Evening star., 1937-07-20
NEW D. c. LAND TAX.
OPPOSED BY BOARD.
Real Estate Already Bears
60 Fer Cent of Load,
Senators Told.

bears about so per cent OF the city s
tax load, the Washington Real Estate
Board has sent protest to members
Of the Senate against the heavy land
tax approved by the Senate District
Committee The board appeals for a
more equitably distributed tax pro-
gram.
The lawmakers also are reminded
that the land tax. which is modifi-
cation Of the Henry George theories.
would lead to density of population in
stead OF enabling home owners to have
sunshine and air.
The letter, signed by w. c. Miller
as chairman of the Real Estate Board
Committee on Taxation, reads, in part
as follows:
We citizens of this District are not
unmindful Of the many and varied
duties which you, in your own COM
mittees and In the Senate. have i'm
posed on you, but as you are charged
with the responsibility and trusteeshir
you must be regarded by us as our
bulwark against unjust exploitation.
Tax Held Unfair.
This bill contrary to the modern
trend In real estate taxes which in Its
attempt to encourage home owner
ship, inclines TO limit to maximum
OF IL per cent the tax which may
be imposed upon real property in
creases by 6623 per cent the tax con-
templated on land within this dis
trict The inequities Of the proposed
tax are clearly shown on the inclosed
clipping which we earnestly request
you to read
IT, in your opinion, the city should
be developed with minimum of land
and a maximum of housing. thereby
increasing the density of the popu-
lation pattern, you can, of course, fol-
low the theories of Henry George, OF
which this bill is a modification, but
have as much sunshine and air as
is within the power of the purchaser
to own, you cannot but be against
this increased land tax
We we'll realize that adequate rev.
enue must be provided for good gov
eminent and that our municipality
should not be run with unbalanced
budgets and we are for paying our
way as We go. In an emergency
we are not opposed to Congress i'm
posing a sufficient tax to pay for the
expenses OF the Government, but we
feel it must be borne in mind that
real estate is already carrying ap-
proximately so per cent OF the total
tax bill for the District of Columbia
and that taxes should be levied in
consistent manner, where one class
of taxpayer should not be forced
to bear the burden of the increase.
Increase in Population.
The increase in the number of
Federal employees from about $1,000
in 1882 to about ll7,OOO in 1896, as
shown in the Jacobs report, loads all
civic services with burden for which
we should be favored rather than
penalized We must extend to these
Federal employees police and fire pro-
lection, disqualification, sanitary serv-
Ices, educational opportunities and
many other like services. which are
not proper burdens upon the finances
of the District of Columbia. But
from the time this additional load
was imposed upon our municipal es-
tablshment the Federal contribution
has been reduced from 1881 900 in
1882 to $5.852 900 in 1886 and from
22.25 per cent to 1924 per cent OF our
general funds. At the same time great
areas, formerly producing revenue for
the District of Columbia, have been
purchased by the Federal Government
for parks. Fairgrounds and for Fed
eral Improvements in an attempt tc
make our Capital City worthy OF its
great name and the magnificent Re-
public in which we live.
May we depend upon your earnest
efforts to give US fair TAX bill, one
which is equitable and just to all, and
one which would be a credit to the
trusteeship toward the disfranchLsec
citizens OF the District of Columbia
and may we remind you that those
administering our finances and gov
eminent should confine their expendi-
lures to the normal revenue to be ex-
pected from the customary tax base :
A memorandum accompanying the
letter estimates the impending deficit
at about 100000, but shows that
both the House and Senate tax Sched-
ules would raise more than that The
House bill, the committee figures
would produce S9,25O,OO0, while the
Senate changes would raise about $l0,-
350,000. The memorandum also calls
attention to the high percentage ol
tax-exempt property in the Capital
For the last fiscal year the assessment
figures are given as follows: Taxable
property, $l,144,457,l53; tax exempt
$500, 9,003,o21.