Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
Our District Appropriations.

trict appropriations bill reported to
the House yesterday for expenses OF
the municipal government and physical
Improvement Of the National Capita
sduring the fiscal year beginning July
next Is an excellent one.
The basic fault with the present bill
as that it ignores the existing per
snanent and substantive law for q
definite proportion in dividing the
costs between the taxpayers of the
District and the Federal Treasury. by
continuing the haphazard lumpsun
appropriation of $4,000. 900; and that i,
also fails to give consideration to the
equities which require that If the
lurnp.sum payment plan Is continued
there should be appropriated certain
sum to do justice in financing pri.
niarily national projects.
The general iun of individual prop.
erty owners of the District will not be
called upon to pay a larger tax bill
next year. The amount that the pres.
ent bill carries that must come out of
District taxes could be met with a tax
rate of $3.50 under the new assessment
which raised taxable realty values
from 1881 900, 900 to s1,t50, 200. 900, but
appropriations made, or to be made,
for important building operations, such
as the new, Police Court. Recorder of
nN&H6 nNann Cof. -;
Hospital and the Farmers Market,
probably will compel rate of s.. 80 as
Ut present. Assessments and tax rate
are, of course, relative-the lower the
assessment the higher the tax rate
viii be, and higher the assessment
the lower the tax rate may be. So with
the same tax rate and an increase of
some s200,000.000 in assessment, the
Individual property owners naturally
look forward to paving larger tax
bfi. Assessor Richards, however, has
explained that the increase in assess
rnent is not general, but is divided
about equally under three principal
headsnew buildings, raise on newly
developed property and raise on
some classes Of business property
The appropriations committee has
seen At TO retain the limitation OF IS
Per cent above assessed valuation on
the price to be paid for school,. play.
ground and park sites. District Off.
ctals have protested that this has alb.
sofutely tied their hands and prevent.
ed them from acquiring the most de.
eirable sites. The committees attitude
Is that If this limitation is allowed 10
operate long enough the land owners
will be glad to SELL" Those having
the welfare of our school and park
systems at heart feel that such a
limitation should not be allowed to
stand In the way of getting now such
desirable sites as will soon be lost
Through other use and that the limita
ton obstructs the orderly and progress
size development of the school build
ing program.
sThe. committee, however, has ex-
efnpted from this limitation s154,0eo
already available, In order to take All
vantage Of the increases that are sure
tynto be made I'm assessment on Ger
tain sites desired. SO as to get them
ut q slight increase over the Is per
cent limitation and still under the new
assessment, plus the IS per cent, ex
cess.
One OF the most disappointing fea
lures OF the bill is the refusal Of the
Committee to make any provision for
nav teachers, though the school au
thorities insist that there should bt
IA, In addition to the Ss new teacher.
who take charge in new school build
anga next month. The II new teacher,
are required for increased facilities t,
hA available during next year. A
present there are seriously over
crowded classes which can be relieve.
with the increased facilities, but to d.
30 new teachers must be provided. TIL
school authorities say that the reds
tribution Of the present teaching fore
~ advocated by the members of tn
subcommittee Is entirely imprac
ticable. 1t seems to be false econom.
20. deny the relatively small item o
"a teachers for our rapidly expa ndinl
school system. when the buildings Ar
equipment are available and when tn
children In the Capital City need tn
instruction.
The street improvement program
extensive and well distributed. TIL
widening of Thirteenth street from
street to Massachusetts, avenue. 'whic
The committee inserted over the bulge
recommendations. Is an importan
snsck Of the bottle between extensive
~ used thoroughfares. The blanke
fund Of $4,000 for repaving and re
surfactng streets more than 80 year
CID In a very good item. The withhold
ling of funds for an asphalt surfacin
on one concrete base project is not In
pcrtant. as it can be done later with
cut serious loss.
The provision for purchasing tn
whole of the 45s acres Of land in Wi
etnia around the garbage disposs
plant II wise. as it prevents this plac
bseoning q public nuisance and Is
real saving In future costs.
welfare workers are especial
pleased with the appropriation II
establishing new Industries at occs
GUAM, where brick.making. stock raj
ing and farming are now the princip'
means of employing the inmates 4
the same time the products from the'