The Washington times., 1920-11-15

ASC|TY'SRATE
Revaluation Of Property Requir-
ed Apt to Boost Taxes
Sky High.
FEDERAL BUILDINGS KEY
Potential Sale Price Of Their
Sites to Be Considered
In New Plan.

A "joker" inserted in the appro-
priation bills at the last session OF
Congress threatens to undermine the
whole system of taxation in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The half-and-half plan-the "six-
ty-forty" plan contained in the cur
rent District bill-hereafter will be
subject to an exact measurement OF
the ownership Of property in the city
as balanced between the Federal
Government and the private prop
erty owners.
GOOD SCORES COUP.
Chairman Good of the House Ap-
propriations Committee has scored q
real coup in having inserted in the
legislative, Executive, and judicial
and the sundry civTi appropriations
bills a section which strikes at the
root of all hard-and-fast assumptions
upon which the taxation relationship
between the Federal and District
Sovs.nment hsretofose has been
This section is the following:
That hereafter 1t shall be the
duty OF the head Of eac hdepartment
and Independent establishment Of the
Government to submit to Congress
annually in the books Of estimates a
statement giving for each of the
Government-owned buildings in the
District Of Columbia under their re-
spective jurisdictions the following
information for the preceding fiscal
year: The location and valuation Of
each building. the purpose. or pur-
poses, for which used, and the cost
of. care. maintenance. upkeep, and
operation thereof per square Of floor
space"
The real Significance of this clause
was not grasped at the time that the
appropriation bills were passed by
Congress.
1t II now claimed that Chairman
Good Of the House Appropriations
Committee was preparing some
heavy artillery for himself for use
In the annual tussle with the senate
over District taxation matters.
The appraisal Of Government prop
erty in Washington has been made
during the summer and fall months
by the office OF the District apprais-
er, and Is now completed. 1t will be
sent to Congress in the annual re-
ports from the departments.
While 1t II not possible to make
any 0emnfte onnOun cenents as to
what the total Of the appraisal is,
fnfornsatioa available is to the effect
that IL will entirely upset the "haIf-
snd-half7 plan based upon the long
standihG assunption that the Federal
property in the District Of Columbia.
AS a matter of fact, it is likely to
show the relationship in the owner
ship of property in the city to be
nearer "eighty-twenty" than "fifty-
ffty." and in the face Of exact ana
authoritative figures It will be hard
for the Senate to demand the con-
tinuance Of q taxation system based
upon an inexact analysis Of the fiscal
balance between the Federal and Dis
trict government
The House Appropriations Commit
tee has provided itself with inf"rma.
tion which in the future may create
chaos in District taxation matters,
particularly II Congress uses the an
nual appraisal as the barometer for
fixing the taxation ratio from year
to year.
At the recent session of Congress
an impasse arose between the House
and Senate over the District bill,
which was finally compromised be-
tween the two chambers on the basis
OF "sixty-forty." This, however. was
understood to be only temporary.
WANT OLD SYSTEM BACK.
The Senate Appropriations Commit
tee agreed to II only because other
wise the District appropriation bill
would have failed of passage alto
gether. Senator Curtis and other
members Of the District appropria-
tions subcommittee have recently
stated that they intended to make a
hard nght to have the "ffty-fifty'
plan restored.
Appraisal OF Government-owned
land In the District, which would
have 10 he added to the value OF the
Federal buildings to reach the total
vnlue OF the Government property In
the city, is "a task which would be
simple, tnnsmuch as II would be
largely governed by the value OF ad-
jnccnt property.
The exact plans OF the House Ap-
preparations committee with reference
to the information to be placed at
its disposal will be unfoldcd only as
the committee begins to hold its an
nual hearings. but II Is clear that the
enemies of the existing syst IN prob
ably will have new artillery placed
in their hands which they will use
to good effect-unless, of course. tho
apprisal shows, that the frty-ffty
plan is the correct ratio. which. g.
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