Evening star., 1902-01-30
Commissioners Approve Measure Iu-
troduoed by Senator Mcmillan.
NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED
Provision for Exemptions of Gross
Earnings of Savings Banks.
THE REPORT SUBMITTED

The District Commissioners today trans
mitted to Senator James Mcmillan, the
chairman of the Senate District committee,
a favorable report on the personal prop
erty tax bill which was introduced by him
in the upper house OF Congress the 18th in
slant. The Commissioners recommend a
number of amendments increasing the
scope of the law, the original draft OF
which was made by Mr.. Hopewell II. Dar-
nellie, the District assessor, upon the re-
quest of Senator Mcmillan and the direc-
tion Of the Commissioners.
The Commissioners' Report.
The report reads:
THE Commissioners of the District Of
Columbia herewith return Senate bill 2dS6
To regulate the assessment and collection
of personal taxes in the District of Column
bia,' with certain amendments, which tend
to enlarge the scope of the bill and in
crease the number of subjects-matter 10
be taxed.
while many expressions of disapproval
of any personal tax have been made by
citizens of the District whose views are
entitled to respect, after much study or
the subject the Commissioners cannot
avoid the conclusion that the enactment
of a reasonable personal tax law, TO take
the place of the one recently declared in
valid by the courts Of the District, can
hardly be avoided. To provide the means
fOT the erection Oh n DlstrlCl DullOlIks lOT
the payment of the Districts share of the
expense in the abolition of steam railroad
crossings, for water filtration and sewage
disposal plants, and for other projected
improvements, a loan from the public, or
an advance from the federal government,
will be required, involving the payment
of annual interest and gradual annual
repayment of the principal. For these i'm
portant purposes more than the amount
of revenue usually heretofore required
must be raised, and there seems to be no
mode more available or equitable than that
of subjecting all tangible property to
proper and fair taxation.
Views of Land Owners.
Some land owners have advanced the
view that taxation confined wholly to real
estate invites investment in personal estate
to the detriment of real estate values. In
asmuch as personal property shares in the
protection and security afforded by the
municipal government there seems to be no
valid reason why II should not bear it's por-
ton of the expense of maintaining that gov
ernment.
"The principal objection to a personal tax
system would arise from the inquisitorial
feature of it which has obtained under the
laws of many Jurisdictions This bill has
been framed with a view to avoid such :,
offensive provisions, and is Intended to ap-
ply only to property easily seen and APP
praised without recourse to an unneces-
sary espionage upon the citizens private
deprecate the inclusion in this bill of more
drastic measures.
"The enactment OF the proposed law as
amended would tend to more equitably ap-
portion the burden of taxation and enable
the Commissioners, when the needs OF the
District would not demand all the revenues
possible under the existing rate OF taxa
tion, to reduce the rate on real estate so
as to make the revenues correspond with
the actual necessities Of the District.
The Suggested Amendments.
The amendments to the pending bill,
which the Commissioners mention in their
report are those 1t is stated that Senator
Mcmillan has expressed himself as favor
ing and which would probably be insisted
upon by Congress. The first of the amend
ments provides for the addition OF the
words "all tangible personal property" In
the clause specifying that which shall be
taxed under the measure.
The second amendment adds this provi-
sion to the bill: "An tangible personal
property at fair cash value, over and
above the $500 exempt by this act, includ-
ing gold, silver, plated and chinaware,
Jewels watches. pianos. musical instru-
ments, tools, implements, horses and other
animals, carriages wagons and other We
hicles less the amount offset by reason OF
any debt due for the same, shall pay to the
collector of taxes of the District of Column
bia an amount equal to SO per thousand
dollars on the assessed value thereof"
Exempts Gross Earnings.
third amendment exempts savings
banks from the form of tax on their gross
earnings, as applied to other banking insti-
tutions and provides: Savings banks pay
ing interest to their depositors shall make
returns as herein provided for banks and
bankers, and shall pay to the collector Of
taxes OF the District of Columbia sum
equal to one and cne-half per centum OF
their gross earnings. less the amount OF
interest paid to depositors."
One Of the proposed amendments ex-
empts building associations from taxation
on their earnings. The last amendment
proposed. exempts personal property not
held for sale and lot over the value Of
$500.
a