The Washington times., 1914-02-28
THE DISTRICTS PLIGHT.

stran.e situation that confronts
Washington TODAY. it is seriously
propo. cd to add SO PEI cent to the
towns taxes of real property, and
perhaps 40 per cent certainly &
v-Ty largo amour. 10 the taxes OF
personally.
This project has developed al.
most in a day. A few men, hostile
to the city, and seemingly blinded
to all considerations of fairness and
good treatment, occupy places in
which they are able to force SO revo'
lutionary a measure rs this 1r"r the
attention of Congress and the COM
munity, with a grave possibility that
it might be adopted.
Can anybody imagine what il
would mean if, in any other Ameri-
can city such proposal should he
sprung unexpectedly and without
warning?
Suppose some supreme authority
in Illinois should announce tomorrow
morning that it had decided to add
somewhere from 80 to 100 per cent
TO the taxes of the city: what
would happen?
Suppose Tamnany Board of Es-
innate in New York city, backed by
a Tanmany legislature, should en-
gross all the power of that city, and,
secure in its ability to do as it
pleased, utterlyreckless of equities or
fairness or the community's needs
and interests, should announce its
purpose to increase taxes from 80 to
100 per cent? Can anybody exae-
gerate the conditions that would be
precipitated in New York?
Now, the George bill as proposed
TO be amended by the House Dis
trict Committee, would add 30 per
cent to the present tax burden cf
real property and of such personal
property as is now assessed. But it
proposes to go a good deal further
than this, ard to include for taxa
tion at these new rates a vast VOL
ume of property not now treated in
this way. This is the 'intangib!c
personal" property, so-:alled; Sc
curities, moneys, and credits, and
the like. These, it is recognized by
experts in taxation, are varieties of
property whose taxation as a rule
means double taxation. A railroad
corporation, for instance, pays taxes
on its property. If the stocks o.
bonds of that company be also taxed,
It means that the property is, in eff
feet, taxed twice.
1t is as if the owner of a house
were taxed on the real estate, in the
regular way, and then taxed again
on the value of the deed to il, whcn
that deed was discovered locked in 8
safe deposit vault downtown
This revolution in taxation in
Washington would produce results,
the disastrous consequences of which
can hardly be overstatcd. Where is
the community that could stand such
q tremendous increase of its tax bur-
den, all at once. without being
crushed?
Washington is not a city of idle
and gaudy rich. 1t is not a town of
grafters and spoilsmen, Of exploit
ers and taXbeaters. Quite the con-
trary, it is a city of small homes and
of people with moderate means. The
exceptions are rarer mere than in
most cities of this size.
The Times is convinced, and il uu-
lieVes that most of the people in
Congress agree with it, that such
legislation as this does not repre-
sent the sober, serious, unclouded
judgment of the men who would un-
dertake to force it on Washington.
On the other hand, there is a long
record of excesscs and hostilities, to
justify the belief that this legislation
spirit of vengetulness.
1t is impossible to believe that. onre
analyzed and understood, Congress
will pass any such measure as the
Johnsonized George bill.
Of that, indeed The Times mas Lot
much fear. But the situation in
with this latest assault