Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-03-10
HOUSE RESTORES TAX
Adopts, Rate Suggested by Governor
Stuart and the Advisory
Board

After the Alexandria merchants,
whose annual purchases are in excess
of 100000 per annum, had succeed
ed in having the committees OF the
legislature report in favor or re-
tanning the present rate of 10 cents
per 500 of purchases in excess Oh
$500 900, they were defeated yester-
day when the report reached the
House Of Delegates. By a margin Oh
"a single vote the House rejected the!
report of the committee and hXeo
the rate as suggested by Governor
Stuart and the State Advisory Board
on Taxation as follows: Minimum
raised from So to $40, rate fixed at
20 cents per $500 on all purchases.
One hundred and fifteen merchants
lin this city are affected by the raise
in the minimum and will have to pay
s. additional per annum TO the State
while dozen large merchants, will
be compelled to pay several hundred
dollars additional each by reason Of
the increase.
For more than an hour the mcm-
bers fought over the merchants. IL
ccnse- tax section of House bill NO.
sos, one of the important revenue
measures, introduced on behalf OF the
! Finance Committee by Delegates
White, Moss and Murray. The dc-
bate brought frequent charges on the
part Of members supporting the COM
mittae recommendation that an effort
was being made by the advocates CT
the higher tax to arraign the small
merchant against the large one. ana
to play on the sympathies Of the ru-
raj members for the country dealers
to force an increase in the tax OF mer-
chants whose purchases exceed $780,
900.
When the House reached the section
which imposes license tax of 50 or
all retail dealers in tobacco, snuff and
cigars. Delegate Gordon offered a mo-
ton striking the entire section from
the bill. This tax was imposed by the
special session of 1915, and was mere
" repeated in the measure under con-
sideration.
Delegate Gordon objected to the ta:;
because, he said, it worked hard
ship on small country merchants.
These he said, are already sufficiently
taxed under the bill and should MOI
re forced to pay an additional tax for
the privilege Of handling a few cigar
rcttcs and cigars.
Delegate Brewer implorcd the
House to call halt to the attempts
to destroy the effect Of the revenue
measures by amendments. In an eff
fort to protect d few small merchants
in the country. ne pointed out, Dcic-
gate Gordon now proposes to relieve
all merchants. large and small, from
very necessary tax which yields the
State about $4,000 year in revenue.
Floor Leader Williams joined in the
protest. He had voted, he said. to IN
crease the tax on the large merchants
and was willing to play fair by insist
ing that the small merchants too
bear their proper share of the bur-
den.
In Difference to the opposition, De-
egate Gordon withdrew his original
amendment striking out the entire to-
bacco-tax section, and offered as a
substitute an amendment relieving
from the payment of the s. tobacco
tax al! merchants whose purchases
we're not in excess of 81 300 d year.
This. he said, would protect only the
weak, and would leave the tax as be-
fore with respect TO the larger mer-
chants, who arc able to bear it.
The amendment was accepted by
INC patrons of the bill, and was adopt
cd.
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