Evening star., 1939-06-19
Tox-Exempt Property in District.
Fiscal Years June 30, O-1938.)

~ SSAie SAAetAiSS AG 20
Source: District assessor.
drains, sewers, lampposts and shade
trees.
AS the Senate District Committee
tSouthard, chairman) said in its re-
port of 1885:
THE plan of the city was formed
by the public authorities; the di-
mensions of the streets determined
without interference by the inhab-
itants or regard to their particular
interest or convenience. 1t is plan
calculated for the magnificent Capt.
tai of great Nation. but oppressive
from its very dimensions and ar
rangements to the inhabitants if its
execution to any considerable ex-
ten is to be thrown upon them. No
people who anticipated the execu-
tiOn and the subsequent support of
it out of their own funds would
ever have dreamed of forming such
a plan. At that period neither the
Government nor the proprietOrs
contemplated that the whole or even
a large proportion of the burden
should be thrown upon the inhab-
itants of the city,
The streets were not only oppres-
sive from their size and extent in
their original formation, but they
will from the same cause continue
to be an unending source of expense
in their repair. They must annually
cost nearly double the amount of
streets of the same length of mod
crate dimensions. The Government
which created this condition of
things ought not be very deaf to
the complaints Of those upon whom
such burden has fallen"
Inability to Annex Maryland and
Virginia Suburbs.
Consider also the effect of the in
ability of Washington to extend its
area over surrounding suburbs in
Maryland and Virginia, by annexing
these suburbs as other cities do.
The last decennial census showed
the steady trend of population
toward the suburbs, not in Washing
ton alone, it is true, but throughout
the Nation. The difference is, how
ever, that Washington is a city with
nOn-extensible boundaries. It's bor-
ders are fixed by the Constitution
itself OF all the cities of the Ma
ton, it is unique in its lack of power
to extend at will its boundaries to
take in-as Atlanta, Los Angeles,
Detroit, Cleveland or Baltimore
takes in-the suburbs, thus enlarg-
ing the taxable area as the city
population enlarges. During the 10
years, 1920-1930, the movement of
local population brought the results
described in the Board of Trade
Survey of Washington, as follows:
1T is no doubt surprising to some
that the population growth of the
city of Washington during the last
ten years has been only 48, ,145, or an
increase of II per cent. During the
past ten years there has been a
growing tendency for Washington
residents to move out into the ad-
joining suburban areas. These Sec
tions for the most part are outside
of the boundaries of the District.
AS a result many persons emu
merated in the Washington census
OF 1920 were, in 1880, counted among
the residents of the several counties
Immediately surrounding Washing
ton City. The fact that Arlington
County's growth has been 62.5 per
cent in the last ten years; Montgom-
cry County, 40 per cent; Prince
Georges County, 1876 per cent; Alex
andria City, 339 per cent; Fairfax
County, 16.5 per cent, and the entire
metropolitan region, II per cent,
very definitely indicates the flow of
population from the city of WASH
ington into the surrounding areas"
The trend thus described has con-
tinued and has even increased since
1890.
AS far as Washington itself is con-
cerned the non-taxpaying census
population is at maximum while
the taxable resources are at mini
mum, these factors reducing the
nominal per capita tax levy with
resulting disadvantage to the Dis
trict in per capita comparisons. If
one can imagine Detroit, or Los
Angeles, or Minneapolis, or other
great cities with their largest in
dustries exempt from taxation, and
with the cities unable to extend their
corporate limits to embrace taxable
assets in growing suburban COM
munities, one obtains clearer idea
of the unique situation that is pc
culiar to Washington, differentiating
it from all the other cities in the
country.
Meanwhile the taxable area within
the city limits is steadily and in some
years largely decreased by con-
demnation or purchases of privately
owned land and improvements for
public tax-exempt purposes. When
steadily decreasing fraction of q
city's area must bear the burden Of
a steadily increasing tax levy to meet
the fast mounting expenses Of a
great and growing modern Capital
an excessive tax burden In newt
able.
CTomorrow: Other sources Of the
Federal obligationo