Evening star., 1916-01-06


datior by purchase of additional areas
OF land for more public buildings, parks
and reservations.
More and more every year is land be-
Ing acquired and held for strictly gov
ernmental purposes, withdrawn from
participation in assessment and taxa
tion.
Increasing Needs and Demands.
The Increasing needs of the govern
ment in this. its central home. demand
and will continue to demand more
land. more buildings. more reserva-
lions.
All Of this means that the District of
Columbia and the national government
should not be longer on any partner
ship basis of contribution, but that the
national city. the nations home. should
be a district where the national au-
thorfty Is not only supreme. but a dis
trict where the just pride of a great
people should insist upon its mainte-
nance In manner most fitting to the
dignity OF the citizens whose manifes-
tation of central government it is.
Whole Burden Would Be Unjust.
Nothing is clearer to us than it never
was the intent that this District should
bear all the very extraordinary bur-
dens of expense incident to Its plan
and occupancy as a national city, and
any such proposed plan would be most
inequitable and unjust now.
But around and about this great
workshop of national affairs has grown
q city with all the complexities Incl
modern American city.
The rights of the people of the Dis
trfct are to be considered, and we would
therefore recommend that the people
Uvoa SyyO
in assessment, rate and amount to that
tax paid by the residents of other
cities similar in population and loca-
ton to the so city OF Wase1ngtonii sniggenfiv fair
and there should be no greater exaction
in taxation from the people OF the Dis
trict of Columbia
In seeking to apportion benefits re-
to the citizens and residents of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, it is manifest thar
no line or rule of distinction can be
found.
The expenditures Of the District of
Columbia are for police and fire pro-
health, charities. correction and reform,
the care of the insane and the poor,
and in each and every one of these spe-
cific items Of expense both the general
government and the District of Co
lumbia are benefited, but, the ratio of
benefit is impossible to determine and
under our thought unnecessary.
Here. in addition to the Executive and
his cabinet. the Supreme Court and
other federal courts and the Congress
of the United States, are over forty
Thousand employees of the federal gov
ernment
These persons, drawn from every
state in the Union, with their families
OF the District.
Visitors From All Parts.
Here come every day almost thou
sands of visitors, young and old. to
all Of whom the lessons of patriotism
resulting from a visit to the nations
capital result in a higher type of citi-
zenship, and the pride Of participant tion
in the affairs of our government grows
stronger with the realization of its
latent power and outward dignity and
grandeur
The protection to life and property,
the measures to secure health, happi-
ness and the benefits of education, as
well as the measures for the care of
the poor and the sick. are beneficial
not alone to the actual residents of the
District of Columbia, but to all the
American people between the great
oceans.
The question of taxation in the Dis
trict of Columbia, while not especially
mentioned in the designation of the
authority of the committee. is neces-
sariIy linked with an inquiry concern
ing municipal expenses. and therefore
we have given it attention.
The report of the assessor of the Dis
trict of Columbi as made October 1,
1915, shows that 1.-The total area of the
District of Columbia is 69.245 square
miles, or 44,316.S acres. In land it is
slightly over sixty one square miles
and in water about eight square miles.
or about $4,000 acres in land and 5,116
acres in water. The original city of
Washington contained Gill acres and
GLIDING old additions About $3.50 acres
are contained in all parks, large and
SMALL
Assessment System.
The lands in the District of Columbia
are assessed triennially. and the as
sessment beginning July l. 1914, for
the fiscal year 1915 is as follows:
City Of Washington and county:
Assessed valua ton of land SOS ,0S5, $500
Assessed valuation OF improve
mentS lo<'olo,ooI.U
Total assessed valuation of real
estate in the District Of Co
lumbia for the fiscal year end
ed June 80, 1915. $3.50 ,03S. 90
Personal tax levy for the nscaI year
ended June 80, 1915:
Personal property at ~ per cent. :. s5l7.962 .35
Der cent on gross earnings -. q. .161 Is
Incorporated savings banks, per
cent on gross earnings. less in
terest paid deposftors. l5,Sl0.11
Electric light companies, per cent
on gross earnings 75,ss5.S0
Telephone companies, per cent on
gross earnings ................... 1882. .o5
Gas light companies. per cent on
National banks. per cent on gross
1aI1 earnings sgamn,n,es ner cent ON ii''''e'-0
gross earnings ................... 1s2. .263 .o4
Street railways, per cent gross
wsssipston Market Company.
per cent on gross earnings from
conduits 1854
Georgetown Barge and Dock, Eleva-
cent on gross earnings ........... a56.s1
Total ..........-.....---.. .Sl,275, S27 81
Taxation Rate.
The regular rate of taxation on prop
erty in the District of Columbia is l y
per cent on a nassessment of not less
than two-thirds of true value.
The same report shows the following