Evening star., 1920-01-17

supply higher salary scale for the
District employees. Continuing his ar
Sument he said:
The Congress, through it's proper
functioning committee, has regula ed
and conducted the affairs of the Dis
trict of Columbia in a most satisfac-
tory manner. and there is no neces-
s1ty of abolishing the present system,
winch has been in operation for more
than thirty years, and substituting a
method of raising revenues which has
been found unsatisfactory and dis
carded.
''Haphaxnrd and Reckless Method
The very able chairman of the
committee-and l call attention to
this fact to illustrate the haphazard
and reckless method by which the
committee attempts to strike down
the present system and set up in it's
stead a new system-makeS a report,
and on page three of that report it is
stated that in 1922 the bonded in
debtedncss of the District of Column
bia is going to be paid off, and that
there is going to be an additional
surplus in that year of S4S7,704.
1T is a far-seeing tinancier and
statesman who can so accurately fig
ure out a surplus which will occur in
1922 in the face of the rapidly mount
ing cost of materials and the mount
ing cost of government, and if the
predictions which have been made as
to the successful operation of the
plans provided for in the present bill
are no more definite than the state
ments contained in this report, then !
make the prophecy that in a very
few years Congress will be glad to
restore the present system.
Therefore the matter of the surplus
is inevitable under the present system.
The District Commissioners are pro-
hibited by law from submitting esti
mates of their actual needs, and can
only submit estimates equal to the
revenues. and as Congress is bound to
cut down these estimates in various
a surplus is the inevitable
result.
Surplus May De Absorbed.
Congress should appropriate the ex-
listing surplus to meet some of the
pressing needs of the District, and
the limitation as provided in the act
of 1909 should be repealed. as recon-
mended in the District Commissioners
annual report.
Now. as to the statements which
nave been made as to the undervalua-
ton of property in the District, | find
that in 1859 the total assessable basis
trict of Columbia was Sis. 900 600
plus. In 1919 it was Sa140OO, 900 plus.
SO that there has been an increase in
the assessable basis of the District in
the past twenty mine years of nearly
800 per cent.
In the figures which have been sub
nitted by the district assessors Of
hce. find table of sales, which have
oeen made in the downtown or bust
ness section of Washington which is
the best barometer of values and ac-
tual values and assessments in any
Sale Prices and Assessments.
''In 1916 the consideration of the
sales in this section of the city were
s3,4S4,650, while the basis of assess
being paid on two thirds of this
was $4,2S0.26S. In 1917 the
of sales in the business
section was $4,105.353, while the basis
Of assessment was $4,502,19O. In 1919
the consideration of sales was $5.102,-
$50, while the basis for assessment
was s5,144,776. In 1919 it reached sI3,-
5o7,661 in the matter of considera-
tions. and the basis of assessment was
s13,394,5 500 The total consideration
for sales in the four years being S26,-
l9l $50, and the basis of assessment
s27321, 1893.
The Southern building. at 18th and
II streets, was assessed for S1,794.5 $40.
and the considerat tion of the sale in
1919 was s1,s00.00O. The site of the
Cosmos Club. at 21 Madison place. was
assessed at s26s,250. and the consid-
Grafton of the sale was s25o.OoO. The
Washington Hotel site. al Pennsyl-
vania avenue and 18th street, was as
sessed for $3.50. 900 and sold for $780,
900 in 1915. The Ames building, in
the 1900 block on G street. was as
sessed for s193230 and sold for s1b5.-
900. The Y. NJ. c. A. building. on F
street, was assessed for s2S6,940 and
sold for s25o,ooO The Lawrence
building, on G street. was assessed
for 1882, $50 and sold for 1892 500.
II venture the assertion that in no
other city in the country will the as
sessment reach the proportion of the
sales price as here shown.
'The assessors office has also sub
mitted transfers made in 1916 and
the assessments as of that date, which
show that the assessments total more
than the consideration given.
Since 1916 we have entered the war.
and resident property has doubled
and trebled in value, and it is i'm
possible for the assessors Office to ac
curately determine the cash value.
Local Taxes Not Law.
"a great deal has been said here to-
day about the low rate of taxation in
ae city, and, in view of the fact that
each city has its own methods and
own laws governing the assessment
of property this would hardly seem
a fair standard in determining prop
erty values in the District of Colum-
bia, where one-thfrd of the real es-
tate is owned by the government.
Taking the cities of 10000 and
over which are near the city of WASH
Ington we find that the per capita
receipts for all taxes in Baltimore.
Md, is s2ie5 Norfolk, Va. s21.03:
Roanoke, va, s1z.s7; Wilmington.
Del. s11 Sc, and in Washington, d. C.,
s23T9 These figures are taken from
The United States census report.
"The per .capitaTproperty tax levies.
in 1918 show that Baltimore made
per capita tax levy of 2o.o2 New
s17o2: Grand Rapids,
s1693, and Nashville. s10.5s.
when it is considered that one
third of Washington's population is
colored. and that a great element of
this colored population are compare
lively poor, it would seem that the
assessment basis in Washington and
the taxes paid compare favorably with
the amounts levied and collected In
like cities
THE needs of the District are many
and pressing, and if the present rate,
which was fixed in 1902, is not suf-
ticient to meet these needs 1T should
be increased, in order that Washing
ton, capital of a nation of more than
100 900, 900 people. may continue 10
be a source of pride to the people OF
a great nation.
"Above all things the citizens OF
the District are entitled to more,
whether the government is going to
to the maintenance OF the