Evening star., 1934-12-08

the contention of the District Com
missioners that the Federal Govern
ment should increase its payment ir
the 1886 budget.
Tax Fears Discounted.
Much attention was devoted tC
President Roosevelt's proposal to con.
duct a survey into the comparative
tax burdens of Washington and other
cities approXimating it in population
and surrounding conditions Speak
ers discounted fears they said had beer
expressed recently that the President;
survey might result in increased taxes
for Washington.
Commissioner HaZen went into the
subject thoroughly. In a comprehen-
sive analysis of the history of the
fiscal relations between the Fedora
and District of Columbia govern
ments, he traced the gradual decline
of the proportion paid by the national
Treasury.
Both Commissioner HaZen and Mr.
CarrutherS, an expert on municipal
taxation. raised definite doubts as to
the worth of an evaluated tax rate.
of course, mere comparison OF
tax rates in themselves" said Hazen
means nothing. The establishment
of a ratio Of assessed valuation to legal
basis of valuation is extremely diff
cult if not impracticable of accurate
determination. At the best, the most
that could be accomplished in this
respect would be the results Of COM
posite opinions.
Various Factors Cited.
"In comparing the tax rate OF
Washington with other cities" saio
Hazen. "a number of elements must
Of necessity be taken into considera-
ton" First of these he mentioned
the debts of other cities, and their ex-
penditures to amortiZe these debts, as
compared with the virtually pay-as-
you-go policy here in the District
which is a city virtually free Of in
debtedness. except for recent P
w A loan.
Washington, Hazen pointed out, has
much larger amount Of property
tax exempt. as compared with other
cities of similar size Here, he point
ed out, the tax exempt property
amounts to s720,0OO,OO0 or nearly
40 per cent of the total of $780,
100000, while other comparable cities
carry less than 20 per cent OF their
total wealth as exemption.
If every kind of real estate within
the District were subject to a tax,
said the Commissioner. excluding
property owned by the city, We would
have an amount which, added tc
other sources of revenue. would give
sufficient revenue to cover fairly
balanced municipal budget. The
United States under such an arrange
ment would pay about S8,300,000, OF
an amount corresponding to that rec
commended by the Commissioners in
their budget for 1886"
Budget Raises Issue.
The fiscal relations issue came to a
mead this year. Hazen explained. when
the Commissioners, in preparing the
1886 budget, were confronted with the
necessity Of raising additional revenue
either by an increase in the tax rate
or by recommending a substantial in
crease in the Federal contribution be-
yond the amount now paid, in order
to provide for a budget total that
would supply only absolutely minimum
needs for the ensuing fiscal year"
00n mn ho
planned, the Commissioners recon-
mended an increase in the Federal
contribution from S5,7O0,000 now paid
to sum little more than So 300, 900
This latter figure, he said, was the
average of the Federal contributions
for the past 10 years.
I'VE must admit" said HaZen,
that the people of the District of
Columbia should be expected to pay
a fair and reasonable tax. We be-
lieve that such tax is now being
paid on real estate in this city which
supplies in the neighborhood of two
thirds of our local revenue It may
be that comparison with other cities
might show that we do not pay as
much here in other forms of taxes
as in those cities. Whether such is
the case or not, am not at the mo-
ment prepared to say. 1t is hoped.
however, that in the study proposed
to be made by direction of the Presi-
dent, all of these matters will be gone
into most carefully and such con-
clusion reached as will establish for
at least some years to come a definite
of what constitutes not
only fair and reasonable taxes, which
should be paid by the residents Of
this city, but as we'll fair and equi-
table amount which should be paid by
the Federal Government toward the
cost of operation and maintenance and
of the National Capt.
tal."
Allen Urges Representation.
Commissioner Allen not only gave
his whole hearted approval to his as
sociate, Hazen, who had preceded him,
but also came out for national repre-
sentation for the District of Columbia.
Allen declared this city should have
an elected official not only in the
house, but also in the Senate, to get
up on the floor of Congress and de-
fend this city" The speaker said he
believed thoroughly in no taxation
without representation" as applied
to Washington. He praised public
spirited citizens of Washington.
Commissioner Sultan, after approv-
ing the Hazen address on fiscal rela-
tions, briefly explained the engineer
task was to see that
his office produced in new construction
and in maintenance "a dollar in value
for every dollar spent"
Mr.. Noyes. in opening the SYM
postum on fiscal equity. explained how
the question had become a live is
sue' through the Commissioners ac-
lion and through President Roosevelt
ordering the survey on taxation.
The District Commissioners were
praised by Mr.. Noyes for their fine
public spirit" in taking the initia-
iva II, opopipo ,,n tho 1,,aet;oA -