Evening star., 1920-03-27
MOVE TO
DROP $3.50 PLAN
AND RAISE DC. TAX
Board of Trade Adopts Res
oIution Asking Hearings
on Measure.

Board of Trade. at a meeting last
night at the Willard, adopted a reso-
luton petitioning Congress to take no
de'loh on the subject except by direct
| iesiSiation and only after full public
hearing
The resolution was introduced by
| former Commissioner Henry r. F
-Haclariand, who said that the enor-
IhouSiy increased taxation as pro-
posed in the District of Columbia ap-
propriatlon bill would prove a calam-
! part follows:
| Inc Washington Board of Trade.
IN the interest of the progress of the
National Capital. protests against the
proposed abolition of the half-and-
| ha!f plan without substituting a def
mite and equitable system of appro
priations in it's place and with the
consequent increase in taxation by the
enormous amount of 662a per cent in
rider to the District appropriation
blii reported without hearing. and pc
t,iiohs congress to take no action on
the subject except in a Legislative bill
ana to make no change in taxation
without fuil hearing on the entire tax
system of the District of Columbia
Refer to Previous Hearing.
| 1T requests Congress to give care
Iui consideration to the facts pro-
ports by the joint citizens committee
before the joint select committee of
congress in 1915, and the House Dis
trlct OF Columbia committee in De-
cemoer, 1919, showing that Washing
ton is more highly taxed than the
great majority of American cities. in
Guiding those most nearly comparable
with 1t. and that its proportion of as
sessed to actual value of real estate
| IS larger than In most American cities.
n
tation of March. 1909. on the esti-
mates of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia. so that they can
fully present all its needs. and also
| that 1t provide for advances from the
ational Treasury to the District of
Columbia when necessary, and to be
afterward repaid. and for utilizing
any uneXpended revenues of the Dis
trict of Columbia for it's benefit un-
der the half-andhalf plan. or one
equally definite regular and lib
eral according to the policy recon-
mended by the joint select committee
, of Congress in 1915
Mr.. Brandcnburg Speaks.
E. C. Brandenburg, former president
OF the board. spoke briefly on the dis
astrous effect such a large increase
in taxation would have on the people
the most crucial period in the history
OF the District of Columbia
My understanding of the report of
the appropriations committee is that
W ashington is to have this year S1S,-
100000. If we were taxed Sc 2-3 of
that amount il would mean that We
would have to pay taxes in the neigh
!; borhood of $15.000.00O. leaving only
S3.00O,000 to be appropriated by Con-
gress. If Congress can limit it to only
three million they could, with equal
propriety. refuse to give anything.
leaving the entire $1S,oO0.00O for the
people of the District of Columbia to
raise. 1t is not fair to the taxpayers
of this city
Homer L. Ferguson. president Of the
United States Chamber of Commerce.
characterized the voteless condition
of Washington as perfectly ridicu
lous." He said that it was pathetic
that public-spirited citizens of this
city should have only the right of pc
tition. and not that of national rep
resentation.
Hopes for Correction.
Mr. Ferguson said that he hoped
that this grave injustice would soon
be corrected as the condition of
Washington was unworthy of the great
country to which it belongs.
After brief outline of the work ac-
complished by the United States
chamber Mr.. Ferguson touched on
several national questions, including
railroad legislation, which. he said.
was suggested by the chamber. and
the opposition of business men to the
; bonus for soldiers.
He also spoke of the lack of
merchant marine, and aid that 25 per
cent of the United States soldiers
; ing to the United States 25 per cent
on ca ptured vessels and so per cent on
allied vessels.
! ANY nation continued Mr.. Fergu-
| son, that cannot control channels of
| transportation cannot be a free and
independent nation, no matter how
+, much its constitution says it is
| Speaking of the United States
| Chamber of Commences new home in
Washington. to be erected on the old
! Corcoran estate at 18th and H streets
+! at a cost of $3.00o.0 .000, Mr.. Ferguson
sa id that he hoped it would become
| the home of business men. He said
! that the chamber needed home of
| this character to dignity American
business.
Appeals for Woman's Bureau.
! Mrs. Nina Van Wrinkle. director of
the woman's bureau of the police de-
partment, made an appeal for funds
/ to help carry on this branch of the
police work. She said that at present
the members of the bureau were put
| to heavy personal expense in carrying
out their duties.
| She gave a brief outline of the work
/ of the bureau and said that one of its
members made forty-two shoplifting
arrests in one month. She said that
! the detective force was jealous of the
! bureau because it was afraid the
women would get some credit for
| their work. and that the men Were
afraid their positions would be taken
| by women.
"a good house Of detention is what
Washington needs" said Mrs. Van
| Winkle I'VE need money to repair
the old Emergency Hospital. which
is in a diiapidated condition. We are
! asking S17 500 to carry on the work
of the bureau and make some of the
| necessary repairs.
| Lauds Maj. Pullman.
| Odell Smith, chairman of the public
| order committee of the board intro
duced two resolutions, one lauding
| the late Maj. Pullman. and the other
! calling for the selection of new
chief of police from the ranks. Both
were unanimously adopted by the
board.
/ Cross commissioner to the near east,
made strong appeal for funds to
| carry on the work of rescuing the
Armenians from starvation and the
/ Turkish rule.
| icompanies in the city was advocated
! in the report of the public utilities
committee of the board. The report
of the committee was read at the last
meeting of the board by Chairman
Charles w. Darr. and. with the ex-
ception of the phrase that members
of the commission should not be for
!mer office holders of the District of
Columbia" was adopted by unani-
nous vote.
I Would Appoint COmmissiOn.