The evening times., 1900-03-24
board OF TRADE MEETS
Expressions Of Opinion as TO Taxa
tion of Personal Properly.
4 Number OF RESOLUTIONS Adopted
That Relate 90 Local Ahairs-fcar-
nest Efforts Advocated 10 Trans
form Rock Greek BBuda From n
Dumping Ground into Park

At the meeting OF the Board OF Trade
held last evening at the assembly room
of the Masonic Temple, Ninth and F
Streets northwest, reports of committees
were received and the secretary was di-
rected to. read that OF the Committee on
Taxation. which was. in part, as follows:
"The Commissioners of the District OF
Columbia have very courteously referred
TO the Board of Trade for its opinion a
bin proposed to be introduced in Congress.
the title of which is An act TO regulate
the assessment and collection Of taxes and
licenses in the District of Columbia. and
for other purposes and this bill. in con-
formity with the rules of your honorable
body has for the past two weeks received
the careful examination and consideration
of your committee on taxation.
ain the course of our investigation We
have had regard not alone TO the particu-
lar features of the bin in question, but
also to the subject of taxation with reia-
non 20 legislation Of this general charac-
ter. so that we might form an intelligent
Judgment as TO the details of the proposed
hin and as well to the rightfulness Of such
legislation.
Referring in the first place to some Of
the details. it has seemed to US that If
church property were TO be in any degree
exempted from taxation. so also, Tor per
haps stronger reasons. should be property
OF charitable organizations not conducted
for profit.
Again. your committee believes that
the hin is fairly subject to criticism In
that ID provides for the payment of the
whole tax in the month of May. We be-
licye that the interests Of the community
would be subserved in larger degree by
The preservation OF the present system OF
setni-anrual payments. Experience teach
es thai small payments at frequent inter
walls are more apt TO be maintained by
those charged Herewith than larger pay
ments al more distant intervals. We have
regarded the argument that by paying al
the end Of the year instead OF at the end
OF each six months. the taxpayer would
gain Re benefit OF six months interest as
being mere spscouS than sound, and find
INA frequent payments would tend toward
systematic economy.
"I'rom the standpoint OF business men,
we cannot lose sight of the fact that even
row credit is often interfered with by the
large Withdrawals Of money from our
banks through the payment of taxes every
six months. If the Withdrawals were dOu-
blk a. large at the end Of the year, We
should anticipate great difficulty to our
business men in obtaining proper CONNER
clal credits during the months of MAJ,
June and perhaps July.
THE bin before your committee is in
tended to provide for mere systematic col
lection OF personal taxes than at present
prevails. and for a great variety Of Occu-
patton taxes in the shape Of licenses. some
OF which are reduced from the figures now
obtaining"
The report OF the committee takes up
separately the features of the bill, calling
styeniion 10 Irregularities and contradic.
iions.
Regarding personal taXations the report
says. A personal tax is inquisitorisl in
its nature as indeed is illustrated by the
pending bill. It demands from the owner
an exposure of the condition Of his business
affairs, which exposure, from the soundest
business reasons, he may be unwilling to
make"
Continuing it SAYS that for reasons entire
" human. false returns as 10 personal
property are rendered, that personal taxes
are unequal and that a personal tax does
rot commonly reach those at whom it is
directed. It says a personal tax is al
WAYS a double tax sometimes obviously so.
ottentlmes not so generally recognized. but
always Of the same character. All personal
property cannot be taxed. and for this
reason such a tax operates unequally. The
report states that a personal tax may be
evaded and that the direct result of the
same is 10 interfere with thrift and throt-
lie industry II further says. The asses
s0r can know little Of the personal proper
" he assesses. nor can any board Of as
SCISSORS be made large enough to meet the
eXeeHCies Of the occasion
Regarding the tax on corporations it is
he opinion OF the committee that if any
special tax is to be levied as TO corpora
lions il should be tax upon their net
earnings this method presenting the
minimum Of evil incident TO any tax levied |
UBGn this special subject OF taxation.
The chairman of the committee on char |
i-y submitted a resolution to the effect |
thai he committee on charities and cor
recticn be authorized TO urge the passage /
ny Congress Of a bill to provide for MI |
nicipal Hospital for the District Of Co 4
lumbia. The report was adopted unani- !
mOusly.
The committee on parks and reserva- |
ions. through its chairman. offered res /
0iution that was adopted that the Board |
Of Trade respectfully and earnestly urge the /
Senate Appropriation Committee to insert /
he item OF $50 600 for care and improve /
msnt of Rock Greek Park. estimates pro- |
>ided for by the Commissioners Of the Dis
Srict Id the book of estimates. and which 1
was not reported by the Appropriations
' I
3iyes.
Henry T. Blount. chairman on parks and
reservations offered the following resOlu-
tion which was adopted: Resolved. That
/ he committee on parks and reservations
heartily and unanimously comend TO the
Beard OF Trade and to Congress the con-
iinuatiou of the National Park system
along Rock Creek from Geological Park. /
south TO Massachusetts Avenue on the |
east side, and to L Street on the west"
The tract, exclusive of donations will l
cost in the neighborhood of 5000, 600 and 1
embraces about thirty-one acres, as fol-
lows: Judson heirs, 1S acres; Barnard
heirs : acres; c. c. Glover. 3 acres; j. W.
Thompson. 10 acres: II. p. and T. e. Wag-
gaman. 900 900 feet (donation). The COM
mittee recommended action 10 prevent the
Use of the banks of Rock Creek within the
city for q dumping ground, and to pre-
vent the pollution OF the stream, by TAX
ing he ground for a park. and improving
g. BIZ terraces and driveways. A petition
10 the same effect from Dr. Busey, Presl-
dent OF the Medical Society OF the District
was also read.
The committee on commerce and manu-
faetures submitted a resolution which did
not appear sufficiently clear and distinct
in its wording. The members Of this COM
mittes advanced arguments in favor OF
inducing manufacturing concerns TO locate
in this city so that young people can find 1
some sort of employment The commit I
tee wifi submit at the next meeting of the |
Board a specific and detailed report and
an evening will be set aside for fits special
consideration.
Departure of the Philadelphia.
The Navy Department was notified today |