Evening star., 1926-03-10
SLASH TRACED TO DEFICIENCY
u MEASURE ALREADY APPROVED
Slight Raise i'm Tax Rate Is Possible-Method of
Property Assessment Attacked-$9,O ,OOO,O 900
to Be Paid by Federal Government

grows out of supplemental apprppria-
tions for the fiscal year 1895. esti-
mates fol which We're presented sub
saquently to the submission OF the
budget, the major portion Of which
comprised items of somewhat
emergent character which otherwise
would have been Incorporated in the
regular estimates for 1927. However.
there are two outsta nding reductions
in the budget estimates not affected
by these supplemental estimates. one
Of a $1,733, 900 on account Of buildings
and grounds, public schools, and an.
other Of $1,000, 600 pertaining to the
new water supply project, both dis
cussed later in this report. The sum
Of the reductions under the regular
and supplemental appropriations for
the current fiscal year have been alb
sorbed for the most part by increases
under the classification act; new posi-.
tions and positions transferred In
pursuance Of law from lump-sum ap-
preparations and given q permanent
status without corresponding reduc'
ton in the appropriations from which
transferred: Of larger appropriations
for the electrical department; for the
longevity pay of policemen and fire-
men: for permanent improvements
under the fire department, and by In
creased appropriations for the health
department and for charity and cor
rectionel purposes, the details as al
s<pearing in the table at the end OF
this report.
with respect to the committees
proposals. which show net reouc-
ton of $290,035 under the budget est-
mates. it will be found that the COM
mittee has gone above the budget IN
a number of instances and tnat tne
net reduction practically all grows
out Of it's refusal to prov1oe tor tne
purchase Of a site for stables, shops
and storerooms for the Engineer De-
partment and for a birdhouse at the
Zoo. both discussed elsewhere In TINS
report. The committee has not ad-
hered to the budget ALLEGATION III all
instances. Certain adjustments nave
been made with the net result ind1-
Gated.
No Tax Reduction Seen.
The tax rate on real estate and
tangible personal property the cur
rent fiscal year has been fixed at
$40 The rate on intanglbles mas
continued at flve-tenths of l per cent
Of the fun market value thereof.
Real estate for the fiscal year end
749.S42. the assessment on tangible
personal property will approximate
500. .00O, 900 and the assessment on
intangible persona! property will ap-
proximate 100000 600.
while OF the face OF this bill II
would appear. by reason of the TACT
that it carries S2,425. AIS less than the
sum OF current appropriations. that
a lower tax rate might be levied dur
ing the fiscal year 1927, the auditor
has indicated to the committee that
the rate probably would be $l.7o or
$175. Primarily this Is because OF
the supplemental appropriations for
1926 carried in the first deficiency
act. fiscal year 1926, approved March
3, 1926, not reckoned in the deter
mination of the 1926 rate, and also to
meet the contingency of further sup
Elemental and deficiency appropr1a-
tons. Whether the rate can be made
lower or not. however. and proVloe
sufficient revenue to satisfy current
demands, it is the judgment OF the
committee that ii should not he low
cred in the face of the five-year
school building program confronting
the local taxpayers and in view OF
the existing and growing need Tor
larger outlays for street improve
IneTlS anu cAlcIISlOiS, "dtSA AAssAAA'
and sewers, and for better street
lighting.
THE fact is. however, that q
smaller rate might obtain now II
property here were assessed In ac-
cordance with the law at its full
value, having particular reference TO
unimproved property. The hearings
with respect to land purchases made
and proposed are repiete with IN
stances where the prices paid or to
be paid, guaged by past experience
or by preliminary investigation, range
from 100 to zoo per cent in excess
of the assessed value, and this in the
face of the recently completed BIZ
ennial assessment. AS it works out.
the mall-home owner is paying larger
taxes because Of the undel'assessment
Of unimproved property, or If the
property be fairly assessed, because
some agency of government is reSpOn-
sible for paying exorbitant prices for
land acquired for municipal purposes.
Committee Perplexed.
The committee, frankly, is some
what perplexed as to the best way
to meet the situation. In condemna-
ton cases the prices awarded are
about as much out Of proportion with
the assessed value as in the cases
of acquisition by negotiation. This
would seem to indicate that the as
sessments generally are low. With
the end either to bringing assess.
ments up or prices down, the COM
mittee is proposing in this bill in con-
nection with all land purchase items
that no property shall be acquired
at price in excess of its full value
assessment plus 25 per cent.
Taking the bill in the order Of its
several subdivisions the following ex-
plantations are made with respect to
the regular annual appropriations.
The permanent annual and indefinite
appropriations, which occur autOmaf-
ically each year without further &C.
ton by Congress-, will be found listed
on the last page Of this report. They
total $1,573,557, or $8,201 above the
amounts set up for the current fiscal
wear. In some instances 1t has been
necessary to augment funds embraced
by this classification from the gen.
eral revenues Of the District of Co
lumbia.
Salaries.
The total estimates for salaries
under the classification act OF 1919
amount to $3,758,077, as against an
estimated total expenditure for the
current fiscal year of $3,252,054. The
committee has exceeded the budget to
the extent of $14,436, on account of
additional assistance which 1t felt
should be provided for the Public
Utilities Commission, the Public Ii
brary, the Supreme Court and the
courthouse. The budget increase is
due to provision for promotions with
in salary grades lat the present time
out of a total Of about $500 employees
only 800 are receiving the average
rate of pay Of their respective salary
grades), to meet reallocations, to pro-
vide for additional employments in
various activities and to take care Of
115 employees now being paid from
lump.sum appropriations. for whom 1t