Evening star., 1936-11-20
DATA TO JUSTIFY
HIGHER j. s. FUND
FORD|STR|CT READY
Commissioners Argue Case
Before RooseveIt's Special
Committee Tomorrow.
HAZEN SAYS $4,000, 900
NEEDED FOR FAIRNESS
Donovan Also to Present Evidence
in Secret Session-Growing
Tax.Free Property Cited.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

The Commissioners tomorrow will go
before President Roosevelt's special fis-
cal relations committee. armed with
facts and figures showing the justifica-
ton for a Federal payment toward
District expenses in excess of the cur
rent $4,000, 900.
For several weeks the Commissioners
have been preparing for the confer
ence. In that period they gathered
mass of data designed to show that
$4,000, 600 does not represent an equi-
table share of the obligation OF the
United States toward the support and
maintenance of its Capital City.
Each of the three Commissioners
plans to present arguments from
different angle. The points they fail
to bring up will be argued by Maj.
Daniel j. Donovan, District auditor
and budget officer who has been in
Vted to the conference.
Hazen Cites 12,OO0, 900 Figure.
Melvin c. Hazen, chairman of the
Board of Commissioners. disclosed that
his chief contribution would be "evi-
dence" showing that a fair Federal
payment should be about $12 200, 900
o year.
The basis for Commissioner Hazen's
argument will be the revenues lost by
the District resulting from the ever
increasing tax-exempt holdings of the
Federal Government. The Commits
sioner has had the tax assessors office
prepare a chart he plans to introduce
which, it was said, indicates that the
United States will own about one-half
of the total area of the District within
the next Is years if it continues to ac-
quire property at the rate since begin
ming Of the Federal building program.
Now Owns 80 Per Cent.
The Federal Government, according
to recent calculations, now owns about
80 per cent of the property. The latest
valuation placed on this property by
the tax assessors Office Is s649, ,728, ,15S.
Every parcel of property acquired
by the Federal Government is with
drawn from taxation, said Hazen.
"As this non-taxable property in
creases, a greater burden is added on
the taxpayer, especially since the Fed
eral Government decreases rather
than increases its payment toward
District expenses"
The conference between the COM
mittee and the Commissioners will be
held behind closed doors at the sug-
gestion of Maj. Donovan. Two prior
sessions of the committee were open
to the public, and a portion of the pro-
ceedings of each was broadcast by
Station wMAL.
Civic Leaders Heard.
Representatives of Washington's
leading civic, business, professional
and labor organizations appeared at
the initial public hearing and made
vigorous plea for solution of the per-
picking fiscal relations problem on the
basis of justice and equity. At the
second hearing, two weeks ago. heads
of major departments of the District
Government showed why certain op-
Grating and maintenance costs in
Washington are higher than those in
cities of comparable size. due pri-
marily to the influence of the Federal
Government.
j. l.. Jacobs, Chicago efficiency en-
gineer and tax expert, appointed by the
President to direct the fiscal rela-
tions study, will take part in the con-
ference with. his Advisory Committee,
which consists of George McAneny,
president of the Title Guaranty Trust
Co. Of New York City; Clarence A.
Dykstra, city manager of Cincinnati,
and James Martin, chairman of the
Kentucky State Tax Commission.