The Washington herald., 1914-02-27
Tax Them; They Are Helpless.

Having successfully engineered
through the House of Representatives
measures which, if eventually enacted
into law, will increase heavily, unjust
ly, and unnecessarily the tax burdens
of the home owners of Washington,
who cannot escape by moving to some
other city, the House District Commit
tee has decided to lay hands upon the
bonds, cash, jewels, and other belong
ings of the rich sojourners in the
Capital, many of whom have residences
and pay taxes elsewhere. These peo-
pie can and probably will, in many
instances, make their escape to more
hospitable communities.
A reading of the Prouty-J Johnson
amendment to the George real estate
taxation bill, which has been approved
by the District Committee, is enough
to give the tax collector case of de-
lirium tremehs, and it is no wonder
that Representative George intimates
that he will lose all interest in his
measure if this jangling appendage is
to be attached to it. If it should actual
1y become law the attempts TO inter-
pret it and enforce it will provide a
real farce for the film companies.
But for its other absurdities, render
ing it proof against enactment or en-
forcement, the amendment might cause
excitement among taxpayers because it
eliminates the section which provided
for huctuating rate of taxation on
real estate, to be fixed by the District
Commissioners at figure which would
yield sufficient revenue to meet some
vague and unspecifed proportion of the
expenses of maintaining the Nation
Capital, to be borne by the District of
Columbia. With the Prouty-J Johnson
conundrum attached the bill would re-
quire real estate to be assessed at its
full value, instead of two-thirds value,
as at present, and taxed at the present
law-fxed rate of SIS. per $1,000. More
than likely this was the sole object of
the amendment. The George bill orig
inally left tiny loophole by which by
some miracle the people of Washington
might have escaped a part of the pro-
posed so per cent increase in their
taxes. The change-was either cunning
" devised or still ANOTHER example of
such careless, haphazard, half-bakcd
legislative hodge -podge that has been
repeatedly hurled at the Senate, this
session. II -. ~ ?
The House has already passed along
to the Senate the Borland amendment,
aimed directly at the purse of the
small home owner; section S of. the
District appropriation bill which de-
prives the city of S3.oooooo in appro-
priations, half of that sum being money
actually paid in taxes by the people /:
the bill removing from Distric, reve-
nues the half million dollars annually
paid in license fees, &c. and the bill
requiring the District of Columbia to
pay again to the Federal government
the sum of 100000 advanced BY the
United States prior to 1873, and which
was covered in the final adjustment of
financial relations between 1874 and
1873. And still the House District
Committee is not satisfied ~
"The people of Washington are help
less; tax them to the limit" That
would be fitting motto to adorn the
House District Committee room.
Appeals TO the reason of the men
having District legislation in charge
in the House are useless. They must
be made to the intelligence, justice,
and fairness of those members of the
House who heretofore have taken only
a perfunctory interest in District af-