The Washington herald., 1914-03-22
george SUBMITS
MINORITY REPORT
Augurs Stiff Fight in House
Against Johnson-Prouty
Tax Faction.
EMBODIES NEW FEATURE
Supplemental Measure Provides Same
Rate. for Tangible Personal and
Real Property.

Representative Henry George, jr., yes
terday introduced his minority report ON
the rewritten tax bill, which bears his
name, but embodies the ideas Of johnson
and Prouty. SIX members Of the District
Committee, Representatives Crosser. Igoe.
Keister. Wallin. Winslow and German,
Joined with Mr.. George in signing the mi
nority report.
This Is by far the strongest minority
sentiment ever expressed from the Dis
trict Committee and augurs stin fight
on the fioc- Of the House against the
hybrid measure to be presented by Judge
Prouty, representing a slender majority
of the committee.
A supplemental bill. also Identical with
the original George tax bill, was intro
duced along with the report. The bill
has one new feature, concession to
those who fear that tangible personal
property will escape with a low tax rate
IL the aueStion is left to the discretion
of the Commissioners. The new bill pro-
vides that tangible personal property
shall be- assessed at the same rate as
real PROPERTY.
Copy of Minority Report.
The minority report says: This bill as
originally introduced by Mr.. George was
the result of an exhaustive examination
into the question of the assessment and
taxation of real estate in the District of
Columbia conducted by a special SUBJ
committee of the House District Com
mittee.
The results of the examination are
fully set forth IN report signed by
all the members OF the investigating COM
mittee, namely Ben johnson, Henry
George. jr.. w. A. Oldfield. William e.
Redfield. C. o. Lobeck. Cyrus A. Sullo-
way, l.. G. Dyer, and Victor l.. Berger.
That report recommended a number of
changes in the laws relating to the as
sessment and taxation of real estate in
The District.
The more important changes urged pro-
-!ided for full value assessments: annual
instead of triennial assessments: repeal
of the fixed tax rates of l-2 per cent.
leaving the tax rates to be determined
actually in accordance with the require
ments Of the budget; substitution Of
twelve field assessors for the thrU assist
ant assessors on field work: the creation
of a board of appeals from which the
field assessors should be excluded: the
to the Commissioners of pow
er to remove for cause the assessor or
any Of the assistant assessors; the estab-
lishment of an assessment roll and the
transfer Of the duty OF making bills from
the office of the assessor TO that of the
tax collector.
"All OF the foregoing recommendations
are embodied in the bill as introduced
by Mr.. George. Section OF the original
bill provided for the abolition OF the
permanent fixed tax rate of one and one
half per cent on rea! estate and the sub
stitution therefor OF a fiuctuat.ng rate
TO be fixed by the Commissioners in ac-
ccrdance with the revenue needs of the
District In lieu Of this section ., the
majority OF the committee substituted q
section which fixes the tax rate absolute
ly at one and one-half per cent The ma
jority also Incorporated in the bill an
entirely new proposition, viz. the taxa
ton Of personal property and presumably
for the purpose OF procuring a larger tax
base. ii provided for the taxation Of per-
sonsl property not heretofore subject to
taxation in the District.
Fixes Uniform Rate.
While the bill as originally introduced
treated only of the assessment for taxa
ton OF real estate, and properly so, be-
cause no Investigation has been con-
Quoted into the assessment OF other
forms OF property, nevertheless in order
to remove all possible doubt as to the
Of personal property being for
any reason taxed at a higher rate than
real estate. the signers of this minority
report have provided in the proposed
substitute that the same rate of taxation
shall be levied in the same manner as
upon real estate.
THE classes and amount Of personal
property subject to taxation at the pres