Evening star., 1916-08-02
Adopts Amendment to Appro-
priation Bill for One on In J
tangible Property. !
RULING PREVENTS TACKING
ON PROHIBITION MEASURE
Senator Jones Loses in Effort to Put
DRY" Bill on District Money a,
Legislation. :, i

ate today adopted an amendment
to the District appropriation bill
providing for a tax on intangible
personal property, including
money, stocks and bonds, etc.
The tax rate is fixed at four
tenths of per cent. The amend
ment was offered by Senator
Sterling of South Dakota.
An effort to attach the prohibi-
ton bill for the District to the
District appropriation bill as an
amendment was made by Senator
Jones Of Washington.
The proposed amendment was ruled
out of order by Senator Walsh of Mon
tana, who occupied the chair. on tho
ground that it was general legislation
upon an appropriation bill The point
Of order against the amendment was
made by Senator MARITIME Of New Jersey.
Declines to Make Appeal.
would not seek to embarrass the Sen.
ate in view of its decision that the
amendment providing for tax on in-
tangible personal property was In or
der, declined to take an appeal from
the ruling of the chair, and SO the pro-
hibition amendment was lost.
Senator Jones offered his prohibition
amendment amendment to the
amendment offered by Senator Sterling.
The Senate, by a vote of 35 to %. held
Senator Sterling's amendment in order.
although a point of order had been
made against 1t that IT was general
legislation on an appropriation bill.
Senator Jones insisted that his pro-
hibition amendment was no more gen.
eral legislation than was the Sterling
amendment II the Senate had ruled
one In order. he said, there could be
no question that the other was in or
der. He pointed out that the prohi-
bition amendment had an even better
standing than the Sterling amendment,
since 1T was in fact a bill which had
been reported to the Senate by the Sem
ate District committee, and the Sterling
amendment had never been considered
by the Senate District committee.
Delighted at Action Of James.
II was delighted to hear Senator
James of Kentucky" said Senator
Jones. urge the adoption of the Sterl-
ing amendment and suggest that the
Senate was just as ready to act upon
that amendment now as it would be
after any further investigation. / am
glad that the senator from Kentucky
voted to hold the Sterling amendment
in order"
Senator James is an ardent opponent
Of prohibition in the District.
Wants Tax Laws Investigated.
An amendment offered by Senator
Gallinger was adopted providing for
an investigation of the tax laws of the
District by a joint committee cons
posed of the Senate and House Dis
trict committees or by subcommittee.
The joint committee is to report at the
next session of Congress.
Senator Gallinger suggested that
such a study of the tax laws might re-
suit in the reduction of some of the
taxes imposed here, particularly the
licenses taxes.
Senator Kern of Indiana moved to
strike from the bill the appropriation
heretofore agreed to by the Senate pro-
viding for the purchase Of the Patter-
son and Dean tracts for park purposes
and for the purchase of land near the
Zoo Park as provided in Senator
Stones amendment and for the pur-
chase of the Klingle Ford tract as pro-
vided in the Sterling amendment adopt
ed yesterday.
Senator Kern gave as his reason for
this motion the large appropriation
which the government is called upon
to make this year, including appro-
priation of more than 100000 for food
sufferers in the south passed by the
Senate yesterday.
Newlands Amendment Up. -
When the Senate met today the New
of the $4,000 appropriated for com-
pleting the new fish market should be
used. or as much thereof as is neces- .
sary. for the purpose of having plans
made for the development of the water
front. commercially and artistically.
by board of engineer officers In con-
junction with the fine arts commission,
was first considered.
Senator Newiands pointed out that
there was about a mile of water front
condition today. and his amendment
was to provide plan for remedying
these defects.
senator Smith of Maryland, Senator
Gallinger of New Hampshire and others
that all of the $4,000 was
needed to complete the fish market and
should not be diverted to another pur-
pose They insisted that the plans for
the fish market. the new fish market
wharyes and the central power plant ?.
for the government buildings had all
been made. and no other commission
for considering them was needed.
Senator Newlands replied that while
plans may have been made for these
buiIdines still there was long stretch
IF water front for which no plans had
been made.
Finally, on the suggestion of Senator
tones Of Washington, Senator Newlands
withdrew that part of his amendment
Calling for an expenditure of $1,000 for
MAILING these plans and left the amend +
nent providing for the preparation of the
waterfront plans by the army engineers ;
md the fine arts commission. In that .
orm it was adopted by the Senate.
Intangible Property Tax Debated.
An amendment was then offered by
senator Sterling Of South Dakota provid-
ns for levying a tax of 4-10 of per cent
m intangible personal property in the !.
District.
The amendment proposed was as toIs
ows:
'That the moneys and credits. includ-
ng moneys loaned and invested. bonds
nd shares of stock (except the stock
4 banks and other corporations within
he District of Columbia the taxation Of