Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-29

excessive exemptions of real property
| from taxation.
ut appears to me that there might
properly be added to that balance the
| $451 1857 with which the report charges
| the Federal Government as a tax on
| intangible personal property. I have
grave doubts as to the justification for
such liability on the part of the Fed
eral Government. If this were added to
! the balance, it would give us S2,01l 900
| to be applied to the excess items.
| "A study of the tables would seem to
! show that fair charge in connection
with the parks would be about $1,100,-
| 600, leaving about 100000 to apply to
the loss of revenue due to excessive ex-
emption.
"a careful study of the schedules of
exempt property valuations shows that
the ratio of exempt to taxable real
property is three times as high for
| Washington as for other cities. At first
/ sight it would appear that this would
| justify a very great increase In Federal
aid to the District. However, when
there is deducted from the exempt prop
erty United States property on which
it may be assumed we are now paying
taxes under cover of the 100000 ap-
| preparation, there still remains total
| apart from that owned and used by the
Federal Government. This item Is made
up of exemptions for educational and
scientific institutions, religious purposes,
hospitals, charitable and benevolent in
situations, embassies and legations and
a very considerable amount of public
property used for parks and for the
benefit of the City of Washington. A
study of the tables shows that this is
larger than that of any other city in
the country of comparable size except
unusual amount of United States and
Massachusetts State property.
"A fair average amount OF exempt
taxable property for a city of this size
is about $4,000, 900. BY reason of thi:
being the Capital of the Nation there il
located here an unusual number of non
taxable institutions and an unusua
amount of non taxable public proptrty
bringing the total to more than $780,,
100000 in excess of that amount. i
seems to me fair that the United
States should pay toward the
expenses of the District Of Colum'
bia an amount of money equiva
lent to normal taxes on that 100000,
, 900 of real property that is in excess o
ordinary average exemptions for cit.
Of this size. That means something
,, over $1,700.000. OF that amount 1t i
, fair to say that the Federal Government
Is at the present time paying 100000
or the balance of the lump-sum con
/ tribution, in my opinion.
z "A study of the report offers tn
further thought that the District tax
payers are not being taxed more heavil.
| than other cities of this size.
? Finally, the showing regarding tn
D extraordinary amount of park area pro
- vided here by reason Of this being tn
= Nations Capital and which makes on
h park area nearly twice as much as mos
n cities OF this approximate size, woul
e justify the Federal Government bearin
h the amount equivalent to the differenc
. between the cost of parks in averag
d cities of this size and that of tn
: Nations Capital, or, say, $l,l00,000.
e In conclusion, it would seem to m
Il fair that the United States should con
c tribute something over 100000 nor
e as its share of running the government
# Of the District and would suggest tina
the bill be amended by adding $500, 90
to the 100000 lump sum now in
Guided in the bill
q MY study of the report leads me I
= believe that the Federal Governmer
IS ought to make an effort to pay taxes o
: its tangible property in the District {
). Columbia and the lump sum contribute
q by the Federal Government to the Dis
k trict revenues ought, I believe, to var
= as the value of the property of til
II Government varies"