Evening star., 1943-04-01

SuUIuS NiSOSuIC
Would Waive Fees
For Construction
Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, director
of highways, disclosed today before
a one-man subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee that a
bill passed by the House March %
ito provide special assessments for
the laying of curbs and cutters
also would relieve abutting property
owners of paying any part of the
cost of future new roadway con-
struction.
Existing law requires abutting
property owners to share equally
with the District the cost of road
way construction.
Save Taxpayers S225.0O
Capt. Whitehurst estimated the
proposed change in the law would,
in normal times" save property
owners about $225,00O year. This
loss in revenue, he pointed out,
would be absorbed by the gasoline
tax fund, and not have any bearing
on the real and personal property
tax rate.
The proposed change in the law
Capt. Whitehurst explained, is pred
icated on the theory that highways,
in view of traffic conditions. are
constructed primarily for benefit of
the general public and, unlike curbs
and cutters, are not essentially a
local improvement for which abut-
ting property owners should be as
sessed so per cent of the cost.
The present law, enacted by Con-
gress in 1881 to replace the long
embattled and now defunct Borland
Act, assesses so per cent of the cost
of new roadways, as well as curbs
and cutters, against abutting prop
erty owners.
Since then, Capt. Whitehurst said,
traffic conditions have made the
highway situation different"
Picture Has Changed.
The picture has so changed" he
added. that roadway paving is now
for the benefit of the general pub
lie
Senator Burton, Republican, of
Ohio, and former mayor of Cleve-
land, who conducted the hearing,
observed that the House-approved
bill makes no change in existing law
except to relieve abutting property
owners of sharing in the cost of
new roadway construction.
1t was developed that abutting
property owners already are re-
quired to pay so per cent of the cost
of curbs and cutters.
Chairman McCarren of the Senate
District Committee, who sat on the
sidelines as an observer, remarked
that In view of those circumstances
the title of the bill was "mislead-
ing and suggested It be changed
Corporation Counsel Richmond B.
Keech replied that the courts In
this jurisdiction have held that the
title is no part of bill.
Levy so Per Cent of Cost.
Assessments levied by the District
In normal times" for new highway
construction and curbs and cutters,
Capt Whitehurst said, totaled about
100000 a year, and collections
ranged between % and 20 per cent
of the amount appropriated. The
assessments were based Oil so rer
cent of the cost and the discrepancy
in the percentage of the amount COL
lected. he explained, was due to sew
eral factors:
/. No collections coula be made on
the cost of construction lround Fed
eral or District properly.
2. No collections could be made on
the cost of paving street intersec-
tions.
Edward A Dent, District tax
assessor. testified he had received
many complaints against the pres
ent roadway assessments Or the
ground that streets are of general
public benefit and abutting prop
ertv owners should not be required
to bear part of the cost of their
construction.
Refund Proposed.
Garland NJ. Johnson. who said he
represented several hospitals and
churches, corporations as we'll as a
lot of poor and rich people, who
paid assessments for highway con-
struction, urged as IAN act of JUS
tice" a refund if Congress enacts
the proposed legislation.
I'VE have meatless and heatleSs
days" he declared. Now let's have
a cheatleSs day"
Senator Burton announced at the
close of the hearing he would take
the House. approved bill under ad-
visement," and expressed the opin-
Ion that MI JohnsonS suggestion
should be made the subject of sepa-
rate legislation.