Evening star., 1936-10-23

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to solve the existing situation and
establish some formula to govern the
future"
McAneny also said the committee
had not yet reached any conclusions
ION any point or any subject"
Suggests Tax Plan.
s. Z. Katz, representing w. p. A.
Lodge 139 of the American Federation
Of Government Employees, who fol-
lowed Lusk, suggested that the Federal
Government be taxed as an ordinary
tax payer. II sufiicient funds to meet
District needs cannot be met then.
he said, additional revenues should
be raised by taxes on incomes In the
higher brackets. on gifts and inheri-
tances.
Katz also urged the return Of suf-
frage to the District.
Return democracy to the District
and abolish taxation without repre-
sentation," he said.
DR.. Ilewellyn Jordan Of the Con-
duit Road Citizens Association. called
attention to the need Of increased
funds for highway and bridge I'M
provements and said he would oppose
any move to divert the gasoline tax
fund for purposes other than street
and highway work.
DR.. Jordan also complained OF the
large amount of unpaid special as
sessments on the books Of the tax
collector.
"A large number Of streets cannot
be improved unless some means are
found to supplement the gasoline tax
revenues" DR.. Jordan declared. He
added that If 1t Is found necessary
to increase the gas tax not more than
one cent should be added to the pres
ent two-cent tax.
THE land area Of the District Of
Columbia is less than 70 square
miles," Lusk declared in his tes-
timony. "As a practical matter
it will not be enlarged. As other
cities have spread out in the sur
rounding country the new commune
ties have often been brought into the
parent corporation. This cannot be
done in Washington. This condition
Is having q serious and material effect
on our tax collecting powers.
up until few years ago new con-
struction, that is residential construc-
ton, In the metropolitan area was
principally in Washington. This con-
dition is rapidly changing. Up until
two years ago nobody ever saw an
apartment building beyond the Dis
trict line. Within the last 18 months
about 900 units costing about $780,
900 have been erected or are In
process Of construction in the terri
tory surrounding Washington"
Lusk cited figures showing that in
1885 there was almost three times as
much per capita residential building
| in the nearby counties Of Maryland
and Virginia as in Washington and
SO far this year the county building
is exceeding that Of the District by
| 50 per cent.
Triangle Warning Disregarded.
"And this Is largely due to the fact
that the city cannot expand its ter
ritory," he said. And it cannot ex-
pand its territory because it Is the
National Capital"
Despite the warning Of the Wash
ington Board Of Trade and various
Federal commissions and committees,
| Lusk said, the Government concen-
trated its new buildings in the tri-
angle area, and as a result, "only by
going acros sthe Potomac can one
escape to a considerable extent a
gruelling battle every morning and
afternoon with trafiic"
| Because this is the Capital City,
there has been and still is, much
agitation to make it q model in its
planning. The American Institute Of
Architects has a committee on plan
ming for the National Capital. It
costs $350,00 to maintain our PLAN
ming commission, which Il purely q
Federal bureau paid for from District
taxes. Planning involves soning.
Our zoning has largely been dictated
| by the Federal authorities. without
arguing whether 1t be right or wrong,
the city has been zoned to eliminate
almost the garden type Of apartment
dwelling, which requires large tracts
| Of land. Because of the transient ma
ture Of Washington, We must have
apartment dwellings. II they cannot
be erected within the city, they will
| be built outside. It is true there Is
considerable ground left on the other
| side Of the Anacostia River zoned for
| apartments, but few wish to live
there.
Big Project in Virginia.
Because there is so little of such
ground available in Washington the
largest apartment operation since the
recent upturn in building has been
in Virginia, where one group of build
ings contains almost 800 units. An
other is starting in Maryland and I
understand another is contemplated
south Of the Arlington Memorial
Bridge. This Is due very largely to
the difficulty Of getting ground in
Washington that is zoned for this
type Of structure. As time goes on
there probably will be further con-
SCructlOn OF apartments III Mdiylduo
and Virginia, which ordinarily would
be erected in this city. OF course, all
this results in q tax loss to us.
Another factor in decreasing the
land availability in Washington, even
leaving out the tremendous purchase
for Federal buildings, is the park
purchase program which is out of pro-
portion to the city the size OF Wash
ington. So much land Is being pur-
chased for parks because 1t Is the
National Capital. This Is highly de-
| sirable. But we should not pay the
bill. Area purchased for parks pre-
vents building on such ground. raises
the price on the remaining ground and
has tendency to force our construc-
tion beyond the confines Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, thereby causing q
further tax loss. This loss in taxes
Is directly traceable to the fact that
our city is the seat Of the National