change in the
machinery for equalizing as well as
assessing. and read from a portion of
the report of the hearings on the
George bill. where Assessor Richards
had charged that previous to 1902 there
had been gross INEQUALITIES in ASSESS
ments.
And you have practically the same
defective machinery in operation now?'
he asked.
why has it not been changed?"
The Commissioners have tried every
means at their disposal to have it
changed. We prepared bill and sent
il to Congress. but it WIS not passed"
WAS it ever introduced in the Sem
ate?" asked Senator Works.
No"
ANY District legislation is unfor-
tunate to be introduced in the Senate
continued Senator Works, for the Sem
ate District committee has not done
anything in two years but confirm ap-
pointments. l have complained of this
inactivity on the floor of the Senate"
Senator Salisbury made a reply:
"The Senate requirement that sena-