The Washington times., 1902-01-09

tions TO Protest.
The proposed personal tax measure has
already won for itself great many en-
emies among business and financial men.
The comment heard yesterday among
bankers, lawyers. real estate brokers,
merchants, and business men generally
"as almost all of an adverse nature, and
:f any of the business people favor the
law they did not make themselves con-
spicuous. The proposed measure was
scored on the ground that its provisions
would prove incquitable. 1t was con-
demned as 4 blow at the future prosperity
of the District. Ii was damned as q
measure that would put 4 tax on hon
esty and a premium on evasion.
The only argument offered in its favcr
WAS that it would raise money. and the
man who advanced this argument said
that funds could be raised much more
easily and justly in other ways.
Some Wouid BE Taxed unG Some Es-
cape.
1t is argued that Under the provisions
OF the measure, as now framed, some pco-
pie viii be taxed heavily, while others,
in similar circumstances, as far as their
ability to pay is concerned, will escape
almost tax free.
The same argument is made with re-
gard to merchants in different classes Of
business. The proposal is 10 tax mercan-
tile houses so much on every $1,000 Of
hi
is NEST unusual method OF taxation.
Whether this is so or not, it is stated
that the provision would he most ia
equitable for the reason that ia some
classes of business the stock in trade
can he turned over two or three times
in a year. while in others. dealing in
staple goods, it is not expected to do
more than turn over the stock once Z
year.
OF similar character are the objec-
tions TO the taxation of corporations. Ii
is suggested that a private firm and an
Incorporated company doing a similar
business will be most unequally dealt
with by the measure
Would Increase Burdens of Poor.
The people that live on their income.
from real estate holdings, stocks, ant
bonds. and money loaned at interest as
sert that in order to meet the demand.
of the law and 10 realize a living income
upon sums invested it will be necessary
TO raise rents and to increase the interest
rate on loans. 1t is suggested that this
would impose hardships on the salarieC
people and wage earners least able tC
bear the burden.
Rich Men Would Stay Away.
On the ground of expediency it i.
argued that the proposed law would b.
most unfortunate, as it would tend to pre-
vent capitalists and men of wealth from
coming to Washington TO reside. 1t i:
said that the influx of miilionaires durin.
recent years has been rapid, and that on,
of the chief reasons of this has been tha
there has been no inquisitoriai persona
tax law in the District, as there is il
many, If not the greater part, of tn.
States.
Men of wealth who have retired from
active business look around for a place
of residence where they will not be both.
cred by political and municipal exactions
and they find that the District is the on,
favored place in the country that meet.
these requireme nts. These people, it is
argued. eXpend much more for real estate
in buying and erecting their handsome
homes than the District can hone tc
realize from them by a tax on persona
property, especially when the tide of mil
lionaiTes will turn in some other direction
ii the Law is enacted.
Premium on Dishonesty.
People familiar with the experience o.
the States in enforcing or attempting t.
enforce similar laws say that one o
the chief objections to them has bee,
that they are subversive Of good moral!
and business honesty. A few people pay
the tax in full on correct returns o.
all their personal property, but the vas
majority evade the law by yariou;
methods that II is impossible TO cope
with.
In a general way many business mer
argue that further taxation of the people
il the District would be unjust and un.
necessary. They suggest that the Capi
tai City has no manufacturing wealth
producing enterprises, and that its mer
chants already have hard time to dt
business proftably on account of the char
acter of the popAl1tion, nearly all IN
wealthy classes residing in the city onll
halls TIE year and leaving when Congres
adiouIns. IT is further argued that thi
condition OF things Viii always exist il
Ell pEODdD DllliN anu iHdl IL IL. W II Nti tsiii
extent q penalty because Washington j
the Capital OF the nation.
Many people that talked OF the proposes
law yesterday said that Washngtonian'
should be exempt from as many burdens
Of this character as possible as a partia
return for the less OF the franchise.
District Taxes Not Light.
In answer to the statement that take
in the District are now very light. anC
that an additional tax of some character
should not be considered hardship. i
is asserted that statistics will show Dis
trict taxes to be on the average quite al
large as those in the States. While it i.
admitted thSt the rate of taxation on re6
estate is higher III some States than /
is in the District, II is asserted tha
real estate here is assessed. in many in
stances, upon it's total valuation, par
tlcularly in the case Of small properties
Agents state that they have many houses
for sale at the figure for which they ar
assessed. In other sections Of the coun
try. 1t is declared assessments are Otter
only % per cent or less of full values.
The Building AssociatiOns.
The building associations are especiali.
averse 10 the passage of the proposed
law. 1t provides for the taxing of thes'
associations at the rate of lL per cen