Evening star., 1950-02-24
Continued Study
OF Tax Problem
Here Planned
Senators to axe Up
Question of Billion
In Exempt Property

problem presented by this tax
free property in relation to the
Districts revenues.
The subcommittee briefly went
into the question yesterday, but
postponed a report to the full
District Committee until a further
study.
Figures Presented.
The figures, presented to the
subcommittee on the basis of a
report by District Tax Assessor
E. A. Dent, showed that if all
this tax-free property were to
pay the prevailing rate of $2.15
per hundred of assessed valua-
ton. the District Government
would realize $2O,S65,239.
The nom taxable values include
all holdings by the Federal Gov
eminent, District Government.
foreign governments, and a long
list OF religious, patriotic, scien-
tlflc and private institutions. At
tempts have been made repeatedly
by the District Commissioners to
bolster city revenues by return of
some OF the properties to the tax
rolls, but virtually without success
The issue often has been raised
during consideration of the
amount owed by the Federal Gov
ernment toward support of city
services. Various proposals have
been submitted, some of them de-
bated at length in Congress. to
flx a definite formula for determ-
nation of the Federal payment to
the city. Some have been based
on the relationship of Federal
area to total area of the District
Others have suggested that as
sessed values of Federal holdings
might be used as base.
The Federal Government now
pays $12 million toward the cur
rent years expenses of about $1O3
million.
Government Pays S12 Million.
The figures now before the
Leahy subcommittee estimate
value of all property in the Dis
tr1ct at s2,716,581 ,906. OF this
sl,636,871,021 or 6O.3 per cent. is
taxable and $1,079,710,885, or SO. 7
per cent, is tax exempt.
Federal and District owned
is listed at 1898, ,702 ,431
and other property exempted is
put at $146.008,454.
The 60-40 percentage. based on
values Of taxable and exempt
is different from the
percentage based on
land area. This shows 4s.5 per
cent taxable and Sis per cent ex-
empt.
Religious institutions are listed
as having the largest amount of
non-Federal, tax-exempt prop
erty. 1t is assessed at s57 7101 -
12o, which, if taxed at the current
rate OF S2.15 per s100. would pav
81 '227,687. These properties in
clude parochial schools.
Colleges Would Pay s759,253.
Educational institutions, with
property estimated at s35,314-
ll6' would pay tax of s759,253.
Other categories of tax-exemp-
tions would pay the following.
Foreign governments, s3os, ,292;
charitable institutions, s2O6 .12o;
cemeteries, s45,053; hospitals
210,327; scientific institutions
sl4o,23s. and miscellaneous,
s242,209.
Details of 90 different institu-
tlons and agencies are listed in
the report of tax exemptions
Eleven Of these fall under author
tty OF a 1912 act of Congress-
amended in 1943, and 18 were
freed of city taxation by a long
series Of special acts.
The IL authorized by the 1o43
act. and the taxes they would nav
at the current rate of s2.15 are:
american Association to Promote
the Teaching of Speech to the
Deaf. $503; American Chemical
Society, Inc. s2,442; American
Forestry Association, Inc, $1.218:
American Pharmaceutical Associ-
atlon. Sl0,215; American Tree As
soclatlon. Inc. $1,410; Carnegie
institution Of Washington, S26,-
3o4; Medical Society of the Dis
trlct. S2,3S0; National Academy of
sciences. Inc. s50.808; National
geographic Society. Inc, s34,815:
National Lutheran Home. e253.
and the Brookings Institution
$9.73l.. ''01'
1S Others Exempt.
The 18 made tax exemnt hv
several specific acts and their DO
Centlal taxes are: American Le-
gion, $2,673; Corcoran Gallery of
Art. s44,soo; Disabled American
Veterans, $1,577; Edes Home ST.
OBS; Frederick Douglass Memorial
and Historical Association of
Washington, s7s7; Howard Uni
versity, s150.264; Luther Statue
Association, $3.50; National Edu-
cation Association. $10,632: Ma
t1onal Society of Colonial Danes
Sl,295; National Society of the
Daughters OF the American Revo-
luton (under five different acts)
so7 7,549; National Society of the
sons OF the American Revolution
sz'S34; National Society of the
daughters of 1912, Inc, $5s5. Oak
Hill Cemetery. $6,10O; Society OF
tne Cincinnati, $1O,684; Vestry OF
st. Marks Protestant Episcopal
Parish. $2,456; Young Mems Chris
tlan Association. $27,315; Young
Women's Christian Home. s4540:
Young Women's Christian Asso.
ciation $28,829.
The Leahy subcommittee alec