Evening star., 1941-03-16
Geographic Society
And Jewish Center
Ordered on Tax LIST
Would Add S35,000
Revenue if Sustained;
Other Properties Named

BAChGROUND-
District Commissioners seperul
months ago ordered repie1U of
privately otUned tar-eIempt
holdings after cipic leaders pro-
tested the mounting list OF eT-
enaption cases. MoUe tUaS under
taken to add to "Iegitimate" as
seSsmentS and bring in more
money for citys use. Recon-
menddtions are made to COM
miSsioners by special board Gre
ated for purpose.
Moving ahead with their review of
the long list of privately-owned, tax
exempt properties here. the Com
missioners yesterday ordered realty
tax bills rendered for four more
properties. including the National
Geographic Society and the Jewish
Community Center. If the action is
sustained, about $4,000, 900 more will
be added to the assessment rolls, pro-
ducing $35, 900 in taxes annually.
The total Of new assessments grow
ing out of the review now stands at
about $5,750,000, which would mean
annual tax bills amounting to some
500 900, if upheld in court.
Ordered placed in the tax lists yes
terday, as the city heads approved
a new batch of recommendations
from the special board headed by
Assistant Corporation Counsel Wal
ter L. Fowler, were the following:
l. National Geographic Society for
its plant at Third and r streets NE
and all of its holding in the .1100
block Of Sixteenth street NV. ex-
cept for the society's library build
ing at 1156 Sixteenth street NV.
The total assessment would be some
thing less than s1,277,711, depending
on the amount to be deducted for
the still-exempt library building. The
annual tax bill therefore, will be
about $21 900.
Center Valued at 1897 sos.
2. Jewish Community Center, for
the property at Sixteenth and @
streets NV, which has an assessed
value of 1897 sos, to which is to be
added an assessment for the recently
constructed annex to the main build
ing. On an assessment of 1897 sos
the annual tax bill would be s6,958.
The actual bill will be somewhat
larger.
3. Library of Congress Trust Fund
Board. for the former home of the
late Representative Henry Kirke
Porter for the residence at 1900 1
street NV, which has been leased
as offices for a branch of the Presi-
dents executive offices which will
engage in emergency housing stud
les. The property has an assessed
value of $372, $50, on which the an
nual tax bill would be $6,520.85.
4. Trustees of st. Pauls English
Lutheran Church, for the building
at 1919 u street NV. which is
rented to and occupied by the Good
will Baptist Church. The property
is assessed at $35,811, on which the
annual tax bill would be $627.
In the case of the National Geo.
graphic Society, Mr.. Fowler and his
two co-investigators, Assistant As
SCISSOR Benjamin F. Adams and Dis
trict Surveyor F. F. Healy, ruled
that the society was not an educa-
tional institution within the mean
ing of the law, with the exception
of the library building, and there
fore not properly exempted, as q
whole.
The society is wholly financed by
its membership dues, sale of its pub
locations and of advertising in the
National Geographic Magazine. All
revenues from the society are applied
to further its non-prof1t, scientific