Evening star., 1941-01-17
New Data Asked
On j. S.-0wned
Land in District
Overton Asks Figures
Before Reintroducinq
Federal Share Bill

Federal Share Bill
Chairman Overton of the Senate
District Appropriations Subcommit-
tee today called on Assessor Ed
ward A Dent to supply the latest
data showing the percentage of the
Districts landed area which is
owned by the United States, in fur
therance of his plan for a more
equitable Federal payment toward
National Capital expenses.
His action came on the heels Of
report by the District Commits
sioners, laid yesterday before the
Senate, which showed the amount
of taX-exempt property of all kinds
for the current fiscal year as COM
pared with the fiscal year 1889
This report, which was prepared
in response TO a Senate resolution,
revealed that United States holdings
had increased by S., OTIS 1926 since the
1889 fiscal year, according to valu-
ations placed on such properties by
the District assessor.
Percentage Down Slightly.
The percentage of Federal hold
ings to the total valuation placed
on all properties within the District,
whether taxable or tax exempt, was
found TO be 319 per cent for this
year, as compared with 1927 per cent
for the fiscal year 1899 One eX-
planation for this slight decline on
tbo o1Io tioy, yNarcapto0a boeie ,,,Lict,
is not involved in the Overton for
mula, was that during the past year
! there has been a very considerable
amount Of private property improve
mentS.
Between the two periods the total
amount of taX-eXempt property
was found to have declined from
IL per cent of the total valuation
placed on District property by the
assessor to 4O8 per cent. Again. it
was suggested at the District Build
| ing that the increase in private
developments was primarily the
cause of this minor change.
To ReintrOduce Measure.
Senator Overton plans to reintro-
duce his bill to base the Federal
payment towards National Capital
costs generally on the percentage
the acreage of the Federal holdings
bears to the total landed area Of
the District. Federally-titled land
which is used for municipal pur-
poses, such as alleys and streets,
would be excluded from the ac-
counting and only one-haf Of the
park area would be counted under
the terms of the plan as presented
by Senator Overton in 1899. He
calculated that the District park
areas we're about twice what thev
would be normally for city Of
this size, excluding the influence Of
the National Capital character of
Washington.
Senator Overton, in letter to
Assessor Dent. asked for a report
of latest details on the total landed
area of the District, the total acre
age owned by the United States. the
increase in this figure since 1899
and the amount of Federally- owned
property here which is used eXclu-
sively by the District.
No Fight Last Year.
There was no fight made over
the Federal payment last yeor N
congressional action over the D.
trict supply bill for the currert
fiscal year. The issue may be r.
vived this year in action on t'e
proposed 1912 District budget sine
Senator Overton plans to renew his
formula for an established system
of determining the size of the Fed
eral payment and since Chairman
Mahon of the House District APP
preparations Subcommittee has sug-
gested that perhaps the proposed
renewal of this years $4,000 900
payment may be found to be too
large.
The Overton formula. If it had
been applied to the budget for the
| fiscal year 1910, would have called
for a Federal payment of about
SS,0O0O00, or about 20 per cent Of
the general fund budget appropria-
tions Cnot counting charges against
| the highway or water funds.
Study Now Being Made.
The report submitted to the Sem
ate yesterday by the Commission
ers, which was in keeping with a
resolution sponsored by former SEN
ator King of Utah, former chairman
of the Senate District Committee,
applies to the Federal payment
! question in an entirely different
way.
The report includes a listing of all
taX-eXempt property in the District.
Both the Commissioners and Con-
greSS had received protests from
civic groups about the amount Of
tax-exempt property. In fact, the
| city heads some months ago or
dered an investigation of each case
of privately owned tax exemption.
The study now is being made by a
group of municipal officials.
The Commissioners report re-
vealed that the total valuation of all
property in the District, whether
| tax-eXempt or not, was $209l ,534.-
| 784, as of the current fiscal year.
Taxable property was valued at
ST ,237 ,937 ,085, or 59.2 per cent of the
grand total; tax-exempt United
States holdings at s668,O71 ,457. or
31.9 per cent of the total District
government owned tax exempt
property at S73, 1872 ,063, or 3.5 per
cent of the total valuation, and
privately tax-exernpt proper
ty at $1l1,794,17 or 5.4 per cent.
In comparison, the figures for the
1889 fiscal year were: Total valua-
ton placed on all properties within
the District, S2,025 ,010,690; taxable
real estate, 81 1,193, ,499, ,O86, or $50 per
cent of the total; United States
properties, 1862 2,995513 or 1927 per
cent of the total; District of Colum-
bia properties, s64,OO9 069 or 80 per
cent of the total, and privately
owned tax-exempt properties, S1O4,-
507 7,022, or SO per cent of the total.
WI. Hioh Accredited