Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-12

1T SO that no matter when the bill
passes the punishment will date from
1916
Third-When room and board are
furnished for a lump sum, the asses ssor
Tor the District of Columbia is given
the right to determine what part of
the lump sum is for board and what
part Tor the room, so as to establish
whether prodteering is practiced in the
room rent.
fourth-While the bill does not at
tempt to fix the price of meals, the
amendment was made because it was
nfousht to the attention of the House
D1stfict committee that one of the
hoteIs had said il would evade the law
1hrouSh charging lump sum for room
ana breakfast. and that there was no
way to punish such evasion as there
MoCIc be no way to tell how much was
the price Of the room.
Tenant Violators.
Fifth = In answer to an objection OF
the real estate brokers that the tax
should not be made lien on the real
estate since the tenants and not the
owners were profiteering. an amend
iteHt was put into the bill providing
tnat all personal property of the tenant
who violates the law shall be exhausted
hSfore the real estate is drawn against
70 meet the tax Chairman johnson ex-
let without the written consent of the
owners the owners should be made re-
SpoHSIble in some degree for the uses
10 which the property was put by the
He pointed out that the real estate
owners are still further protected by
not allowing the tenant any exemption
W MhateNer against payment of the tax
The last stick OF furniture that the tax
collector can find must he taken and
applied on the payment of the tax.
Sixth-fDriticism that no distinction be-
t"een houses that furnish service and
was answered by an amendment allowing
an additional charge equal to the actual
cost of the service given
Seventh-on new property an allowance
OF 10 per cent was granted on the furni-
in rental. ''''' o''e
Eighth-Representative Hilliard had a
s,t. .s,,ilf1i!Itee amendment inserted, clipped
from the Tlnkham bill. providing that IL
any part of the Johnson bill is found con-
sututlonal and any part is found uncon-
stltutional the constitutional part shall
Principal Features of Bill.
As it stands the principal features of
the johnson income tax bill'' designed to
prevent profiteering in rents on real estate
in the District are:
Limit of 10 per cent increase in rents
year ending September 80, 1916.
Limit of rent on new property 10 per
cent over the valuation, with allowance OF
10 per cent for furniture
Where landlord supplies light heat
service. etc. allowance of actual cost
OF such service over the 10 per cent
provision
The penalty fer violation of this law
would be 100 per cent of all rentals in
excess of those allowed
Any person charged excess rentals is al.
lowed to sue the person attempting TO
profteer and to recover twice the amount
llesa!ly collected and minimum attor.
ney fee OF $50, with the court costs as
sessed against the prohteer
Penalties and taxes constitute a s,I.
perior lien on the property from which
these excess incomes are derived
The District Commissioners are au-
thorized to make the necessary rules and
regulations for enforcement of the act.
Vigorous Debate Aroused.
There was vigorous debate all yester-
day on the bill While admitting that
some rentals. particularly those for fur
nished houses and apartments. were high.
and extortionately so in some particular
Instances, opponents of the measure Dis
agreed with the theory Of trying to reeu-
late these charges on the ground that il
would lead to the fixing of prices of
Charges that profiteering was ram
pant and that the people who had come
10 Washington for war work were the
chief sufferers We're met with 6eclara-
lions that similar conditions obtain in
Ill cities that are centers of war actiy-
ties and that the great majority of
people coming here do so to get larger
'alaries than they have received in
heir home town. that the big increase
las imposed discomfitures on the peo-
Die of Washington and that many of
he incomers are not objecting at all
o the prices charged.
Representative Graham of Illinois
said prices of delivered srocerie here
we're SO 1s per cent higher than in cities
IF similar size. Representative Howard
If Georgia declared that a single man
n Washington earning S100 a month
lad little left after paying actual ex-
)enSeS.
Several speakers presented the side
,f the boarding house keeper, who
axes roomers to make her living. They
Weighed s. she may now receive for a
Dom in its purchasing value with the
g she formerly got and found that she
vas actually getting less.
Tinkham Sees Fraud.
When Representative Tinkham of
daSsa chuSetts was thwarted by the
uling that his bill was not germane
$ amendment, he attacked the good
airh of Representative johnson in push
ng his bill tax legislation. He said:
The title OF the bill introduced by