Evening star., 1944-07-08
Federal Payments
Instead Of Taxes on
Land Urged in Report
House Subcommittee Asks
Eorly Return Of Property
No LONGER Needed

The question Of equitable treat
ment for District taxpayers, among
others. was brought to the fore again
today In report by House SUBJ
committee which recommends that
payments in lieu of taxes on Gov
ernment-held land be made by the
United States to local Jurisdictions.
A House Public Lands Subcom-
mittee, headed by Representative
Peterson, Democrat, of Florida, also
proposes speedy return to private
ownership, of lands and properties
no longer needed by the Federal
Government for public benefit.
The Peterson subcommittee, whose
report was based on a years study.
found that the United States holds
1859 acres or "a per cent of the
District area. This tremendous por-
ton of the District, of course, is tax
exempt. In Virginia the per centage
is per cent and in Maryland, 2 per
cent
Holdings in Territories.
The Peterson subcommittee found
that Federal land holdings in the
continental United States amounted
to "a per cent. and in Alaska, Puerto
Rico, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands
to 800. .700.035 acres or SO per cent.
A formula based on tax-exempt
Federal land holdings in the Dis
trict was urged some years ago by
Senator Overton, Democrat, of
Louisiana, for determination of the
portion of the National Capital costs
which should be borne by the United
States, as a substitute for the arbi-
trarily fixed lump-sum payment
which has prevailed for many years.
While this failed of adoption, the
campaign led by the Louisiana Sen
ator resulted in congressional action
increasing the Federal payment
from $5,00000 to $6,0O0,O00.
The Senate Appropriations Com
mittee recently approved recon-
mendation of the O'Mahoney sub
committee handling the District
supply bill directing that a new
comprehensive study be made of
fiscal relations between the Federal
and District governments. This was
sponsored by Senator Overton and
yesterday Senator McCarran, Dem
ocrat, of Nevada announced he
would support new move for the
adoption of the Overton formula or
some similar plan that might result
from the new study.
Byrd Report Recalled.
The Byrd Economy Committee
made report on an investigation
of Federal real estate holdings last
November 1t showed that the Dis
trict has received less Federal aid in
relation to the fair market value of
local Federal holdings than any of
the States.
The report Of the committee,
headed by Senator Byrd. Democrat,
of Virginia, showed that if taxes |
were applied to Federal real estate /
here the resulting payment would
have been more than S1O,500,OOO.
Senator Shipstead, Republican, of
Minnesota fostered a bill last winter
to require the United States to pay
State and local taxes on real estate
the Federal Government acquires
for temporary Government use.
The Peterson report shows that
the percentage of area held by the
United States in the District is far
greater than that for most States,
the national average being swelled
by high percentages for a number
of Western States, notably Arizona,
with 73 per cent in Federal owner
ship; California, as per cent; Col
orado, IS per cent; New Mexico, A
per cent; Oregon, SO per cent: Utah,
70 per cent; Washington. IS per
cent and Wyoming 81 per cent.