Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-11

n7C1p0I, county ara state taxes or Other
cities, 1t ought hot in equity to be COM
PEELED >tO do NO, and that inclusion of
the state tax in the comparison is OBJ
vfously unjust.
Exclude All State Taxes.
"a Many of us contend that all
state taxes should be excluded equita-
bly, from the comparisons of city tax
burdens that taxes to be equitably
tors substantially in the same area, to
be distributed to beneficiaries in the
same area and for the benefit of that
area alone; that in the light of this
principle the municipal tax and the
state tax are as wide apart as the
poles, being separate and distinct in
personnel of contributors, in purpose
of creation, in scope and area of dis
'.receive the same benefts' that ac-
company state citizenship. and should
not, therefore, bear the burdens which
compensate for thexe benefits.
State taxes are paid that one may
enjoy with thousands outside of ones
home city the privileges and benefits
of citizens of the state, including rep
resentation in Congress and the cleo
toral college and in a state legisla-
ture; a recognized status in the United
States Supreme Court and the financial
benefits which come from enjoyment
of the land grants. bounties, and SO
forth, which the nation has laVlShed
upon the states.
These land grants amount to 1885,
527,723 acres of the public domain.
These money donations include more
than s16.000.000 from public land sales.
$28. 900 900 as deposits" under the act
Of 1896, and more than s63, 100000 un-
der the Morrill, act.
The payment Of taxes as the citizen
of n state gives the taxpayer his pro-
pOrtiOnate share in these financial ben
N0~ hi vtnF Inn mn
part In these grants. bOuntfes and ben
efits as citizen of n state. Why should
he pay or have charged against him
ms part Of his equitable tax burden
the taxes which are incidental to the
status of state citizens and which are
one condition of the enjoyment OF these
financial benefits:
The WaxhingtOnfan has none of these
political or judicial rights or privi-
Ieges. why should his fair tax burden
he held to include what the state citi-
zen pays in connection with the actual
enjoyment of these inestfmabie rights,
priyileven and benefits!
When Washington is part of a state
and enjoys the expenditure within 1t
Of it's due share of the state fund to
which thousands of state citizens out
side of it's limits contribute it will be
time to permit state taxation to enter
into its comparative per capita tax fig
ures. When WashingtonIans are like
Baltimoreans. Marylanders again. with
all the Marylanders' rights and privi-
leges as citizens of a state, II viii be
time to charge against the Washing
tonian in comparison with the Balti-
morean the state tax which the latter
pays, not as a Raltimorean. but as Il
Marylander. When Washington has
senators, representatives and state
legislature it will be time for it to pay
for such luXuries in the shape of a
state tax.
Our argument for the exclusion of
the state tax as well as the national
tax from the comparison of municipal
burdens of other American cities with
that of Washington is fully stated at
pages 1641-43 of the Report of the Hear
ings Before the Joint Fiscal Committee
and we ask for it in fairness careful
reading and consideration.
Omit Some State and County Taxes.
t2) Many of us hold that certain
items of state and county taxation
euuitably enter into comparison of
Washington'S tax burden with those of
other municipalities. and that other
items are equitably' excluded. no COM =
.ngton, so far as these items are con-
cerned. Statistician Beales of the census
bureau discusses elaborately and ably
this theory in the memorandum accom- :
panying his tables which were sub
mitted to the joint fiscal committee and
port of the hearings.
Statistician Beales analyses state and
county benefits Of city residents and
separates those in respect to which
Washington enjoys comparable benefits
and which in his opinion should be
| equitably added to the capitals city
| taxes to constitute an absolutely fair
comparative tax burden for the Wash
| ingtonian. The discussion is illuminat-
| ing, and several columns of interesting
and significant comparisons result.
State Taxes Included in Our Com
parisons.
(3) But in our hearings before the
| joint committee. we did not confine our
! Isnptipnad on Siyfb pa