The Washington times., 1919-08-21
SEEK TO TAX
PROPERTY
LOCATED HERE
Payment BY Government on
Same Basis As individual
Asked to Settle Trouble.
BY BILL PRICE.

BY BILL PRICE.
District officials are today expect
ing a thorough airing by the Senate
CT the question cf establishing the
future fiscal relations Of the District
and Federal governments on an
equitable .tax basis by which the Fed
eral Government will pay taxes just
the same as individuals.
In the event that the Senate does
undertake an investigation along
these lines, there will be opeend 4
wide and interesting field.
Senator Moses OF New Hampshire
has introduced a resolu ion in the Sen
ate asking the District to furnish the
Senate q complete list Of all untaXab'e e
property here, and at the same time
the Senator introduced a bill amen1-
ing the half-and-half act by providing
that appropriations by Congress fnr
the District shall be paid from funds
raised by taxation Of all property in
the District; abolishing public and
private exemptions; making property
Of the FEDERAL and District govern
ments subject to assessment and taxa
tion in the same manner as If it be-
longed to individuals or corporations
House-Senate Agreement.
II has been understood for some
time that when the House conferAAs
on the last District appropriation bill
yielded the House attempt 10 10 aW ay
with the half-and-half plan they did
30 under an agreement with the Sem
ate conferees that the Senate would
enter into a thorough investigation
Of existing fiscal relations before the
passage OF another District appro-
priation bill
Congressman Sisson OF Missouri,
who declared in a speech that the
Senate protect "taX-dodgers" in the
District, was urgent in his insistence
that an agreement be reached with
the Senate conferees before giving
up the House demands, it has been
stated.
Senator Moses is not q member of
the Senate District Committee, but
the fact that he is asking for data
on taxation indicates his purpose to
have the Senate again go into the
subject.
More than five years ago a joint
committee OF Senate and House con-
Quoted long Investigations Of the sub
ject OF District and Federal fiscal
relations and made voluminous re-
port. The committee did not favor the
half-and-half law, but did recommend
that until soDe more equitable law
COulu BG pdSGNA NO447 ASSo DC 5AANCA
by existing laws.
Some Taxation Facts.
The facts that will be sent to Sena-
tor Moses by the assessors office Of
tn District will reveal that the Fed
Ell and District governments. to-
gelher with charitable, educational
and religious institutions. own real
estate properties here now exempt
from taxation that are estimated to be
worth about 40 per cent of the total,
individuals and corporations owning
90 per cent.
For the last taxable year the total
assessed valuations Of land and i'm
provements in the District was $414,
G1O,691. upon which the people here
paid S6.219, 16O in taxation.
Assessor Richards a year or so ago
made an estimate OF the taxable
value Of land and improvements own
cd by the Federal and District gov
eTnments. He must include in that
a nu nber OF buildings since con-
structed by the Federal Government.
These estimates, very carefully pre-
pared, gave the total land and i'm
provement valuations belonging to
the Government at S233 124,924. Of the
District government at S14,T4l ,6O3,
and Of charitable. educational. and
religious institutions now exempt at
S24.O0O.00O. or approximately S272,-
600. 900.
Personal Property Valuations.
There has never been an attempt
10 estimate the value of the per
sonal" belongings Of the United
States and District governments, al
though they would presumably aver
age 20 per cent OF the total taxable
personal property within the District
4 citizen of the District pays taxes
on his office desks. chairs and other /
furniture, there being no exemptions I
except for household furniture Up to |
81. 900 in value. The Federal Govern !
ment is equipped with the best Of I
furniture: il owns az numbers Of /
trucks, automobiles and other prop 4
critics. being far better equipped in 4
personal belongs than the average ,
citizen who pays taxes on his office
and business bUrnitUre and proper-
ties.
In the past when the question of /
taxing Government properties here
has been under consideration the
argument has been advanced that the
Federal Government should not be
taxed upon certain or its lands that
are partly used by the public. The
Capitol grounds and the Department
tions. The contention has been made
that as these are semi-pubIic parks
they ought not TO be included IN tax
able assessments.
Should that view ever prevail the
Federal Government would escape
taxation on valuable lands that are
now included in the estimates OF the
assessor.
EEcapes Special Taxes.
Although Senator Moses bill would
put The Federal Government on ex-
sctly the same basis as all taxpayers,
IL would, TO be fair, have to go the
extent OF requiring the Government
70 pay many Of the special forms OF
taxes from which citizens are not /
exempt The Federal Government, un-
like the private citizens, does not pay
for water and sewer extensions. These
cost the private property owner S1.25
per foot. The citizen must also pay
for all sidewalk improvements and