Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-27
Representative BorIand Dis
Cusses Situation in District
on Floor of House.
THEORETICAL SIDE OF
QUESTION is ARGUED
Kansas City Is Given as an Ex-
ample Of a Money. Raising
Community.

"A OeSuiIOfS argument on the tneOretlCal
side of taxation in general opened the
debate in the House today on the George
bill to establish new assessment and
taxation system in the District of Column
bia. Representative Borland of Missouri
had the first hour of the debate today
favoring the taxation Of all personal and
intangible property ....
Representative Borland argued that the
civil service employees are not a special
class in the District of Columbia; that
every city has quota of federal en-
ployes, and that because federal employees
attempt to build homes here it is no rea-
son why they should not have fair
tax He said the big fellows" are using
the small home owner as an excuse for
lower taxes in the District of Columbia.
Representative Borland said that Kan
sas City raises $6.O0O.OOO for city pur-
poses off of 10000 people and 5000
GOO more for state purposes. He said that
in the District of Columbia only $1,000, 900
is raised from $4,000 people-"and yet
the Kansas City tax rate is too low to
be included in Representative Prouty's
list
Underassessment Here, He Says.
That there is large amount Of under
assessment in the District Of Columbia
Mr. Borland did not hesitate to announce
most vigorously
The exemption of intangible property
from taxation, he said. is a violation of
the organic act, and that it is shame
less desecration." He said further that
he does not believe the organic act is as
sacred as others seemed to think, but
that the exemption of personal property
is a violation.
His argument was that the organic act
is drawn in such way as to include
taxes on intangible property, but that
later some one slipped in the word tan
gfble.' and thereafter the man with the
stocks and bonds does not pay a penny
toward the support of the city"
Evades Answering Question.
Representative Coady asked him if the
drastic theories which Mr.. Borland was
the banks lose all their savings deposits? :?
Mr.. Borland evaded the question, but re-
marked that Washington had more banks
to the square inch than any other city
in the world and that if few of them
did go out Of business 1t would not be a
bad thing for the population in general.
Representative Coady asked him how
much intangible property is taxed in Mis-
souri,. and Mr.. Borland was unable to
say. He also did not know the amount of
this property IN the District of Columbia,
but ventured to quote other congressman
is "a paradise for tax dodgers"
Representative Coady announced that
if bank deposits are driven out of the
District of Columbia because of proposed
heavy taxation, his city of Baltimore will
welcome them.
Would Get "Tax Dodgers"
Representative Borland admitted that
the District of Columbia Is a community
of homes and that the government would
never countenance the influx of manu-
factures but he said that Congress owes
it to the small home owners to see that
a tax is laid on the intangible tax dodg-
ers so that the city would get all the
revenue to which it is entitled.
Representative Stafford got the floor
any one who had given any thought
to the tax question knows the diff
ficulty Of laying a finger on intang-
ible property. He offered as a solu-
ton for the problem in the District Of
Columbia that an income tax be
levied in this city. His state. Wis
consin. he said, had found an income
tax q good way to ferret out hidden
wealth.
Throughout this chamber there is
no desire to levy the wrong tax he
said "but there is a disposition to
reach the large treasures of wealth
which come here and escape taxation"
Would Benefit Society, He Says.
Even if taxes were high enough here
to drive out some of these multimil-
lionaires it might be better for the So
ciety at large If we could get rid of
some of them and their lavish enter
| tainments and re-establish a strong de-
mocracy we would be better off.
Representative Payne of New York,
speaking of the tax system In his state,
said that though the law demanded as
sessment at full value, he knew Of only
one instance where this actually occurred.
| He told the House that the Prouty
| figures Of assessment and taxation on
New York cities were absolutely wrong.
You can't impose any such figures as
those on me-, he said
THE committee has brought in bill
| to tax intangible property, he continued
Intangible property has been sought
after a good many years, and lot OF
people have given up the chase
Representative Payne said that wher
| II came to levying taxes some men can
| not see an inch further than rich mar
| who has stock in corporation He said
| that he liked to see rich men spending
| their money in any city.
| Representative Coady brought out
| the fact that under the amended
| George bill stocks and bonds would
| be taxed whether or not they paid a
| dividend or interest
| Mr. Payne continued. saying that in
tangible property taxes would be Wis
| tied upon the homes of the poor in the
| He said, concerning some of the legis-
lation proposed by the District COM
| mittee:
.It is only crawfsh and some poll
ticians that make progress backward II