Evening star., 1914-05-11
HAS SUBSTITUTE
FOR GEORGE BILL
Chairman Johnson of House
District Committee Pre-
SentS New Measure.
DENIES EFFECT WILL BE
REPEAL OF ORGANIC ACT
Proposition on Local Taxation De-
bated-Increase in Assessments
Opposed by Members.

UppOScu NY McLnUClS.
The House is discussing today brand
new substitute for the much discussed
taxation and assessment bill of Repre-
sentative George. The substitute was
offered by Representative Johnson. chair
man of the District committee and Dis
trict day may come to close this after
noon with "A vote on the legislative propo-
sition to change the taxation and assess
ment methods in this city.
Chairman Johnson's new bill followed
the principle of the Johnson Prouty
amendment in the George bill. but makes
certain exemptions. 1t was opposed as
bitterly by other members of the DISTRICT
committee as was the Johnson Prouty
amendment itself as they could no
Justice in the substitute; and one member
of the committee termed the new propo-
sition as ''makeshift.
During the debate Representative
coady of Maryland. one of the mem
hers of the House who are Tersed IN
practical taxation, showed to what un-
just ends the proposed Johnson-Prouty
proposals could go.
Cites Sample Case.
Take one case ! know Of he said;
"a Woodworking government clerk in
this city died and left to his onl. child
100000 which in accordance with the
terms of the will. had to be placed in
savings bank. and the interest is to he
used for the childs support and edu
cation.
"Now under the Johnson-Prouty plan OF
taxation that orphans principal would be
taxed every year S1.rl and the income it
self would be taxed again. so that the or
phan. instead of receiving Ssop. as his
father proposed. would receive only SO a
year. the other $22:' of his entire income
going to taxes
What was the theory on which the
District committee let him have that
s75?" asked Representative Mann of I'LL
nois.
II believe the people in the District of
columbia are taxed high enough rs 1t
is continued Mr.. Mann. He said he
would set up his Judgment against that
Of Herbert Browne. who was employed
by the District committee to compile
taxation figures. and that he believed
that real estate in the District OF Column
bia was taxed and assessed as high as
anywhere in the world.
johnson Substitute for George Bill.
As soon as the House had gone into
committee OF the whole Representative
johnson, chairman Of the House Dis
trict committee, offered a substitute
for the George bill. which came as
surprise to the House. The substitute
bill Is similar in principle to the
Prouty- johnson amendment to that
bill but had In ii certain exemptions
which could be taken to be sops thrown
to the members of Congress who have
complained that the Johnson -Prouty
proposition is entirely too hard on
small home owners.
The legislative situation at the time
the substitute was offered was this:
The George bill had been offered by
Representative Crosser on last District
day and was ready for vote.
The George bill amended by the
Johnson Prouty paragraph taxing all
property. real personal intangible, rich
mans home, poor mans home. every
thing in sight and out of sight at one un-
movable rate so as to raise sl4:"o.oc
and undermine the half-and-half prin-
ciple of appropriation had not been Of
fered
Effect of New Measure.
The effect of the long substitute which
Representative johnson Offered was to
tax real estate at its full cash value at
the same rate as at present: to tax at
$50 per thousand all tangible and in
tangible personal property, with exemp
tions of 500 on improvements on real es-
tate and 500 on moneys and credits. In
answer 70 the question:
How would financial institutions be
taxed" Representative Johnson re-
piled
Exactly at present. except that
the real estate which they own would
he taxed ou.-third higher than at pres :
ent.'
During the debate which followed.
Representative Coady of Maryland told
the House that in Kentucky Mr.. John :
sons state. more money is received
from the dog tax than from the in
tangible personal property tax. Mr. John
son said he would endeavor to change
that were he a member OF the state legis-
lAture.
Reads Article From The Star
Mr.. johnson read an article from The
Star Of last Friday. mentioning the
H. T. Browne guess of s143GD.6sn
worth of real estate He denied the
truth Of the article and brought into
the debat. a real estate advertisement
pIblished by the Thomas ]. Fisher Realty
company to refute The Stars figures.
Does the gentleman bring in a real
estate advertisement as evidence" asked
Representative Payne, in surprise.
Representative johnson said. further
that there are men in the House who
would exempt all personal property fol
fear "of overtaxing some poor widow,
and held out as a compromise to those
members the five-hundred dollar eXemp-
lion in todays Johnson substitute
Not Repeal of Organic Act
Mr. johnson said his proposition does
not repeal the organic act. lie alst
said the Johnson Prouty amendment
and the later substitute does not relate
to ot affect the organic act. and that
aay one who said otherwise got il
.-tIa.n the local press.
Representative Igoe of Missouri. op.
POSING Representative Johnson agair
brought 10 attention strongly tha
there had been no study of the persona
PROPERTY situation in the District o.
co umbia.
This is a makeshift." he said re
ferr.ng to the johnson substitute Of
today lit corrects none of the evil:
We wanted TO correct
Referring to the wide range of attacl
on local busines and the integrity o
business men which characterizes Dis
trict day in the House, Mr.. lyoe call
ed attention to the fact that much o
the debate is enirely outside the bill:
under discussion.