Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-16


pality."
Payment Under 10 Per Cent.
His tabulation showed that while
District costs mounted to new highs,
the Federal share had been cut
down from the 40 per cent share in
1922 to lump sums that, at the end of
the past fiscal year, amounted to
less than 10 per cent.
Mr.. Stefan, a veteran student of
District finance and the ranking
minority member of the House sub
committee in charge of the annual
District supply bills, summarized
some of the extra costs placed on
District residents merely because
they live in the National Capital.
Five of these accounts of extra
service to the United States, he
said, show additional District costs
amounting to S14,638,800 year.
These five items include:
More than S12,400,0 900 year taken
as losses to the District revenue
due to District property acquisi-
lions by the United States, which
takes them off the realty tax rolls
Free water furnished the Federal
establishments at the expense of
rent-paying water users, to a value
of s872,000 a year.
More than $1,000,000 a year for
maintenance, development and po-
icing of nationally owned" parks
here.
Nearly $4,000 a year for the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
Nearly 100000 a year for the Ma
tional Geological Park.
Limited Area Reduced.
In addition Mr.. Stefan said the
Districts financial plight is made
worse by the fact that the Dis
tricts area is fixed and limited
though its taxable area is steadily
being decreased as the United
States takes more and more acre
age for Federal tax-free purposes
He planned that because this is
the National Capital many costly
programs and developments are or
dered, which are desirable as such
but represent an extra burden tc
local taxpayers and really repre-
sent investments in the interests
of national taxpayers, not merely
for those in the District.
In the past II years, he said, the
taxable land area was reduced by
IA fhnf nv,lu DO +
per cent is tax producing.
His declaration came as Chair
man O'Mahoney of the District
Subcommittee of the Senate APP.
preparations Committee was com.
pleting plans for action on a fixee
formula for annual adjustment O.
the Federal payment in general re.
lation to the percentage of Distric
land held tax free by the Unitee
States This would figure out t.
10 per cent of revenues and cal
for Federal payment next yea
| approximately double the presen
100000 lump sum.
| A record breaking District bulge
for the next fiscal year, exceeding
| S80,000,000, can be balanced onl,
because during the war-shortag,
| years the District was able to Sc
aside $10,000,000 for postwar needs
Revenue Sources Explored.
| The District Commissioners month
| ago named a committee to explor
| all possibilities of additional revenue
| ranging from a boosted Fedora
| payment to new District tax loads
including possibly more liquor an,
/ gas taxes or a sales tax, with neces
sites exempted. Mr.. Stefan an
/ others on Capitol Hill have rebelle,
against any boost in the Distric
realty tax, saying it was high enough
Mr.. Stefan brought out that il
past years when the District needle
Il additional revenue. new Distric
taxes were adopted to meet the issu
so much so that today revenue
per capita here are higher, he ex
planned to the House, that in mos
cities of comparable size. In 1874;
he said the per capita revenue her
i was exceeded only by one of min