Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-21

ment property $50.o00,000, embassies
churches, ETC., $75. 000, 900. or total OF
$685., 00O, 900 Of tax-free property. He
reported the assessed value Of private
property at $l.l50.000.000 From these
figures It will be seen that "a per cent
Of the Districts real property Is non
taxable and &c per cent subject to tax
alton. But 27l2 per cent OF the total
Is United States property on the bare
statement which the committee was
given.
details upon which his assessment was
based. Upon his figures found that
of the $470, ZOO, 900 charged as Govern
rhent property $157.670.0O0 was prop
| erty used for municipal purposes, legal
title to which was in the United States
but the user is the District Of Column
bia. In 1877 all the streets and ave-
nues were assessed and charged to the
United States at 80 cents square
foot In 1928 they assess and charge
to the United States all the squares,
circles, parks uncluding Rock Greek
and Anacostia. etc., the Zoo. the jail
and city hospital. the Smithsonian
buildings. the Red Cross and Pan
American buildings. the City Post Of
fee. the water front, the city water
reservoirs, the filtration plant, the city
stables and the Center Market, the
industrial schools for the District chill
dren. the School for Deaf and Dumb,
q police station and a SchoolhouSe,
and even the Highway Bridge Is In
cluded: also Judiciary Square and the
courthouse.
FOR revenue purposes the city col
lects rent from the Center Market,
and the United States IS asked to pay
for water from the water system. but
for tax purposes they state that the
FEDERAL Government owns both. There
will be found In the hearings table
of these values. Under no theory
should they be included. Now. then,
deducting the l57.670.000 that Is Gov
eminent property used for municipal
purposes from the total of S47o ,oO0,0 600.
there remains a total value OF S3l2,-
$500 for property used largely Tor
Federal purposes or less than IL per
cent of the total In Spite' OF That.
Congress is asked by District people to
nav 40 per cent of the taxes on IL per
cent Of the property.
Estimated Tax Rate.
1.-THE estimated tax rate next year VIII
be $1.70 q hundred. Based on S4to.-
00O. 900 worth of property, If the GOV
eminent paid taxes. its tax would DC
s7,999 900, but it pays 100000 plus
other items which ] have enumerated.
Based on 1912. $3.50 900 OF Government
property used for Federal purposes. tne
Governments tax rate would De So,SoS,
6lo, and 1t contributes approximately
a 10
rect appropriation of 100000. So
there was no comfort In those figures
for advocates OF 60-40 and they have
dropped them.
"if the 60-40 plan were accepted for
the fiscal year 1929 the United States
would be called upon to contribute
sl3.466,734 and the District would De
called upon to pay but $20,965. 100 from
general taxes. The tax rate would De
then sl.20. and the rate would create
in addition thereto a surplus OF nearly
one-half million dollars.
Figuring the Government values at
s34l 1870 900, by the Federal payment
carried in this bill. We are charging the
United States at q tax rate OF $2.7O,
while the private holder pays Sl.70
rate. II the 60-40 plan were returned
to, the private rate would be $l.20 and
the United States rate would be $500
hundred. What more need be said?
THE United States receives from the
water system. Of which 1t Is half owner,
3.3ll.481 mig. Of water, or q return OF
22l Der cent on the investment that
1t has made In the plant. The District
Of Columbia receives 8,l03.525 m.g,
which makes q return OF SIS per
cent on its investment. In addition.
the Districts return in extensions TO
the property brings the gross return
to the District up to 7.l3 per cent
Contrast the Federal return OF 2.2l per
cent with the District return OF us
per cent and the conclusion is reached
that II any one Is receiving free water
it is the District and not the United
States. (See table. page 945 OF the
hearings.)
what is washington's comparative
tax rate with other cities? You will
find in the hearings table taken from
the Bureau OF the Census publication.
Financial Statistics OF Cities. 1926
Washington Is in the class OF 500, 900 or
more population. That table shows the
per capita levy In Washington for all
purposes at $3o.3l. the lowest OF the
group. St. Louis is next. with $34.28:
city purposes only. 1924: Milwaukee.
for city purposes only. $47.69: Philadel-
phia, for city purposes only. $42.0l:
Cleveland. $54.o8: Buffalo, $55.15: New
York. $3.50: Chicago. $5608: Pitts
burgh. for city purposes only. $58.l5:
Detroit, 1914: Boston. $63.63.
THE Board OF Trade charges that
the District is limited in area and does
not have the taxable property within
its Jurisdiction that other cities have.
Population estimates show Washington
thirteenth In population. In area
Washington is eleventh In the United
States.
1.-The committee find that 1t Is proper
10 consider In this connection the SAL
airy roll OF the Federal Government. the
great expenditures here annually for
maintenance OF the Federal establish
ment. the business that 1t brings to
Washington. tourists. visitors. etc. and
last. but by no means least. the great
expenditures for lands and buildings of
the United States. appropriations for
which have recently been made"