Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19
PAYMENT OF TAXES
Hearing Given on Proposed Change
to Annual Plan.
ARGUMENTS MADE FOR AND AGAINST
Commissioners to Take Matter
Under Consideration.
THE VIEW OF CITIZEN s

The District Commissioners today gave
those citizens interested In the proposition
to provide for an annual payment instead
of semi-annual payments Of taxes an op-
portunity to be heard. Both the board OF
trade and the Business Mems Association
were we'll represented, and number OF
taxpayers belonging to neither of these or
CARNATIONS were present and expressed
themselves.
While some favored the present system Oh
semi-annual payments, and others adVocat-
ed but one payment year, all Favored the
proposition Of The Star that the law pe
50 amended as to enable taxpayers to pay
their taxes semi annually, II they so pre-
fer no penalty to attach or begin to run
until the tax for the whole year shall nave
become due and be not paid within the
specified time.
The hearing was granted by the Com,
misSioners at the request Of the Board Oh
Trades committee on taxation and assess
ments, of which Mr.. Jesse 3. wilson IS
chairman, and Commissioner Macfarland,
upon behalf of the board. invited Mr.. VII
son to inaugurate the discussion. Mr.. Will
son said he desired to first hear from those
advocating but one payment, but DR.. A. p.
Pardon, who favored the annual payment
at a recent meeting of the Board of Trade.
said the prosecution, as rule, opened ana
the defense closed.
Mr.: wilson disclaimed being in the posi-
ton of the prosecution, and at his sugges-
ton Mr.. NJ. l. Weller, vice chairman OF the
committee first addressed the Commission
ers Mr. Weller referred to petition f1led
recently with the Commissioners In FAVOR
of an annual payment. and asked II an
those signing 1t are taxpayers. and Whetner
thew paid their taxes for the year in NO
vember. Mr.. Weller said he is In favor OF
the two semi-annual payments of taxes, as
is the Board Of Trade. and he had read the
resolutions adopted by the board upon the
subject and which have appeared In Tne
Star There are 80. 100 tax accounts in the
District, said Mr.. Weller. and there are put
about 300 names on the petition. he point
ed out that the law permits the taxpayer
to pay his taxes for the whole year III NO
vember, and he therefore argued that there
Is no necessity for any change in IT,
He said he lives in a locality where the
people are mainly those of modest means
and it Is his experience that these people
prefer semi-annual to annual payments
The annual payments, in his opinion, Is IN
the interests of the wealthy people, ana
the proposed law would benefit such people
more than any other. Therefore the pro-
posed law would be class legislation. Inc
laboring peopley said Mr. Weller, favor the
two payments, and he predicted that the
Commissioners would hear from them to
that effect.
Attitude of Committee.
The Board of Trade COMM ttee on taxa
ton, said Mr.. Weller, Is composed OF twen-
ty-four members. and with a single excep-
ton, that of Its secretary. Mr.. Darneille,
who Is also the assessor Of the District, 1t
favors the present semi-annual system.
Mr.. Darneille favors the annual payment,
added MIR. Weller. because Of the insult
ficient force of his Office. and because there
would be less complication of accounts.
Referring to tax sales, Mr.. Weller said
f1n Goo 1f col sod n
rule are FOR the whole year. and he re-
marked that that indicated that the man
whose property is sold suffers not because
ne was unable to pay the half, but the
whole tax. The 10000 or more government
emp.oyes here, he stated, own are buy
ing homes a rule, and he contended that
to them the sem-annual system would come
easier than the one payment.
Mr. Weller regretted that MIR. John Joy
Edison, the president of the Board of
Trade, unable to be present, and Com
missioner Mcfarland explained that he
was detained by his inaugural committee
duties, but that his belief in the desirable
ity of semi-annual payments of taxes re-
manned unchanged
DR.. A. p. Pardon announced himself as
being advocate of but one payment of
taxes a year. arguing that II would be
less of hardship. that 1t would cause less
confusion and fewer mistakes in the keep
ing of the accounts, and that 1t would be
much more convenient to all classes, es-
He referred to the mistakes taxpayers
make as to the status of their tax accounts,
and remarked that all this would be done
away with II people knew once for all that
from them each year. He said he does not
know of any one who desires to pay a bill
six months in advance unless he Is al
lowed discount. Yet the law as Ii stands
today virtually requires payment in adj
vance. He charged that over 50 per cent
of the property sold for taxes is sold on
account of the first half years tax.
He referred to the proposal Of The Star
that taxpayers be granted the privilege Of
paying the taxes for the whole year, If they
50 prefer, the penalty only to run after the
tax for the whole year becomes past due,
and he Endorsed the proposition.
Favors One Payment.
1t is a singular fact, remarked DIR. Far
don, that those who advocate two payments
are rule the money-lending class, and
he said that he does not believe respec-
table minority of the taxpayers Of the Dis
trict favor semi-annual payments.
He said 1t is outrageous to demand pay
ment~ of taxes before they are due as a
whole, and asserted that the mechanic Is
less able to pay his taxes in November
than in May. He also expressed the opin-
ion that the wealthy man would also find
1t more convenient to pay in May. The
poor man In November has long winter
to meet. it is generally at the close of his
again at work, living is cheaper and money
Is not tight, or not as tight as in the fall.
Mr.. j. H. Ralston sa the semi-annual
payment of taxes has been in vogue here
for many years, and as there has been no
general complaint of or objection made
against the system it Is fair to assume that
the people are satisfied with 1t. Therefore,
it would be well to recognize public feeling
In the matter. 1t Is true that the banking
or financial interests advocate the two pay
ments a year. he said, first, perhaps, from
a selfish motive, but another motive was
based on the fact that an annual payment
would take out Of circulation between three
and four million dollars.
He could not admit that 1t Is easier for Q
man. poor or rich, to pay two dollars than
it is to pay one. and he disagreed with DR..
Pardon as to the inability of the mechanics
to meet the semi-annual payment In No
vember. With few exceptions, they work
here the year around. and 1t seemed to him
that 1t Is much easier for them to divide
their payments Of taxes.
FavOrs The Stars Proposition.
Mrs. Belva Lockwood. saying she repre-
sented the women taxpayers. said she and
they were opposed to the proposed annual
pavment rernarki that thew are we'll On +