Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-29
HOUSE COMMITTEE
URGES @,173,@
FOR DISTRICT, BUT
TAX RATE STANDS
Report Says $1.50 Would
Raise Current Expendi-
lures, But Building Projects
Must Be Provided For.
CERTAIN PROPERTIES
FACE ACTUAL INCREASE

Glasses to Bring Raise-Budget
Estimates Cut $1O9,623, But
Total Is $1,214,795 More Than
Last Years Appropriation.
The District appropriation bill was
reported to the House today, carry
ing total appropriation of $36,173,-
500. This amount is $l0o,623 less
than the budget estimates, but is
an increase of $1,2l4.795 over last
years appropriations.
Under the new assessments, a tax
rate of $l50 would be sufficient to
raise the Districts share of the ap-
preparations recommended today.
But because of important building
projects already authorized by law,
and for which appropriations have
been made and are to be carried in
other bills, there can be no change
from the existing tax rate of $3.50,
according to the report of Chairman
Funk of the subcommittee of the
appropriations committee of the
House. This means that District
residents will continue to pay the
present tax rate. but it will be based
upon the new assessments, which
will increase the assessed value of
property in the District from $751;
OOO,OOO-as at present-to $l,l50,000,-
600.
No Blanket Increase.
This increase In assessment viii not
mean blanket increase all over the
city, hitting the individual property
owner and compelling him to really
pay higher tax bill. The assessment
is broadly divided among three classes.
who share the increase about equally:
ID New buildings, CD increases on
newly developed property, and (3l in
crealses on certain classes OF business
property. It was explained today by
Assessor Richards.
The bill is based on q continuance
of the $4,000, 900 lump-sum payment
from the Federal Treasury. 1t calls
for $23, $50 to be paid from Dis
trict revenues derived from taxes on
real estate, tangible and Intangible
personal property, public utilities,
banks, etc; $1,591.210 payable from
water revenues; $1,478.600 payable
from the gasoline tax fund. which is
an increase of $3S.600, and 100000
payable from surplus revenue funds
for school, playground and park pur-
poses
Teachers Funds Omitted.
In addition to the fact that per-
the continuance of the lump-sum
policy, the District bill reported today
contains no appropriation for new
school teachers.
The limitation of 25 per cent above
assessed valuation on the price to be
paid for school. playground and park
sites is retained in the bill, despite the
emphatic protest from District officials
that their hands are tied and they
are unable to purchase under this
limitation the sites that are needed
especially for school buildings. The
committee, however. eXempts from
this limitation $154,000 of current
funds for acquisition of school sites.
The present bill also discards the
existing system of purchasing District
supplies, and compels the District TO
purchase from the Federal supply
schedules, thus putting the
District in this respect on the same
basis as other departments and
agencies of the Federal Government.
The bill stops the printing of the
overdue real estate tax book, and re-
quires the information to be prepared
In such shape that interested parties
may visit the tax collectors off1ce and
see the copy that would otherwise go
to the printer.
The bill provides for the manufac-
ture of auto license tags at the
Occoouan penal institution and pro-
yides money for a small foundry TO
produce certain cast iron products.
such as sewer tops, window bars and
CRATES.
Student Clause Intact.
The provision admitting Maryland
and District school children to the
District schools was not disturbed.
One additional child hygiene station
was provided for, with an increase
of $12,000 in the appropriation.
During the hearings the Funk sub
committee showed Itself mucn exer-
cised over the congestion of cases in
the Police Court, and demand was
made as to why these cases are not
brought to trial. The court was
forced to present to the subcommittee
a list of all the delayed cases.
An important omission from the bill
is the removal of the usual item.
SIS 900, for repair and heating at
Columbia Hospital. This puts that in
stitution in the same situation as the
other hospitals.
The bill carries the new items rec
by the Budget Bureau or
$3.50 900 for the NJ street bridge.
In explaining the continuation OF
the lump-sum fiscal policy, Repre-
sentative Frank Funk Of Illinois
stated in his report that the bill
q lump-sum contribution
Of 100000 by the Federal Govern
nent in conformity with the practice
initiated in the District OF Columbia
appropriation bill for the fiscal year
1926, plus approximately $95O,00O,
the Governments share
II certain miscellaneous revenue,
which it forfeits as a part OF the
ump-sum arrangement. In the figure
Of $23.SO3,556 to come from District
revenues Is included approximately
s2. .T5O, 900 Of revenue to be derived
from miscellaneous sources. Elimi-
mating this amount. we get the figure
Continued on Page ., Column a