Evening star., 1927-11-20
D. {. TAXES UNFAIR,
EXPERTS DECLARE
Detroit Bureau of Govern
mental Research Offers Aid
to City in Fiscal Movement.

al Research, an Independent bo.y oi
municipal finance experts, which has
achieved a national reputation and fol
lowing with its fact-tindnS work, has
determined by an Intensive prelimin
sry study that Washington is unfair
~ taxed and will lend it's aid 20 the
growing movement here Tor an equit-
able readjls;msnt of the fiscal rela-
tions of the Federal and District Gov
ernmentS.
Groups of officials OF this bure2 u.
which perhaps is the outstanding one
of it's kind in the country, during a
conference in DettCif with a deiega
lion from the Washington Board ol
Trade. objected to careful scrutiny
the national tax survey mlde by the
local board and after Il tWo-d1Y study
of the tax problems here. 'rrlVed at
the following finding, it was an
nounced here last night by r.. e..
Graham, president Of the Board of
Trade:
That the Federal Government now
Is not bearing its fair and equitable
proportion of the costs of the opera
tion and upbuilding of the National
Capital, and that there is already
ample evidence indicating that the
taxpayers of the District of Columbia
are carrying a tax burden that COM
pares favorably not only with cities
of comparable size throughout the
country, but with numbers of the
larger industrial cities as we'll.
Tax Survey Approved.
Officiais of the Detroit bureau also
during the conference with the Wash.
ington delegation gave tacit approval
to the national tax and assessment
survey recently completed by the
Board of Trade, which showed that
Washington stands second in the list
of so of the largest cities of the
country in per capita assessment on
real Broperty and fourteenth in the
list for per capita tax paid.
In thissconnection, according to the
report by MIR. Graham, members OF
the bureau stated that they we're
amazed that in the District of Column
hia the assessments on real property
were so high and that in their opin-
ion, as based on their study of the
problem this week, the tax burden
here was high.
While these findings by the Detroit
bureau were announced informally
during the conference, officials of the
body, convinced that a real tax prob
lem exists in the District of Colum-
d, Z
Government. stated that they would
submit written report on their find
ings to date and would give all pos-
sible aid to Washington organizations
in continued study of the matter.
More Data Outlined.
The bureau suggested to the Wash.
ington delegation an outline Of addi-
tional survey data which should be
obtained in support OF its contentious
in order that each statement be COW
cred by actual facts. This work was
started with the return OF the Wash
ington delegation yesterday and such
data will be added to the survey fig
ures and other data to be presented
to Congress for consideration at the
forthcoming session.
Besides Mr.. Graham, members of
the special committee of the Wash
ington Board of Trade attending the
were Joshua Evans, jr., chairman of
the municipal finance committee
which was in charge of the recent
survey, and Robert j. Cottrell. sec
ond assistant secretary of the board, !,
who compiled data from the national
tax QUESTIONABLE for the board.
Among the experts Of the Detroit
Research Bureau who made a. study
OF this tax survey matter at the con-
ferences Thursday and Friday were
DIR. Lent Epson. director of the bu-
reau, who is recognized as statis-
tician and financial expert throughout
the Nation; c. +. Rightor, tax expert,
who was secretary to the mayors
committee on finance of Detroit and
author of the 1e-year budget program
now in vogue in that city. and X. ].
McCarren, chief engineer of the board
of assessors of Detroit. Groups of
other members of this large research
bureau who are experts in the various
phases of municipal finance work also
were called into the conference.
Lump Sum Assailed.
Officials of the Board of Trade were
jubilant at the definite corrobora ton
of their findings by the Detroit fact
finding body and saw In 1t a direct
answer to some critics of the District
of Columbia in Congress who have
contended that the residents OF Wash.
ington were not bearing enough taxes.
Experts Of the Detroit bureau espe.
cially pointed TO the present lump sum
plan Of contribution by Congress g
: unfair, due to the ever mounting costs
of the maintenance and upbuilding of
. the National Capital.
In response TO queries by the delega.
= ton from the Board of Trade az to
their findings in reference TO the fiscal
relations between the District and
Federal governments, both Mr.
Rightor and DIR. Upson stated. OFFICIALLY
of the trade body reported:
1T seems to be evident that the
Federal Government at this time
should contribute more to the upkeep
of the National Capital than the
Ss,000.000 lump sum.
Tax Burdens Compared
I'VE were under the impression, as
many undoubtedly are, that the Gov
eminent paid 40 per cent Of the ex-
penses OF the National Capital. The
s9,000,0 600 contribution throws quite
q responsibility on the citizens of the
District. and it is plainly evident that
This amount becomes less and less In
proportion to the total budget year
: by year"
After a study of the survey data
submitted by the Board Of Trade, Mr..
Fightor stated: Il feel personally that
would be able to make a very con.
NIncing argument to support this view
or the problem. In reference to the
tax situation l should say that the
tax burden borne by the citizens of
Washington would compare favor
ably with those OF cities of similar
size and many of the industrial cities
OF the North. In this matter there
ar" many questions which have to be
taken into consideration, and which
are entirely different in cities other
than Washington"
When shown figures concerning the
increases in the assessment on real
property in the District of Columbia.
which was raised from $3.50 900, 900
10 81 100000. 900. when the new assess
ments went into effect last July !.
Mr.. Riehtor said he was much sur.
prised that such an increase should
be made at one time and that he felt
that such a raise would tend to alter
the tax situation here very much"