Evening star., 1945-02-22
Stefan Pleads
For Fair Play
On Boundary
Virginia Is Asked
To concede Airport
is in District
By DON S. WARREN.

Is in District
BY DON S. WARREN.
Impatient at the apparently end.
less wrangling over the District.
Virginia boundary issue, Represent.
ative Stefan, Republican, of Ne.
braska today appealed directly Il
residents of the Old Dominion Stat,
to play fair" with the Federal Gov.
ernment and grant that the Wash.
ington National Airport lies within
the jurisdiction Of the District.
In an address for delivery Joda,
to the House, the Nebraskan charget
that for nearly 100 years Virgins
had been collecting taxes and feel
In mo mans land" along the vir.
ginia shore of the Potomac which
rightfuny belonged to the District.
He protested also that the 184l
retrocession to Virginia Of the lane
1t earlier had granted 10 the United
States as part of the National Capt.
tai was a tragic error" and said
many distinguished jurists had
maintained the retrocession Of the
Virginia portion was unconstitu-
tional.
On top of this, Mr.. Stefan warned
Virginia 1t should consider the bene-
fits it has derived as to population
land values, commercial develop
ments and the like through proximi-
ty to the seat of the Federal Gov
ernment.
Randolph Files Bill Again.
The century-old boundary issue
many times before Congress and
the courts, was again brought be-
fore the House recently when Chair
man Randolph of the House Dis
trict Committee reintroduced his bill
to place the dividing line at the
present high-water mark on the
Virginia shore of the river. This
bill would cede the airport to Vir-
ginia and grant the State limited
taxing power in the airport area
though still recognizing it as q
Federal reservation, since it i,
Federally-owned.
This bill was blocked twice on the
floor of the House in the last session
of Congress by Mr.. Stefan, who is
ranking minority member of the
Appropriations Committee Subcom-
mittee which writes the annual Dis
trict appropriation bills.
Mr.. Stefan's remarks today were
believed to be directed partly at
least at Representative Smith. DEM
ocrat, Of Virginia and others who
have indicated they would under
take to kill" any District Virginia
bill which would not cede
the airport to Virginia. Proposals in
recent years to cede the airport to
Virginia have been approved by the
Virginia Legislature, the District
Commissioners, the Justice Depart
ment and members Of the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
rnissions only 10 be stopped by Mr..
supported by Representative
Case, Republican, Of South Dakota.
Cites Tax Collection.
Mr.. Stefan said, referring to the
doubt as to the location Of the old
line dating back to the
Maryland charter:
1T is interesting to note that
there seems to be no doubt in the
minds Of Virginians when 1t comes
to collecting taxes. The record
shows that since the birth of Airing
ton County, taxes, license fees and
so forth have been collected by the
State down to the low-water line.
The question Of jurisdiction did not
worry our friends when 1t came to
collecting taxes.
"It is regarded as important by
some individuals that license taxes
and other forms of taxes in this dis.
puted territory have been paid ir
Virginia. 1t, likewise, is regarded
as important that the District ha.
not policed, or attempted to police
the territory, or tax the property ir
question.
But I do not feel that the public
rights in this area should be lost
merely because years have elapsed
during which rights have not beer
asserted. The time has arrived fol
an accounting"
Mr.. Stefan said the. Justice De.
partment and the District govern.
ment, alike. had not been "aggres.
sive enough" since they had "ful
knowledge" Of the facts. In specia
reference to the city heads, Mr.
Stefan said the fact that prospectiv,
revenues from taxation would not b,
sufficient to pay the costs of polio,
and fire protection "is absolutely M
justification" for failure to assess
and tax"
Mr.. Stefan brought out that tn,
airport was almost wholly" createt
by the United States out of lant
built up from the bed Of the Poto.
mac-some 729 acres-and that III
to April 80, 194l, the United State,
had spent more than $4,000, 900 dol
this purpose.
He said the exclusive Jurisdiction
given to Congress over the Nationa
Capital would be lost unless the air.
port, in its entirety, became a par
Of the District.
Citing the tremendous growth
in population and assessed property
values in nearby Virginia, Mr.. Stef-
an said Arlington County and the
State now are reaping q rich har.
vest"
Mr.. Stefan also said: Even at thi.
hour you people have way Of get
ting into the local charitable hos
pital. For the first 10 months o1
1914, 95 individuals from across the
Potomac were admitted to Gallingel
Municipal Hospital. Surely, you dc
not expect the taxpayers Of this
city to continue to assume your
burdens now that you are becoming
SO prosperous. 2