Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-04-26
CIRCULATION OF THE STAR.
The Neal Tax Bill.

Some OF those who voted Tor Mr.. Neal1s
personal tax bill seem 10 have done so un Ter
the idea that they were acting in behalf OF
the poor taxpayers OF the District. and
against the wealthy men. The exactreverse
is the case. Under the provisions of Mr..
Meals bill, which taxes bonds, mortgages,
&c, the wealthy men, VINO generally have
country places outside the city, have only
To MAKE their tax returns in Maryland or
Virginia To avoid the tax altogether. The
personal tax collected will thus be drained
from the poorer class Of taxpayers, thesmall
slop-kCePeTs and business men and others
VITO are not able to Keep up a country
residence. In any event the rich man
cannot be reached. lie can at any
moment convert h.s aSlbIe bonds
and securities into untaxsble L. s. bonds.
Moreover he can, under recent decision OF
the courts, deposit these untaXsbie bonds in
baIk and borrow money ON them; escaping
taxation throughout the entire operation.
Again. the Neal bill will work most disai-
vantsg eOusly to the general business inter-
ests of the city by frightening away people
OF wealth or culture throughout the country
disposed to invest their means 10 Washing
ton and make their homes here. Tine impOI-
icy of taxing mortgages in the way of driv-
ing away capital from a state or community
was so abundantly demonstrated in the
recent debates in the Maryland legis-
lature that the provisions in the tax
bill taxing mortgages, was stricken out
after an exhaustive discussion. The Califor-
Ma courts recently decided that a mortgage
tax is Unconstitutional; and in various
states Of the Union steps have been taken
against such tax, both as unconstitutional
and impOlitic. And yet in the usual manner
OF grudg ing a moments time TO the consft-
Grafton of the interests OF the much abused
taxpayers OF this District, the House In
slap-dash style and by large majority
passed Mr.. Meals i'll digested and utterly
impracticable bill, proposing to tax this
very class OF securities. II is charitable to
suppose that Mr. Neal really had nothing TO
co with the preparation OF a bill SO
clumsy, contradictory, and opprass ive
to our business interests and especially
TO the business men OF moderate means
The bill is apparently the cunningIy de-
yised scheme OF ring OF suburban lot-holi-
ers who hope by its passage to induce owners
OF property affected by the personal tax TO
move outside the city to escape its opera
ton. This would open up rich bonanza to
the owners or land adjacent TO Washington
in Mary land and Virginia, and also to lot
owners in the District outside of the CITY
limits, since under Mr.. Meals bill you have
only TO cross Boundary street to escape the
tax OF 81 80 and get of with tax of 10 cents.
The poor men who own horses, carts, drays.
and other vehicles, or have a little shop or
restaurant living inside OF Boundary street
ar taxed 81 5Oper hundred, while The wealthy
men living on the heights a few rods beyond
that street are taxed but - cents; and l!
they live little further out in Maryland,
they escape altogether or pay tax so nearly
nominal as to be scarce worth estimating,
The Neal bill certainly protects the interests
OF the poor tax payer with a vengeance.