Evening star., 1936-09-17
FISCAL RELATIONS
PROBE TO co into
COST OF STREETS
Jacobs Group to Study
Maintenance of Those
Abutting U. S. Land.
INFORMATION TO COVER
PERIOD OF II YEARS
Report Will Include Fire Protec.
ton, Parks and Sewer and
Water Mains.

The cost to the District Of paving
and maintaining streets abutting Gov
ernment reservations will constitute
one of the important factors in data
being collected by officials of the mu-
nicipal government for j. L. Jacobs,
Chicago efficiency engineer and tax
expert, appointed by President Roose-
velt to direct a study Of fiscal rela-
tons between the Federal and Dis
trict governments.
The information will cover an IL
year period beginning in 1925-the
year the 2-cent tax on gasoline went
into effect. The object is to show the
added expense placed on the District
in connection with streets that dl.
rectly serve Federal departments.
Various Elements Involved.
The highway cost data, however,
represents only one phase of added ex-
pens borne by the District because
it Is the seat Of the Federal Govern
ment. The report to be submitted to
Jacobs will go into various other ele.
ments that will reveal what the Fed
eral Government would have to pay
If it could be taxed the same as the
private property owner. 1t will con-
tain an estimate of the costs of fire
protection for Federal buildings, the
care of the park areas, the installa-
ton and maintenance Of sewer and
water mains serving Government
property and other services.
Jacobs requested this information
at a conference last week with Dis
trict department heads. Reports prob
ably will not be completed until early
next week.
One Half Cost Basis.
Information showing what the
United States would be required to pay
for street Improvements abutting its
will be based on one-half Of
the cost to the District. Oficials be-
lieve this will be an equitable basis,
since most of the streets surrounding
Government buildings are in excess
of the standard 40-foot width.
The total estimated cost TO the Dis
trict of the street Improvements also
will include the amount Of revenue lost
period, as well as the added cost Of
bridges which have been built in re-
cent years in keeping with the move
ment to make Washington the most
beautiful city in the world.
The Federal Government is exempt
from the payment of the 2-cent gaso-
line tax for official cars. In comput-
ing the excess cost of bridges officials
plan to use as an example the ulti-
mate cost of the new M street bridge
across Rock. Creek.
Cost Almost Doubled.
AS originally designed this bridge
was of the steel girder type that would
have cost $3.50. 900 to construct. The
Commission of Fine Arts decided it
should be more artistic and in keeping
with the architectural design of other
bridges across Rock Creek. As re-
suit a more expensive stone bridge
was built which cost the District more
than $400, 600.
Based on the expense of the M
Street Bridge, officials plan to show
how much was added to the cost Of
the new Calvert Street Bridge be-
cause it was made to conform in de-
sign and appearance to other bridges
across Rock Creek
Another illustration of additional
expenses borne by the District will
be shown by the electrical department.
which has discovered that about 18
per cent of all fire alarm boxes are
on or in vicinity of Government prop
erty. The District buys these boxes,
pays for the wiring and maintains
them.