Evening star., 1919-12-17

make us pay greater proportion. but
do not strike out the definite contribu-
| tory system which is our only safe
guard against unfair or excessive taxa
tion.'
Again, Mr.. Worthington said to the
committee: do you know of any
place In this country where the tax is
not for paying the expenses of govern
mant. but to be put into the treasury
for matters in regard to which the
person taxed has nothing to say?
Here you can tax whatever you feel
| like to pay the expenses here, but you
! have no right to tax us to put money
, into the national Treasury, as this bill
actually proposes to do.
Committee Not Appointed.
Mr.. Worthington said that when
Congress put through the bill levy
ling tax on intangible personal prop
erty 1T has been with the understand
ing that committee would be ap-
pointed to look into the whole matter
of taxation and the tax rates. etc.
nj the District of Columbia This
committee had never been appointed,
either on the House side or the SEN
ate side of the Capitol. he said.
Yet under this law you drag ST.
| 600, 900 from our pocket which you
will not use," continued Mr.. Worthing-
ton. "since the taxes have not been
fully appropriated for the use of the
District for several years.
MI MdpeS wanted TO Know IL IHc
witness had not overlooked the re-
port Of the joint committee made to
Congress early in 1916. Mr.. Worth
ington pointed out that the law for
the intangible personal property tax
had been enacted after that report
| joint committee had decided that the
people of the District were taxed
fairly and equitably and sufficient
amount when compared to the people
o;t Ir, nf
port. he said. he saw no reason for
levying the tax on intangibles.
Mr.. Worthington read from Ken
lucky report, showing that the people
! in that state entirely disregarded tne
! intangible personal property tax,
while the rate was high, and admit
| ting that. more money was raised
| from dog taxes in the state. lie
| said the rate had been reduced TO one
| tenth of 1 per cent. instead OF the
considerable revenue. was derived
! from the tax in Kentucky. He was
answering the argument made tnat
the tax Of three-tenths of 1 per cent
on intangibles here is low.
No Plan to Change Tax Laws.
Chairman Mapes interrupted Mr..
| Worthington as he was reading a re-
| Texas. saying that the committee did
not care to consider the question OF
| the intangible property tax or other
| taxes in connection with this. the
| pending bill. since it did not attempt
! to change the tax laws.
But I want it considered, replied
Mr.. worthington. explaining that he
believed the question of taxation was
vital, in view of what appeared to
be in the minds of opponents of the
| half fand-half plan. which is to put
the entire burden of the support of
the District government on the peO-
pie of the District.
Representative Focht suggested that
if the half-and-half plan was done
away with the assessors here would
not have to make the assessment
high enough to raise one-half of
what was appropriated for the Dis
triet by Congress. Il want to pro-
tect the federal government against
the assessors" he said. He said that
the assessors were WaShingtonians
and would work in the interests OF
the people here.
Named by Com 0,issiOners.
Mr.. Worthington pointed out that the
assessors are appointed by the Dis
trict Commissioners. who in turn are
appointed by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate. and that the peo-
pie of Washington have nothing to do
with their selection. On the other hand,
in the states. he said. the people have
them out if they do not like their as
sessments
II have been told" said Mr. Worth
ington, that a member of this COM
mittee once threatened the District as
SCISSOR that he would have him turned
out. if he did not increase the assess
ments snere.'
isn't it fact" said Representative
Williams of Illinois. that in many
places the people are practically al
lowed to fix their own assessments to
suit themselves by the assessors whom
they elect?"
The inquiry amused the committee,
but no one answered it.
Answers Mr.. Browns Statement.
bert ]. Brown on Monday. when he ap-
peared in opposition to the half-and-half
plan, that a prominent man in the Dis
trict had had assessments on his prop
erty changed without any record being
made of it, Mr.. Worthington said the
property in question had been given in
part to his son, and that while the as
sessment had been lowered on one part
1t had been raised an equal amount on
the other.
He also told the committee that ir
the case of Clifford Pinchot, who, Mr.
Brown said. had requested that the as
sessment be raised on his home here
and had had his request refused, the
assessor had explained that the assess-
ments were made at regular intervals
at that time Later. Mr. Worthington
said, the assessment had been raised.
Representative Sisson Gives Views.
who has been one of the strongest
advocates of the abolition of the half
and-half plan in the House, took the
stand when Mr.. Worthington gave
way
Mr.. Sisson insisted that neither he
nor any other member of the House
desired to do the District people an
injustice. The question at issue, he
said. was whether the residents of the
District pay as much, more, or less
taxes on their property than do resi-
dents of cities of a similar size in
this country.
He insisted that Congress would
never tax the people here as high 8
He said that he had written letters
to fifty cities in this country asking
about taxation, and that he had had
comprehensive replies from thirty
MY Investigation showed me-" said
Mr. Sisson, "that the people here
under their present tax law, pay
about one-half as much as the peo-
into consideration the state and
county taxes paid by them, as well as
the municipal taxes.
Scope Seen ms Too Wide.
why should you include the state
and county taxes in making a COM
parison." demanded Representative
Williams. The people here have no
such government"
Mr.. Sisson insisted that the govern
ment in the District covers all kinds
Of government. and suggested that
many of the judges here were not
paid by the District, but by the fed