Evening star., 1933-04-06
BRIEF D. c. BILL
HEARING FORECAST
Senate Subcommittee Will
Meet Tomorrow to De-
eide on Procedure.
Continued From First Page.)

tax receipts to pay all annual expenses
of the District, with surplus of $3,-
400, 900 left unused.
"The Commissioners Of the District
Of Columbia already have the power
under existing law to make this reduc-
ton in the tax rate.
1.-The committee that framed this
bill has been criticized for not putting
a provision in the bill directing the
Commissioners to reduce the tax rate.
That would be legislation. The Commit
tee on Appropriations cannot legislate.
If those who made the criticism would
just think and reflect a moment they
would realize that the committee would
never include directory provision In
bill to any officials who have discre-
ton unless these officials were refusing
to do their duty. I am one of those
who is assuming that the Commission.
ers Of the District OF Columbia Will
perform their duty which they owe to
the people they. represent here. ana
I am assuming that when this bill be-
comes law the Commissioners them
selves will enter an order fixing the
tax rate in the District at $1.50, lower
ing it from $170, which they are au-
thorized TO do by law and by the saw
ings we have made in this bill.
Believes They viii Act.
"It has been intimated that they
might not do it. II they should not do
it then there will be time enough 1or
Congress to direct them to reduce the
tax rate to $1.50 per 500, but do not
believe the Congress will ever have to
do that with the present Commissioners.
I have perfect confidence in DR.. Relcn-
elderfer, the chairman Of the Board OF
Commissioners, and in the other Com
missIoners, and believe they Will per-
form their duty. And it Is their duty TO
change the tax rate from $1.70 to $l.oo
per $100. AS heretofore mentioned.
the District then would have surplus
Of $3,400,000 left unspent at the END
of the fiscal year"
bill are ultimately approved by Con-
gress." Chairman Buchanan said, Eat
the end of the fiscal year 1894 the gen.
eral fund of the District Of Columbia
will have a surplus of $4,000, 900. The
law requires that surplus OF $4,000 ,0OO
be maintained. Even SO, it will be So
900 900 over and above what the law re-
quires as a surplus in the Treasury OF
the United States to the credit OF the
District of Columbia.
LAS my colleague has said, the tax
rate is $170 on the fair full valuation
of real estate. In my home State and in
yours, when property is assessed for
taxation purposes 1t is assessed at about
so per cent of It's fair value and taxes
are paid on that amount. Here the
property is assessed at full value and
the tax rate of $1.70 is paid on the full
value. This is an exorbitant and un-
reasonable tax on real estate in this
District. There are thousands Of poor
people attempting to buy homes In the
District, and for them to be required
to pay $3.40 per s100 in taxes on the
valuation Of these homes according to
the way property would be assessed IN
the other States of the Union is too
much.
LET me call attention further to the
fact that there is $4,000, 900 in delin-
quent taxes on real estate due the Dis
trict On what character of real estate?
The little homes poor people are trying
to buy and pay for. Wherever possible
we should encourage people to buy and
pay for homes SO they can have castle
of their own Then they will naturally
be proud of their country. a
''The tax rate In the District Of Co.
lumbia should be reduced from $l.70
to 81 so on real estate"