Evening star., 1942-11-19
House Passes Bill
Exempting Hospitals,
Churches From Taxes
Measure Was Reported
FovorobIy in Senate, but
Held Up by FiIibuster

On motion of House Leader
Mccormack, the House today
PASSED by unanimous consent
the McCarran-Hunter bill re-
storing tax exemption on real
estate in the District to various
hospitals, religious, educational,
scientific, charitable and patri-
otic organizations.
One amendment was accepted
which grants exemption to Luth-
eran Home, the same as to other
institutions specifically named in
the bill.
Buildings specifically exempted by
name are those belonging to the
National Geographic Society, Amer
lean Pharmaceutical Association, the
Medical Society of the District, the
national Lutheran Home, the Ma
taonal Academy of Sciences, Brook
ngs Institution. the American For
estry Association. the Carnegie In
stitution of Washington, the Amer
lean Chemical Society, the Ameri-
can Association to Promote the
Teaching of Speech to the Deaf and
buildings belonging to similar insti-
buttons as may hereafter be ex-
empted by special acts of Congress.
Mccormack Cites Need.
In presenting the bill to the House.
Representative Mccormack said Its
purpose is to meet a situation that
exists in the District where certain
religious and educational properties,
particularly religious property. was
put on the tax rolls, which property
had never been on the tax rolls be-
fore. The bill has been very care
rully worked out. 1t is the same bill
that was reported out of the Senate
Committee with one amendment in
the House Committee.
1t is a very deserving bill and is
aimed to meet an unnecessary and
uncomfortable situation that exists
In the District where certain re-
ligious property and educational in
stitutions heretofore tax exempt
have been put on the tax rolls"
Acting MINORITY Leader Michener
asked If "The real purpose of the
Dill is to carry out tax exemption
In the District as it has heretofore
been interpreted and understood
until very recently" Mr.. McCor-
mack replied that that was the
extent 1t was felt the bill should
go There was no objection and the
bill was passed
Held Up by Filibuster.
This measure has been reported
favoribly in the Senate and is on
the calendar, but owing to a fill
buster Chairman McCarran of the
Senate District Committee has been
unable to call it up for passage.
Chairman John F. Hunter of Ohio.
who headed the subcommittee which
conducted extensive hearings and
reported out a tax exemption bill
several days ago, substituted in the
House the bill sponsored by Senator
McCarran for his own measure.
The general provisions of the bill
Set up standard by which District
ofnc1als will be guided in the future
in exempting the various organiza-
tions and public institutions such
as libraries and art galleries in the
District from paying the local real
estate taxes. The bill, as it passed
the House today, has the approval
Of the majority of those who ap-
peared at the hearings and are espe-
cially interested in this legislation.
The bill carries a provision that
II the institutions exempt from tax
alton are holding property for fu-
ture expansion, which is later sold
at profit, taxes up to so per cent
Of the profit may be collected.