The Washington times., 1914-04-22
URGES CAPITAL Be
A CITY EQUITABLE"
H. Martin Williams Pleads for
Single Tax in Talk to Pet
worth Citizens.

The system of taxation in the Dis
trict of Columbia is no less destructive
than the taxing power of Great Britain
that led to the Revolution and estab-
lished in this country a new nation
based on freedom and disagreement
Today, wherever there are people strug-
Cling, they are doing so to throw off
the oppression of high taxes"
Thus introducing his subject of Tax
alton in the District of Columbia" H.
Martin Williams. reading clerk of the
House. and president of the Tax Re-
form Association, advocated single tax
and votes for men and women of the
District in addressing the Petworth
Citizens Association last night. He
declared that Washington should not
only be the city beautiful, but also the
CITY equitable" His plan for equaliz-
ing taxes was to exempt improvements
TO property and TO levy no tax on pers
sonal belongings. He paid a tribute to
the sancti.y of the home, and declared
there certainly should be no system OF
taxation in force that would discourage
home building.
Would Make Homes Tax Free.
improvements from taxation" said Mr..
williams. II would confine the property
subject to tax or license to real es-
tate. The present system OF taxation
which induces men and women to lie
in order to evade paying some OF the
exorbitant rates. is iniauitous.'
MT. Williams pointed to the Somers
.ystem of taxation as the remedy TOT
~present inequalities, citing the success
of this system in Houston, Texas and
oSher cities. He bitterly attacked land
zpeculators who procured options on de-
SRA Bile plots and attempted to sell as
many lots as possible in an acre.
de tstchea houses in Washington are
scarce" he commented, but / would
rather live in a tent than enc of these
attached affairs where the front yard
10 the sidewalk and the rear plot is ten
feet square" Mr.. Williams advocated
taking the tax of buildings and i'm
provements and putting 1t on land.
This" he said, would encourage men
TO build and discourage vacant lots
- Take the tax of improvements" he
continued, land you start the wheels OF
progress In practically every line OF
trade. When man builds home, he
of property in his neighborhood. In
stead of being fined for II by taxation,
lie should be given Q vote of thanks.
the thrift ard savings of man should
not be taxed. A change in the taxing
system could not be made abruptly, but
year after year the present system
could be altered TO finally have it con-
fined to land values. This is the only
natural way Of handling the taxation
question
Favors Suffrage in District.
Il In responding to questions at the
close of his address. Mr.. Williams said
ne was unequivocally for suffrage in
the District, and that he believed
every man and woman should have
The vote" In attacking race prejudice.
ne said that the commission form of
government in the District. with the
referendum and recall
eliminate all undesira BILE results.
Commissioner F. L. Siddons. who ar
rived at the meeting near the close
of Mr.. Williams speech. made a few
remarks in which he expressed his
Iadmirat ton as an Individual for the
system that proves the least burden
ducing things that make for happi-
meas is the desired change from the
present form. Making IL plain that he
was speaking privately and not as a
Commissioner, Mr.. Siddons said the
present system of taxation in the
country contains much that is unjust
2 nj inenl-ifahle