Evening star., 1941-03-20

llDerally IN tne upkeep ana QeVe
ator Overton did not regard tn
exempt Government property as tn,
only source on which the obligation
rests.
The other equitable sources of this
obligation will be discussed in later
article. but Senator Overton was
searching for a basis that could be
worked out with mathematical GER
talnty, and thereby avoid the con-
troversy and failure which marked
earlier efforts to restore the principle
of a percentage ratio in place of the
unscientific, arbitrary lump sum.
Discarded Valuation Basis.
He started, therefore, with the
Federal property holdings, but dis
carded the valuation yard stick, con-
vinced that opinions always would
differ as to the appraised value OF
this or that Government building.
Instead, he turned to acreage as
a factor that could always be as
certained exactly, would eliminate
conflicting opinions and would re-
fleet indefinitely the expansion OF
contraction of the Federal area.
He drafted into legislative form
the simple rule that the Federal
payment toward the general fund
expenses should equal the per-
centage of the land area of the
District required for national pur-
poses.
In order to be fair to the Federal
! Government, he made several de-
ductions from the total of 1921
acres, title to which is in the United
States.
First, he subtracted 2400 acres
of streets in the original city, south
of Florida avenue, although title
to those streets is in the United
States.
Subtracts Most of Parks.
Second, he deducted Sc per cent
of the park area (4.207 acres be-
average normal park area in II
comparable cities. He charged the
Federal Government only with the
A per cent of excess park area ac-
| ouired here in the process of de-
veloping beautiful National Capt.
tai
Third, he took away 3o2 acres
/ of Federal land used by the local
municipal government.
Taking these three items from
the total Federal area of 1921
left 1922 acres as the land area
required for national purposes. From
the total acreage of the District
he eliminated all areas under water
leaving net land area of 1928
acres.
Uncle Sans 1892 acres required
for national purposes is 2119 per
cent of the total land area of the
city, and, dropping the fraction
would make the Federal obligation
for the next fiscal year 81 per cent
of the estimated general fund re-
quirements of $44714,0OO.
20 Pct. Two Years Ago.
The foregoing figures represent
the picture today. They differ only
slightly from the record of two
years ago, when the formula was
first presented to Congress. At that
time the land area required for
national purposes. after making the
same deductions, was 7,840 acres, or
1896 per cent of the total land
area. The fraction being more than
one-half of l per cent. the ratio
/ ttrrn yo,rll ho
20 per cent.
Thus, it will be seen that the
Overton plan reflected exactly a
per cent increase in Federal obli-
cation since 1899. The ease with
which the formula could be ad-
justed from year to year was DEM
onstrated at the recent joint con-
gressional hearing, when it required
but few minutes of testimony by
District Assessor Dent to bring the
| figures down to date.
The House declined to adopt the
Overton plan two years ago, but
the firm stand taken by the Senate
in support of it resulted in a COM
promise increase from $5,000,000 to
$4,000, 900 in the lump sum payment,
which has continued for two years.
In this Congress there are en-
couraging signs that members Of
the House are disposed to lock
seriously for solution of the prob
lem.
In 1889 the advocacy of the Over
ton plan was entirely a Senate
battle. Today the plan has a CO.
author in the House, Representa-
tive Hunter, Democrat, of Ohio,
whose Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee
of the House District Committee
met jointly with a subcommittee of
the Senate District Committee for
recent hearings on the question.
Dirksen Offers Plan.
Another favorable sign was the
action of Representative Dirksen,
ranking Republican on the House
District Committee, in offering a
formula of his own to the House
few days ago.
A few days earlier a third mem
ber of the House, Representative
Stefan of Nebraska, ranking mi
nority member of the District SUBJ
committee of the House Appropria-
tions Committee, proposed a joint
conference with the corresponding
Senate Subcommittee on the sub
ject of fiscal relations. Mr.. Stefan
cited the influx of national defense
workers as creating situation that
should prompt Congress to give
serious study to the fiscal relations
problem.
Senator Overton regards the valu-
alton basis, from which Mr., Dirk