Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-24

tfon Of the washinEtonian for WHAT
he does not get.
The burden fmposed By congress
mon tie Ieeal taxpayers y fully q
heavy NJ that which the iave a..s mar
itself, ana in view of the capifafs iack
Of TAXABLE resources and other pecuI-
iar disc bflfties under which the Dis
trfet Of Columbia labors Its YAK -
harder to bear than that Of the aver
arc American community. Under the
oner.fIons of the half-nnd-haf law
the WashlngtOni0n II clearly PAYING
All the taxes that he should. HIS per
cavita tax burden cannot equitabiy ne
incre.sed. disturbance of the half
and.hnlf law and reduction OF the ma
tion's proportiOnate contribution
would inevitably increase the WASH
inktOnian's tax BURDEN ana thus Si"-
The Joint congressional committee
gave thoughtful consideration 70
these facts and figures concernine
the proper standard OF measuring
comparative city tax burdens ana me
resuIts obtained when this standard
Of measurement is applied to WASH
inRton and other American cities
Vindication by Committee.
The Joint congressional committee
decided against the tax rate standard
of measurement. discredited as unre-
liable by the census authorities ana
adopted the per capita property TAX
lew standard of measurement, APP
proved by the census authorities
The evidence before this joint COM
nittee demonstrated that Washing
toms property tax burden, combining
it's heavy realty tax and ITS nght
personalty tax, Is heavier than those
Of most American cities anu aSerakes
up to those OF cities approximating
it in size and general conditions. one
hundred and ffty-six out of 1873
American cities over 10000 in popu-
lation bear lighter burden. only
one of the neighboring group OF cities
and only two OF all tne sou.hern l
cities show a higher property tax per
Washington has been steadily i'm.
proyinR its position In the list or
cities under this head, passing each
wear some cities in the per capita to-
tai property tax levy.
Larger per capita than Wash - 40
ingtOn !..... 10
Smaller per capita than wash 80 -o
ington ........ 1<o IN A'o
The Joint committee applying the
measurement to comparative tax bur-
dens. declares that Washingtons bur.
den, Instead Of being half burden. as
commended by enemies OF the hal and
half law, is a full burden, measuring
up to that imposed in other American
cities. On this point the joint COM
mittee declares: "The annual tax In
Washington is approximately SIG per
capita. In the judgment of your COM
mittee this IN q reasonable tax levied
ut this time, especially when we con-
slider. a. we must. that a large pro-
portion of the population here pays
hut n sman amount OF the taxes Inn
posed"
Senator Works adds on this point:
III have been entirely convinced by
the evidence taken at the hearing that
the people of the District are not un-
dertaxed. They are, i'm my judgment,
bearing their full share of the burden
Of the expenses Of the District. just
now, when times are hard and real es
tate values are depressed. 1 think they
are being taxed too high, because the
assessm emit of real estate IL too high"
Thus the committee absolutely de-
stroyed the contentions upon which
repeal Of the half-and-half law was
demanded by its assailants. Since the
reasons for it's repeal have failed and
since mo- need In shown to exist which
will be met by its repeal, why should
1t not In c0nsistency be permitted to
stand in respect to other future ex-
penses ~ well as in respect to the
minded debtf