Evening star., 1954-05-25
d. c. Protests
Tax Exemption
For vFW Here
Trend Constricts
ToxubIe Areu,
House Unit Told
n t,n =
By Harold 8. Rogers

0y HoFoIo .. Rogers
District officials today contin.
ued their protests to a House
subcommittee in an effort to pre-
vent further increases in tax ex-
empt property here.
Assessor James L. Martin and
Irving Bryan, assistant corpora
ton counsel, objected to a bill
to exempt from District real
estate taxes property of the Vet
Grams Of Foreign Wars facing
Capitol Plaza.
Both stressed that the trend
toward reduction Of the tax
able property in the District had
reached the point where now
such property is less than half
the District area.
Asked by VFW.
The tax exemption was re-
quested by spokesmen for the
VFW at a hearing before the
House District Judiciary SUBJ
committee headed by Represen-
tative O'Hara. Republican. Of
Minnesota.
Mr.. O'Hara, after hearing wit.
nesses for both the District and
the veterans group say that
other veterans organizations
here have been granted tax ex-
emption by Congress. COM
mented:
I'VE realize that at some point
we will have to put the brakes
on this trend toward tax exemp-
ton.
"But I hope the District Of
Columbia fathers will realize
the position of members Of
Congress in this legislation"
Approval Predicted.
Congressional experts who
have watched the trend of this
kind Of exemption for patriotic
groups predict that the VFW
bill probably will be approved
by the subcommittee.
Speaking for the bill were
RepreSentive Van Zandt, Re-
publican. of Pennsylvania. au-
thor of the bill, and H. M. Down.
er, assistant legislative officer.
The property. now razed to
make way for a new million
dollar Washington headquarters
for the VFW, is located at 327
First street NE.
Mr.. Martin told the commit.
tee that the taxable area in
Washington had decreased from
56.9 per cent Of city in 1885 to
47.6 per cent in 1854.
Other Action Postponed.
The O'Hara subcommittee also
heard testimony on three other
District bills but postponed &C
ton until after another hearing
on Thursday morning.
One of these bills, to provide
the District with q so-called
uniform reciprocal enforcement
Of support act" to aid in forcing
payments by runaway fathers to
their deserted families, stirred
controversy.
The District Commissioners.
according to- Mr.. Bryan, have
come to no definite conclusion
on the bill. He said they had
referred it to the three bar asso-
Citations here but so far have no
specific reports. The Commits
sioners are interested also, the
assistant corporation counsel
said, in learning how much the
enforcement would cost and also
how successfully the act is work.
ing in the States.
Praises Present Laws.
Mrs. Una Rita Morris, as
sistant corporation counsel.
said the District could well be
proud because it already has
rather adequate laws to enforce
support" She estimated that
the principal benefit of the pro-
posed law would be to other
States calling on the District
to collect funds here for the
dependents in the States.
Chairman O'TIara recessed the
hearing until 10 am. Thursday.
Legislation to prohibit picket.
ing in the vicinity of the White
House was urged by authors Of
two bills, Representatives Rogers,
Democrat, of Florida and Gen.
try, Democrat, of Texas.
A bill for merger of Columbus
University and Catholic Univer-
sity here was approved by
spokesmen for both institutions,
including President William E.
Leahy and Dean of Law DR..
James j. Hayden Of Columbus
University, George E. Hamilton
and the Right Rev. Jerome Han
non. vice rector Of Catholic Uni