Evening star., 1942-08-23
Civic Problems, Civic Bodies
L. S. Obligation and Tax Exemption;
The Salvage.for.V Victory Rally
BY JESSE c. SUTER.

The Salvage.for. Victory Rally
BY JESSE c. sUTER
The Public Utilities Commission last topped civic
with its annual rate hearing of the Washington Co.
the hearing through the intervening of the
Price Administration determination
of the case
action by a majority Public Utilities Commission
at executive session. eecng James
development OF the week The new chairman will
Tuesday, September /.
There another on Tuesday night but
appears that most Of the residents of Metropolitan
advance information ready when tn.
sounded Reports by observers indicate decided in
the result but that there still
to perfection Residents still appear regarding
ar-raid alarm and just what they
compmn are heard regarding the ncompeteness of the reg
ons and instructions query often heard What are the
civilian defense authorities waiting
Problem of Tax Exempt Real Estate
Pleas for exemption tax presented to the
Senate of the District Committee during the
hearing on the proposed ax-exempoa any.
new light on the subject They
ohcuy OF granting desired relief to those institutions which
the local community without letting
who have logical private shouderng
tho burden resulting from exemptions
The plain duty Congress- acting local legislature
for the District OF Columbia, guidance
OF the District by defining clearly the Of nstu
tons which OF such importance benefit the District
local community as to entte them to be relieved from payment
Of taxes their appear
that the problem of definition is simpihed purely local
matter.
The real estate holdings of national institutions whether
nc religious building historical
onal which communities throughout
country as they NAV incidentally serve the District the
holdings
occupied by the
foreign also belongs in this group AS matter of
group constitutes another
distinct problem which the national legislature
could n a equitable
During hearings week objections raised to
provisions the pending bill requiring the of exempted
annually the Commissioners their activities and
during the
preceding Under this provision the
would authority require such additional information they
This provision would enable the Comms
the rolls exempted property because its
longer entitled to exemption from taxation
groups District officials unable to where
raised this important provision Any
obectng matter principle to making such report
avoid reporting by paying the real estate
their property as required OF the other owners OF private
property.
Another important provision bill is requirement that
the Commissioners through the Board of Tax Appeals shall nes
gate property specifically special Of Congress
findings the Congress with
This is regarded as very necessary and mmeoay required lea
ture of the bill.
Chairman Mccarran has quoted recognizing
justice Federal Government meeting an equitable
financial burdens of the National Capital In this he
with the traditional attitude OF the Senate toward the
District OF Columbia The greatest problem IN TINS eonnecton
finding inducing the House Of Representatives to
equity the broad viewpoint the Senate
report of the District Of Columbia tax study which
$4,000 and submitted to Congress
1889 furnished interesting information regarding
tax exemption study ordered Congress to be made
Revenue Taxation. ---. ~.~ .-.a
The report gave the total property
the exempt from taxation
of United States the greatest Then
Bureau figures tax exempt property in 81 cities
including Washington the made effort to evaluate he
significance attaching Federal property the
compared with other Jurisdictions Two independent
normal
made.
property total exempt property BOG
per Columbia according these figures
the has corresponding ratio of 1873
only other 81 cities reported Federal exempt
property separately and because an average would be
meaningless which would be accorded the Dis
ict the medan position average OF the array was taken to
this basis 29 normal and the
District 806 cent then e6 cent of the exempt real
estate Columbia
of the medan."
obtained from Federal indicate that the ratio OF
value Federal land private taxable real
per District in
In the previous paragraph 81 per cent OF exempt Federal property
the District represents the the national average The
approximation reached these two approaches the sub
e lend authority to the observation regarding
peculiar of the problem Federal exempt real estate IN
the District of Columbia"
According this District fiscal equity
solved in the distant future The solu
this problem he said will long toward making
equitable the people Of the city
meantime there opportunity for the civic leaders to
study them and be prepared to support them
cooperation with the Districts friends in Congress-
National Salvage Rally at Griffith Stadium
important part the Salvage for Victory
there Rally Grifth Stadium
unique educational
program arranged
Conservation Division, War Production Board The
chairman the committee District Commissioner Johr
the active chairman Collhower
Prominent citizens will speak stars of the and radio viii
participate will be plenty military music
principal object of this rally the interest enhu
sasm of the people to dig up and turn in wanted material in In
quantities for the successful prosecution OF the
admission charge for the rally, the
coin admission you bring
deliver at the entrance all of the metal rubber
you Entire families invited
this should be means of increasing largely the valuable avag