The Washington times., 1919-12-17
Favorable Report on Mapes Bill
Probably viii Be Made
Tomorrow.


| mony of Chairman James W. Good, OF
and Congressman. Tom sisson, former
chairman of the subcommittee on Dis
trict appropriations.
The House Appropriations Commit
tee refuses TO further assume respon-
biIity for delay of passage of the Dis
trict appropriation bill, Mr.. Good told
the District Committee. 1t is up to the
District of Columbia Committee to
bring out a measure that will either
abolish the half-and-half plan or pro-
vide some other method that would
| result in removing the half-and- hair
rider from the District appropriations
bill.
Reviews Deaateeks.
Reviewing the deadlocks that have
resulted over the rider i'm the past.
MIR. Good said he predicted that II the
rider again goes on the bill The
House will not retede.
AT the last session said Mr..
Cioode. Il got the conferees to yield
to the Senate only with the thorough h
understanding the matter would not
! come up again
The Senate has promised to give
immediate consideration to any leg
islation proposed by the House that
would settle once and for all time the
question of the half-and-half."
Mr.. Good rejected the claim of the
Joint Citizens COMMITTEES of the Dis
trict that taxes here are excessive.
A $4,000 dwelling I'm his home town
in Iowa. Mr.. Good told the commit
tee, pays from 500 to 500 in taxes.
He said he knew that property of the
same value in Washington paid far
of
the citizens committee, said the tax
here on $4,000 house. If assessed at
full value, is only $40.
Tax Lever Here.
Congressman Lanham of Texas told
the committee that just three weeks
ago he paid taxes on a $4,000 place
he owns IN Texas. The city tax was
So and the State and county taxes
were SO, making a total of 1872. The
house rents for S32.75 per month,
thereby yielding gross annual rev.
enue of x393
Such a house would be taxed in
Washington for $40, Nr. worthington
Mr.. Worthington denied that Wash
ington was a "millionaires' ! resort"
and refuge for rich tax-dodgers.'
he said Washington was a "city of
small homes"
He declared there should be no tax
on intangible property here, pointing
out that the dog tax in Kentucky
yields more than the Intangible prop
erty tax.
The Intangible tax in Washington is
three-tenths of 1 per cent. There is
assessed IN the District $293, ,OOO, 900
worth of Intangible property consist
ing mostly Of stocks. bonds. and gilt
edge securities.
WeulA Boost Taxation.
Chairman Mapes, of the District
Committee, announced that a. hearing
would be had shortly after the holi-
days on bill by Congressman Woods
OF virginia toincrease the intangible
property tax to 1 per cent. This
would make this form of property
yield approximately $4,000, 900. as
against the $500, 900 now collected.
Congressman Sisson, who for sew
| eral years has been waging a cam
paign against the half-and-half plan.
| told the committee that the people OF
the District fear Congress would
take advantage of the District should
the half-and-half plan be abolished.
No member OF Congress would
knowingly do the District an injus.
tice," he declared. II do not believe
that Congress would tax the District
as high as citizens tax themselves in
cities of like size"
Mr.. Sisson said he wrote to fifty
cities asking for statistics as to taxes.
From thirty. he said, authentic re-
plies were had.
Figures Are CITED.
Il make . reasonable statement
| when / say that the two-thirds valu-
alton on which the people Of the Dis
trict of Columbia pay taxes is about
one-half the tax paid by other cities
of similar size," Mr.. Sisson said.
He produced a letter showing the
total itax paid in Louisville on a full
valuation is s2.72, as against 81 paid
| in the District.
In Dallas, Tex, the total tax paid
is S2.97 on a full valuation, as agains;
81 paid here.
The tax in Buffai, " Y, $3.50. as
against 81 paid in the District.
Defending the Mapes bill to abolish
the half-and-half. Mr.. Sisson said
| that this bill does not change the
law of assessment and does no,
change the rate of taxation. 1t
merely prevents surplus piling UP
| in the treasury"
Mr. Slsson advocated using the in
come from taxes here for uses of the
| District only. Not a cent should be
| expended toward support or improve
ment OF Federal property here, ne
| said.
would Protect U. $.
Congressman Benjamin Focht, mem
Der of the District Committee, con-
! tended there should be some provi-
sion in the bill to protect the Fed
! eral Government from the tax as.
| SCISSORS of the District. As long as
the half-and-half is in vogue, he
| said. the assessors will raise assess
| ments in the hope that Congress will
| meet the sum raised by taxes here.
| II have been told that members of
this committee have gone to the as
SCISSORS and told them if they did no,
raise valuations they would be pu,
out OF office" Mr.. Focht told the
committee.
| Until some disposition is made o,
the Mapes bill. the Approximations
Committee OF the House does not plsr
10 begin work on the District OF Co,
lumoia appropriations bill For this
reason Chairman Mspes will seek to
speed action on the measure. If re.
ported tomorrow. action will be had
In the House early in January.