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gg!?!l-!l:':HvW-l'!^■!■W'-'V!' 1 !•!•!•!?■''- 1 11. 1 ( i.n.i.m mii m. iw s! m m -3« irk P|g» = ■aJßMbft.-11 - 347 | E- 1 348 1 | 3351 - 336 11 341 ij| 343 !;|:|; 0. C. ;S Montgomery |-i Georges $ Arlington |§ Alexandria ji| Churjh $■ JrU dONEY STACKS in foreground indicate taxes a middle-income family foces in area communities. Background stacks show last year's figures. ONWARD AND UPWARD Area Tax Bills All Climb, District's Going Highest By PHIL YEAGER and JOHN STARK Are you a middle-income family living in the greater Washington area? Has your annual income in creased by SI,OOO in the past 18 months? If not. your income—rel atively speaking—is lagging behind the rate of tax Increase for the District and nearby Maryland and Virginia. Or to put it another way— The cumulative total of taxes levied by the various jurisdictions of the Washington area is now, or shortly will be, between 12 and 14 per cent greater for middle-income residents than it was on January 1, 1955. So if you were earning $7,500 a year in 1955, theoretically you should make about $8,500 in 1956 to stay abreast of the tax rate rise. In addition, the District, which has generally been a lower tax area than Maryland at low and middle income levels, or Virginia at high Income levels, is about to become generally the highest tax jurisdic tion of the three. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of scheduled area tax increases as they apply to middle-income, home owning families: The District—up 27.6 per cent. Montgomery—up 16.8 per cent. Fairfax—up 13.4 per cent. Arlington—up 9.5 per cent. Falls Church—up 8 per cent. Alexandria—up 7.8 per cent. Prince Georges—up 4.1 per cent. These percentages are based on a comparison with a survey of rela tive taxes made by the Sunday Star in January, 1955. The taxes considered include most of the big State and local taxes which hit the individual directly. Income, real property, personal property, sales, automobile and gasoline. The comparison shows that: • Whereas a $7,500-a-year wage earner with two children paid taxes averaging $346 in the Washington area last year, he will be averaging $389 this year. • A $7,500-a-year married wage earner, without children, paid an average $356 in the area last year, but will be paying $4lO this year. • The same wage-earner, unmar ried and renting an apartment, paid an average $216 last year and will pay $241 this year. • At a $15,000-a-year pay scale, the average taxes paid in the first case have increased from $835 to $899: in the second case from SB4O to $920; in the third case from $507 to $527. This works out to an in crease for married couples of be tween 7.5 and 9.6 per cent, and for single taxpayers of about 4 per eent. Differential Grows The survey also shows that there is now a fair-sized tax differential between the highest tax jurisdiction (the Districti and the lowest tax jurisdictions (Prince Georges and Alexandria) for middle-income families. That difference amounts to $Bl a year—or 22.5 per cent—for the first assumed $7,500 situation (Case I on the table). Sixteen months ago there was only a $32 —or 9.5 per cent —difference between the highest tax area (Montgomery Comparative Tax Bills $7,500 Income CASE I: MARRIED COUPLE, 2 CHILDREN, buying new $15,000 home. $3,(00 o yeor spent on retoil goods, $1,200 on food. Cor weighs 3,400 pounds, uses 650 gallons of gasoline annually. Personal property valuation, SI,OOO. D. C. MARYLAND VIRGINIA TAXES Montg. Pr. Geo. Arlington Alex. Falls Ch. Fairfax Income $94 s7l s7l slOl slOl slOl slOl Real Property .. 224 252 185 166 175 190 195 Personal Property 46 30 28 39 Sales 64 52 52 Auto 22 15 15 15 17 10 15 Gas 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Total $443 $429 $362 $367 $362 $368 $389 CASE 2: MARRIED COUPLE, NO CHILDREN Income is earned jointly, S9OO spent on food. Other factors some as in Cose 1. D. C. MARYLAND VIRGINIA TAXES Montg. Pr. Geo. Arlington Ales. Falls Ch. Fairfax Income ... sll9 $lO3 $lO3 sll3 sll3 sll3 sll3 Real Property .. 224 252 185 166 175 190 195 Personal Prop. . 46 30 28 39 Sales 67 58 58 Auto 22 15 15 15 17 10 15 Gas 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Total $471 $467 S4OO $379 $374 S3BO $4Ol CASE 3: SINGLE PERSON, rents apartment. Spends $3,200 on retail goods, in cluding SSOO for food. Personal property valuation, S7OO. Other factors as in Case 1. D. C. MARYLAND VIRGINIA TAXES Montg. Pr. Gee. Arlington Alex. Falls Ch. Fairfax Income .. $l4B sll9 sll9 $l5B $l5B SISS $l5B Real Property Personal Prop. . 32 21 19 27 Sales 59 54 54 Auto 22 15 15 15 17 10 15 Got 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Total $268 $227 $227 $244 $235 $226 $239 County) and the lowest tax area (Arlington). At the $15,000 level. Case I, there is now a tax differential of $222 a year or 30 per cent between the highest tax jurisdiction (Fairfax) and the lowest (Prince Georges). Sixteen months ago there was a $202 —or 28 per cent difference between these same two areas. So the change at the higher income levels appears to be less marked. The important changes are due. of course, to amended Income and property tax rates. Sales, auto and gasoline tax rates have not changed in any significant aspect considered here. It should be emphasized that the figures used are estimated and were derived from hypothetical situa tions. In other words, it was neces sary to postulate an abitrary tax payer situation and carry it through unchanged in each of the seven tax jurisdictions of the Washington area. The conditions assumed for this purpose are shown in the accompanying charts. They are practically identical with the hypothetical conditions assumed in The Sunday Star's survey of Janu ary. 1955. It must further be emphasized that the property tax figures repre sent only educated guesses. They are based in most instances not on the going rate, but on the rate which officials believe is likely to be adopted in the weeks or months di rectly ahead. Usually these rates are changed each spring as county budgets are determined. District figures are based on the new income tax law, as well as the anticipated property tax rate. The Income Tax Biggest change has been in the District. Under the old law a family head received a $4,000 exemption, plus SSOO for each dependent. If separate returns were filed, both husband and wife were allowed a $4,000 exemption. Under the new law the exemption is SI,OOO each for husband and wife and SSOO for dependents. Tax rates remain at 2.5 per cent on the first $5,000 of taxable income. 3 per cent on the next $5,000, 3.5 per cent on the third $5,000. But where the did law taxed all income over $15,000 at 4 per cent, the new’ law taxes the fourth $5,000 at 4 per cent, the fifth $5,000 at 4.5 per cent and all over $25,000 at 6 per cent. Maryland has changed her ex emptions from SI,OOO each for hus band and wife and S6OO per de pendent, to SBOO each for husband, wife and dependents. It has a flat 2 per cent tax on earned incoma Virginia’s structure is unchanged. It allows a sl,ooo-each exemption for husband and wife and S2OO per dependent. It taxes at 2 per cent on the first $3,000 of taxable income. 3 per cent on the next $2,000 and 5 per cent on all over $5,000. A standard 10 per cent deduction was used in all sample cases shown, and legal domicile was assumed for each Jurisdiction. Real Property Tax In the District residential prop erty is now taxed at the rate of $2.20 per SIOO of assessed valuation. It is slated to go to $2.30 soon. As sessments run between 50-55 per cent of market value on old prop erty. but at 65 per cent on new property. In Montgomery County tax rates vary from $2.14 to $3.08 per SIOO of assessed valuation. The average is about $2.60. Assessments vary also, but average around 60 per cent of market value in areas adjacent to Washington. Increased rates, perhaps $.25, are expected. In Prince Georges County the rate is $2.15 per SIOO or $2.25 where the fire-protection tax is added. These rates are not expected to change. Assessments vary between 50 and 60 per cent of market value. In Arlington the current rate is $3.26, but $3.63 has been proposed for the coming year with something like $3.45 expected. Assessments run between 30 and 33 per cent of market value. In Alexandria the rate is $2.75 and will remain so throughout 1956. Assessments are made at 42.5 per cent of market value. In Falls Church the going rate is $2.50 and assessments run at 50 per cent of market value. County officials expect little change, if any, in the near future. In Fairfax the current rate is $2.70 generally, $2.85 in the sanitary districts, and in some areas there is a refuse collection charge of $lB per house per year which amounts to another $.20 to $.25 on the tax rate. This would make a maximum rate of about $3.10. Assessments run at 33 per cent of market value. County officials are expecting a ’’substantial” Increase in Fairfax rates, however, and the new budget is based on a rate increase of be tween S9O and sl.lO. Jazz Fans the World Over Get a Chance To Dig That Cool American Propaganda By DAVID KOONCE American jazz, with primitive roots deep in African soil, is being re-exported in a highly polished form to the Dark Continent by the Voice of America. Beginning today, the two-hour jazz show of the Voice. America’s propaganda radio, will become world-wide as Its riffs and hot licks are beamed to Africa, the Near East and the Middle East. The program, "Music—USA.” ha* been going to European listeners for about a year. For some years jazz has found wider acceptance in Europe than in its homeland, and letters received from jazz fans from Sicily to Sweden indicate that the Voice’s show is the hottest thing to hit the continent since Marie An toinette. About 1,000 fan letters a month are mailed from all over the world, and all of them have been enthusiastic. One, from a youngster in Italy, land of the opera, sums up the gen eral feeling and at the same time serves as testimony to any who might have some qualms about the wisdom of the show. Wrote this fan: “Best propaganda I ever tasted!” 'I Dig Them . . A Norwegian medical student studying in Switzerland writes: "This is a kind of programme I have wanted for years " From Stuttgart: "Since months I dig nearly every night your Jazz programs, which I Comparative Tax Bills $15,000 Income CASE 1: MARRIED COUPLE, 2 CHILDREN, buying new $30,000 home $7,000 a year spent on retail goods, including SI,BOO for food. Car weighs 3,750 pounds, uses 650 gallons of gasoline annually. Personal property value tion, $2,500. D. C. MARYLAND VIRGINIA TAXES Montg. Pr. Geo. Arlington Alax. Foils Ch. Fairfax Interne $293 $206 $206 $425 $425 $425 $425 Real Property .. 450 503 372 331 351 383 390 Personal Prop. . ... 115 75 69 97 Soles 122 104 104 Auto 32 23 23 15 17 10 15 Gat 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Total $936 $875 $744 $925 $907 $926 $966 CASE 2: MARRIED COUPLE, NO CHILDREN, income earned jointly. $6,000 a year spent on retail goads, $1,200 of it for food. Other factors at in Cose 1. D. C. MARYLAND VIRGINIA TAXES Montg. Pr. Gao. Arlington Alax. Falls Ch. Fairfax Income $328 $238 $238 S44S $445 $445 $445 Real Property .. 450 503 372 331 351 383 390 Personal Prop. . .. 115 75 69 97 Sales 108 96 96 Auto 32 23 23 15 17 10 15 Gas 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Total $957 $899 $768 $945 $927 $946 $986 CASE 3: SINGLE PERSON. Rents apartment, spends $4,000 on retail goods, including SSOO for food. Personal property valuation, $1,500. Other lactors at in Cate 1. D. C. MARYLAND VIRGINIA TAXES Montg. Pr. Gao. Arlington Alex. Falls Ch. Fairfax Income $363 $254 $254 $495 $495 $495 $495 Real Property ... ... . . Personal Prop. ... . 69 45 42 58 Sales 75 70 70 Auto 32 23 23 15 17 10 15 Gas 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Total $509 $386 $386 $6lB $596 $586 $607 Personal Property Tax So far as the ordinary home owner is concerned, neither the District nor Maryland employs a personal property tax. Virginia does use this tax and the rate varies by county and/or city. The current Arlington rate is $4.47 per SIOO valuation and may increase by 10 or 15 cents. The Alexandria rate is $3 and will stay the same. The Falls Church rate is $2.75 and will not change much. The Fairfax rate is $2.70 and will likely go up with the real property rate. The accepted practice in regard to this tax involves relatively low declara tion of value, w’ith the option of using a standard declaration which is 10 per cent of the assessed real property value. The Sales Tax Virginia has no sales tax. The District taxes general sales at 2 per cent ana groceries at 1 per cents. Maryland's tax is 2 per cent with food exempt. Figures in the tables are based on the assumption that the taxpayer buys where he lives. The Auto Tax Tag rates in the District are $22 for cars lighter than 3,500 pounds, $32 for those heavier. Maryland rates are sls and $23 with 3,700 pounds the dividing line. Virginia has a flat $lO tag rate, but Arling ton and Fairfax impose a $5 addi tional fee and Alexandria a $7 one. The Gasoline Tax The tax on gasoline is the same for the District, Maryland and Vir ginia, 6 cents per gallon. think is the best I ever heard. . . . In your programs you sometimes announcing autographed pictures of Louis Armstrong. Please send me one." From a suburb of Copenhagen, a father wrote that his son. Preben. age 9. turned the dial accidentally to the Voice show, and hearing Louis Armstrong, asked his father what it was. Dad answered: “Pre ben, this is Armstrong playing; you know, the black man with the silver trumpet. This is America.” It’s the same with every mail— From New Delhi, a request for a picture of Duke Ellington; a plea from a British merchant seaman who tunes in from off Auckland that he’d like to hear more of Count Basie; from India a chatty letter reporting that it has been raining for three days ("some rain, huh kid?"). Only recently, the Voice started beaming the show to Southeast Asia, South Asia and Latin America. This new schedule was offered by popular demand. Thousands from these areas wrote in to say that they were tuning in the European broadcasts at 3 and 4 am., and couldn't the Voice give them some jazz at more reasonable hours? John Wiggins, deputy program manager, whose background in cludes NBC radio, where he worked with many jazz greats, says that many letters express appreciation for the absence of politics on the show. And many, says Mr. Wiggins, District Plan For Schools Languishes By JAMES G. DEANE When the Nation got a 50.000- word blueprint for better schools from the White House education conference committee the other day, some people were reminded that Washington got a school blueprint of its own five months ago. Last November a committee of civic leaders and educators wrapped up a year-long study of the Capi tal’s schools and sent it to the Com missioners. The report went on to the national conference. Like the national conference re port, it focused largely on lacks. The local study found staff and classroom shortages, a need for more attention to retarded, gifted and emotionally upset pupils, and I inadequate teacher pay. It found many classes overloaded, school buildings in bad repair and the school administration inefficiently housed in many scattered buildings. It found the city’s teacher college also physically inadequate and needing new quarters. And like the national committee, the local group pointed out a solu tion to most of the problems—more money. Specifically, it urged that the city’s school financing methods be overhauled and that more Fed eral help be sought. The committee said the city is en titled both to a bigger Federal pay ment and to the school-construction aid that has given millions to other ‘ Federally impacted" areas, includ ing Washington’s suburbs. When Robert V. Fleming, head of the Riggs National Bank and com mittee chairman, sent the 99-page report to the Commissioners, he urged that a new committee be cre ated to follow it up—a recommen dation underscored by the national conference, which urged more citi zen and governmental action on all levels. So far, though, here in the District there has been no follow up. Support Is Gratifying Washington educators were sur prised and gratified —by the strong support the national White House conference report gave, by implication, to their basic position: that District school ills are trace able mainly to poverty. The na tional group—headed by the presi dent of a soap company and includ ing a number of other businessmen —blamed most school inadequacies everywhere on the same reason: pennypinching. They said the Na tion could afford better. The national report also backed up one of the chief current goals of | the Washington school system. express in one form or another ftiis syllogism: "I like jazz. Jazz is American. Therefore, I like Ameri ca.” Popular to Esoteric The two-hour, seven-day-a-week program comes in two sections. One hour is devoted to the best in American standard popular music, and includes such records as “Star Dust," played by Artie Shaw. "I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," by Les Brown's band, or a Jerome Kern tune by the Glenn Miller or chestra. The other hour is devoted to the purest jazz—from Dixieland to swing to contemporary selec tions. Louis Armstrong's "Struttin’ With Some Barbecue" might follow a suave and sophisticated rendi tion of a polytonal piece full of flatted fifth chords by the popular young band of Gerry Mulligan. It's all authentic jazz—no schmaltz, no current hits, no rock 'n' roll. The emcee of the show is Willis Conover, a Washington disc Jockey and widely-known jazz authority. Mr. Conover occasionally gives his listeners short lectures on jazz de velopment. and he often interviews such greats as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Stan Getz. Mr. Conover, whose microphone enunciation is slow and clear, is enthusiastic. He feels that by selling jazz, he is selling Ameri ca via a medium that can reach any man on earth. This seems to im press him more than does the realization that no other disc jock ey ever had an audience that could even approach his in size. The Touring Jazzmen The idea seems to be catching on in other quarters. The State De partment's International Educa tion and Exchange Service is cur rently underwriting an Asian- Europran tour by the 17-piece band of Dizzy Gillespie. Later this year, Louis Armstrong's orchestra will tour Latin America with the help of a grant from the State Depart ment. The Gillespie band, which has played Karachi and Dacca, in Pakistan, will continue on to Beirut, Damascus, Aleppo, Ankara, Istan bul, Belgrade and Athens. Tickets for the Karachi date were sold out in two hours, and the band had to play a second show to a full house. Os considerable propaganda value is the fact that these bands are "mixed"—that is, composed of both white and Negro musicians. This serves to counteract propaganda that plays on America's race troubles Surprising to Voice officials is the fact that the jazz programs have not been subject to Russian Jamming. They don't know whether this is because Ivan digs the Duke, or whether it can be relnted to the desanctiflcatlon of Stalin. To Stalin, Jazz came from Wall Street, not Basin Street. Since his death, however. Voice officials report, there has been an about-face. Jazz bands now play in cabarets in Moscow and Warsaw, and Prague has a band that plays Artie Shaw record copies. “Jazz has come a long way since its days in New Orleans bawdy houses," commented one Voice offi cial. as he read a letter from a fan in Formosa who said he'd like to hear "more of the greats like Armstrong, Sidney Becket " THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. C. SUNDAY. APRIL 15, 1055 ■MWtepugpap || 1 fIMMK §§§|U MrW Mi CLASSROOM SQUEEZE —Mrs Roberta H lent, or Adams School hos a problem shared by many other Washington teachers—too many pupils. which is to reduce class sizes. Dis trict educators want to establish in place of 36 an average of 30 for elementary classes the standard already in Maryland, Virginia and many other places. The White House report went even farther, mentioning favorably a standard of 25. Big Classes—Poor Schooling The national group gave the same reason as District educators for this stand—a conviction that it is the only way to assure every child a fair deal and the country proper ly educated citizens. This reason ing is currently reinforced in the District by tests that have proved that many children in classes in the 30s and 40s are not being edu cated well. The White House committee also said it was convinced that this standard—and better schools gen erally are a demand of the country’s citizens, and that they will insist on having it met. Signs of this demand have been cropping up here at public hearings, enough to persuade Congress to add some teachers to the pending school budget. A few months ago, calloused city budgeters were doubtless startled when John B. Gilliland, president of the District Congress of Parents and Teachers, said he would be willing to have his taxes upped if the proceeds went to the schools. Even a Congressman’s wife whose offspring get their educa tion without benefit of District taxes—urged a loosening of the Federal purse. Last week, at a public meeting here, parents stood up and de manded that the constituted authorities do something to ease the school pinch. One mother com mented that highways might wait but growing children would not. The budget, though, hasn't yet felt very much of the impact. For one reason, the city is poor. For another, it is voteless and citizens can't enforce their will. For a third, the District Commissioners have only lately come to recognize, ap parently, that the city schools have any very serious problems—one be ing to live up to President Eisen hower's wish that they serve as a national model on integration. Moreover, one commissioner Brig. Gen Thomas A. Lane, an Army engineer—has taken the view, apparently, that the local problems can be solved by re-organization, and he has proposed meeting the main one—serious achievement lags —by retesting the city's 106.000 pupils and demoting or promoting them to indicated grade levels. He also has questioned the need for smaller classes, suggested that gyms, auditoriums and cafeterias are "desirable but not essential.' and plumped strongly for a 50- teacher cutback in high schools. No Follow-Up in Sight Commissioner Robert E. Mc- Laughlin, who just became head of the Board of Commissioners, re cently indicated that the Commis sioners have no intention of ap pointing any committee to follow up on the District’s White House re port. He explained that it was felt such a group might come into con flict with the Board of Education, although there is some suspicion that the Commissioners are really more wary of possible conflict in volving themselves. The dormant status of the report recalls another Washington school blueprint—the report of the Strnyer survey made eight years ago. A committee headed by Dr. George D. Strayer of Columbia University spent a year going over the school system and came up with much the same conclusions as the Fleming group. But in eight years basic con ditions have hardly changed, and the report is still gathering dust. Gen. Lane, who recently said he hasn't read the Strayer report, would solve everything by shuffling teachers and pupils and apparently pulling the financial strings even tighter. But school officials seem to think the situation might require somewhat different measures. To some, it seems slightly strange that Washington should be looking in one direction when the rest of the country, on the basis of the re port to the White House, seems to be looking in the other. pP Blh V • * A S -.8 f /*$ lfe A My W • m . / I JAZZ COMES OF AGE—Washingtonian Willis Conover interviews Wash ingtonian Duke Ellington for loven of American jazx around the worl<£ A Frenchman Finds Fault With U. S. Aid By EARL H. VOSS A high-ranking French diplomat in Southeast Asia who prefers, for reasons that will be obvious, to re main unidentified, passed through Washington recently and unbur dened himself of some advice for America’s foreign aid administra tors in the Orient. Now that foreign aid is before Congress again, his thoughts are worth listening to: • “Americans send too many ex perts to administer their foreign aid programs.’’ These men, he says, annoy the local folk and remind them of their inability to take care of themselves. Americans insist on bringing too much of their high standard of living with them. • “Americans are too much con cerned about corruption." Certainly there is graft in Asia and in most underdeveloped countries, he says. But this is inevitable, as all the "older" hands in Asia are well aware. We ought to learn to over look most of this graft, he believes, instead of constantly complaining to the Prime Minister. • “Americans spread their aid too thin—too scientifically.” United States aid administrators try so hard to help all the people of the country’, to prevent a privileged few from monopolizing the bene fits, that they go to the other ex treme, this Frenchman believes. As a consequence, the benefits of American aid are often not notice able. • Americans try to take too much credit for their work. They should stay more in the background and stop trying so hard to identify themselves with every dollar of aid they send into a country. After all, the main purpose of the aid is to prove to free countries that their own systems of government—not the Americans'—are better than the Communists,." • "India should be helped to build locomotive factories." One of In dia's most pressing needs is a bigger transportation system. Locomotive* will be spectacular monuments to Indian progress. But it is important that the Indians be allowed to build their own locomotives. They want to say that they can build their own locomotives—and point to the evi dence on the tracks. • “Americans would do better to concentrate their foreign aid ef forts on one spectacular project per country. After all, the effect Amer icans seek is more political than economic." He gave an example in Cambodia, a nation with a seacoast but no port. France, he said, has ar ranged to buiid a port for the Cam bodians. The United States la building access roads, also expen sive, but France will get most of the credit. • "Americans publicize their food surpluses too much." The United States’ rice surplus is one of its most unfortunate disadvantages in the Orient, the French diplomat believes. Whenever any country in Asia is unable to sell its rice—or almost any other agricultural com modity—it can always blame America's "dumping" of its sur pluses, whether we are guilty or not. • "Americans try too hard to maka others over into their own demo cratic image." There ought to be more study of Oriental techniques of government and less preaching about how good the American sys tem is. • “Americans are shortsighted In insisting on bilateral economic aid. They should try multilateral aid arrangements.” It is easier for three or more countries to arrange trade and aid pacts than it is for any two —especially when one of the two is the richest country in the world. Multilateral pacts would give par ticipating countries more oppor tunity to contribute as well aa receive. They would feel more of the dignity in the partnership, be less sensitive about the handouts. A-33