Evening star., 1947-05-27
.IIU. C,ouniie,
Back EngIe Bill,
Hearing Is Told
Spokesman Declares
Demund for Federal
Share Is Unanimous
By Harold B. ROGERS

Keith L. Seegmiller, washington
Representative Of the National Asso-
ciation OF County officials, today
voiced the unanimous demand of
county oficials throughout the
country for enactment Of the Engle
bill to provide Federal payments
| In lieu of taxes to local government
because Of the ownership Of Federal
property.
| The witness testified to this effect
at the second day Of hearings by q
House Public Lands subcommittee.
h The committee has under consid-
leration Is bills which would afford
some payment to local governments
which have lost taxable property
through acquisition by the Federal
Government.
Other county officials from several
States scattered from Maryland and
Florida to California presented
strong pleas to the committee today
for enactment Of the Engle BILL 1
balancing Of BENEFITS.
This measure, introduced by Rep
resentative Engle, Democrat, of
California would set up commission
on Federal payment to the States
and local governments. The COM
mission. Mr.. Engle explained, would
be authorized to consider not only
the loss Of local taxation, but also
local benefits derived by the Federal
Government taking taxable property
of the local tax base. His bill, he
emphasized, thus would assure q
balancing Of benefits against
losses" in communities and would
not give to the States or counties
more than they are entitled to"
Answering what he said had been
questions raised about the cost to
the taxpayer, Mr.. Engle said his
measure would "equalize" the tax
burden as between the local and
Federal Governments, but should
not increase the per capita tax OF
the average citizen.
This point was stressed by Mr.
lSeegmiller, WHO said the equaliza-
ton principal would apply not only
between Federal and State Govern
ments but between counties. Some
individual counties, he said point
ling to one in Pennsylvania, had slif--
fered great losses from local taxa
ton by property conf1scated for
Federal flood control. This often
operated unfairly against one
county in the area to the greater
benefit of other counties.
Precedent Claimed.
More than 40 different kinds of
Federal contributions to States and
local levels of government are al
ready on the statute books. Mr..
'Seegmiller told the committee, to
establish q precedent whereby the
Engle bill could be enacted. This
new measure, he pointed out, would
systematic such Federal obligations
through the country.
Most of the witnesses today at
the subcommittee hearing presided
over by Representative Barrett, Re-
publican, of Wyoming were from
California. These county officials
complained that Federal taking of
taxable land had so increased local
taxes that it was reaching a dan
ger" point.
Christian H. Kahl, president Of
the Board of Commissioners OF Bal
timore County, Md, indorsing the
Engle bill, said that more than $780,
900 in taxes had been lost to the
county and State because buildings
of the Glenn L. Martin and the
Bethlehem Shipyards have been
transferred to Federal ownership
and lost as a tax base by local gov
eminent. This took place, he testi-
fled, despite the fact that property
of the Bendix Aviation Corp, which
had two plants in the area, had con-
tinued to pay local taxes. The Ben
dix plants had been financed partly,
he said, by funds from the Defense
Plants Corp. Federal agency.
OtheS witnesses from Florida and
Iowa told of heavy losses to local
taxation which they hoped could be
recompensed by enactment of the