Evening star., 1945-12-19
Text Of Report on Federo|-D. c. Fiscal Relations

States and the District of Co.
lumbia in the same proportion each
contributes to the general fund of
the District of Columbia. Under
this arrangement the portion paid
by the United States has decreased
from so per cent prior to 1921 to
II per cent for the fiscal year 1914.
During this period the cost of
maintaining and policing public
parks in the District of Columbia
has been continuously increasing
and at the present time is in excess
of $l,00O,000 per year, excluding the
National Geological Park. The cost
of maintaining, operating and po-
licing the National Geological Park
is now approximately 1925, 1000 per
annum.
1t is quite evident, therefore, that
Congress has been conscious of its
responsibility for the development
of the parks in a manner befitting
the Nations Capital. 1t does not
appear, however, that adequate pro-
vision has been made for providing
the Nations share for the purchase
and upkeep of these parks. On the
other hand, the residents of the
District have had to bear more
than their just share.
Land Owned by the United States.
The extent to which revenues may
be raised in a community is to a
great extent governed by % the
taxable property in the community
and 90 a fair and just rate OF taxa
ton on that property. From this
standpoint the District of Columbia
is in a very peculiar position due
to its development as the National
Capital.
Tie total land area Of the Dis
trict, excluding streets. is 31,033
acres fiscal year 1945). of which
only 50.3 per cent is taxable There
is given statement covering the
fiscal years 1885 through l945, in
elusive, which upon analysis will be
found most enlightening. 1t shows
the real estate assessments on the
taxable and nontaxable property in
the District, the nontaxable being
broken down between that owned
by the United States, that owned by
the District of Columbia, and pri-
vately owned exempt property. This
table reveals the following land areas
and percentages during the fiscal
year l9450
Total centage
acres OF area
Taxsble 15.6n7 1914 5oa
United States II. sac. 1910 Al
Esempt Pssast ,DrTs5e1 Of GGldmoa oWned
Total 81 ,o3a.a4l7 100
Exclusive OF streets and alleys
1t will be seen that during the
course Of II years the percentage
OF area OF taxable property has
shown a steady decline from 56s
per cent in 1885 to 50.3 per cent in
l945 and that the holdings OF the
United States have increased in
exactly the same percentage, from
348 per cent in 1885 to Ala per
cent in l945. The percentages of
property owned by the District OF
Columbia and the privately owned
exempt category. while showing
slight variations during the period,
were exactly the same in l945 as
they were in 1885.
The full extent of this trend of
property going from taxable status
to a nontaxable status through pur-
chase by the United States cannot,
of course. be foreseen. That the
trend is definite and certain, how
ever, is evidenced by the fact that
at the present time plans have
been developed for the acquisition
of considerable additional property
for Federal purposes, as follows:
/. Property lying north and south
of East Capitol street, between the
Capitol grounds and the Anacostia
River. =. a~ -
2. Property lying south of Inde-
pendence avenue, bounded on the
west by Twelfth street and on the
east by Delaware avenue.
3. Property in the Northwest sec
ton bounded on the north by F
street, on the west by Potomac
drive. on the east by Seventeenth
street, and on the south by Con-
stitution avenue.
4. Square number 167. bounded
on the north by H street, on the
west by Seventeenth street. on the
south by Pennsylvania avenue, and
on the east by Jackson place
The assessed value of property
in the above groups, exclusive of
property now owned by the Federal
Government. is $39968,l93, broken
down as follows:
Property now taxable $33.476, ,522
Privately owned exempt 5,061 ,253
Property owned by Dis
trict of Columbia ---- ,430,4l8
The tax ultimately to be lost by
the District on the property now
taxable amounts to approximately
S600,000 In addition. there must
be considered the fact that located
within the above areas proposed
to be acquired are 20 churches of
different denominations, 3 District
of Columbia public schools. and 2
parochial schools. Many of these
will be moved to other locations
which will then become tax exempt
and thus be removed from the tax
rolls.
Loss of Taxes.
The assessed value of all land
owned by the United States within
the District of Columbia fiscal
year 1945) is s363,715,l66. Improve
ments on this land are valued at
1888, ,l98,950. making a total valua-
ton of $701 ,915,116. At a rate of
S1.75 per hundred of assessed value,
taxes on these holdings would
SPECIAL NOTICES.
WE CAN PAY ALL CASH up to Sl1 900
for fairly modern 3 or room home in
a convenient residential neighborhood We
hod Nh MI