The Washington herald., 1914-05-13

HOUSE KILLS ALL
new TAX PLANS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
upon a firm basis, and that the pros
perity which for SO many years has been
enjoyed here will continue.
Many members of the Board of Trade
have expressed their high appreciation Of
the stand taken in Congress against the
attempt to burden the taxpayers of the
District by unjust taxation. The failure
OF these measures Is only an additional
proof of what has always been felt by
members of the board and citizens gen.
orally, that Congress will always give
the District fair play when matters are
properly presented to full attendance.
Much of the proposed legislation an
tagonistic to the organic act and to the
vital interests of the District is the re-
suit of theoretical ideas proposed by
earnest. well-intending persons who have
not apparently acquainted themselves in
detail with the affairs Of the nations
capital" concluded the resolution.
In the sharp debate upon the johnson
substitute Representative Igoe pointed
- - .L-A4 -llA "a
and not written with a careful knowl-
edge of the taxation situation. He con-
tinued.
Il would like to ask the gentleman
from Kentucky where, in his amend
ment, he takes care Of the tax paid by
insurance companies? In his amend.
ment he says nothing herein shall be
deemed to change the present methods
Of taxing banks, lighting companies.
street railway companies and there he
ends. We have q provision in the law
for the taxing Of title and real estate
bonding companies and savings banks
having no capital, IL per cent on sur
plus and undivided profits. Washington
earnings. Perhaps the gentleman would
like to grant an exemption to some of
these companies 50 that they will not
be overburdened. We know, however,
that he does not want to do that"
Mr.. Mann Il Caastic.
For the first time since the figures
of Herbert ]. Browne were injected into
assessment legislation in the House did
a member Of the House assail them
scornfully. This member was Represen-
tative Mann. Said he:
II know enough about real estate valu-
alton in the city of Washington and else
where to feel quite competent to put my
judgment up against Mr.. Brownies, and
/ believe that, on the present valuation
of the District assessors In the District
of Columbia, District real estate is val
ued higher in proportion to its actual
value than real estate is valued in any
other city in this country
Mr.. Mann said the National Capital
should be world-famed for beauty. He
continued:
Now, I do not pay any taxes In the
District of Columbia: do not own any
here. / suppose 1 am permitted
to express an opinion. / notice some fig
ures posted up down here, and this is
about the way this information is OBJ
tanned: Present District appropriation
bill, House, 81, $500; Senate, a3,137, 900;
average, So, 2sS, 900; one-half Of this S.
$4,000. Then II goes on and makes a
of the amount of money
necessary to be raised to pay this, as
though that was the entire appropria-
ion for the District Of Columbia. The
distinguished gentleman, whoever he isl
and I do not know who presented this
,hart-does-n not even know, with all of his
study Of the subject, that all of the ap- |
for the District of Columbia |
ire not contained in the District of Co. |
umbia appropriation bill
You will have supposed that the gen. |
.leman, whoever he was, knew before |
ne prepared these figures that a por-
ion of the appropriations for carrying
IN the District, payable partly by the |
District and partly by the United States, |
Ire carried in the general deficiency and |
he sundry civil bills. We even make |
he District pay half of the care Of the |
Monument grounds. I sup
pose that some gentlemen think the
Monument grounds are pure
y local affair, and hence ought to be |
,aid wholly by the District of Columbia |
That Is one of the items that we make |
he District pay half of. We make the |
District pay half the cost of the con-
truction of sidewalks on Executive ave-
.ue and on the south side OF the Treas
Try Building in the recent appropriation
aw, not carried in the District appropria-
lon bill. We put a good many burdens
N the District of Columbia We make
hem pay half the expense Of buying
he fancy animals that we maintain at
he Zoo, which would not be maintained
n Washington except that II is one ofl
he arms of the national government for
he purpose Of education and instruction.
Pat Burdens ON District.
'fBut some gentlemen would say that IL
; maintained wholly for the benefit Of
he local people. and that they ought to
ay for 1t. We put good many burdens
n the District. We keep down salaries
and properly SO, in my judzment-of
eople who work for the government.
We keep out of the manufacturing busi-
ess Il we can; We prevent the District
ecoming wholesale center as far az
'e have the power. We want to main
ain beautiful city, SO that we may
how It to our constituents and feel
roud Of 1t.
who Ii there here who has NOT gone
round the city Of Washington with his
onsfituents and brazged-yea. braxRed-l
pom the beauty of Washington? II there
Q one 30 little that he has not done
hat he is too little for me to address.
T am proud Of the Capital Of the coun-
y, proud Of the way II - uaaintsined.
roud Of the government here. proud az
re government buildings ana euyefnmeut
usiness here. proud of our strsets and
arks and Avenues proud of an that q 4