The Washington times., 1921-12-14
J0NESTAX BILL
BELIEVED NEAR
VOTE|N SENATE
tenroot Leading Opposition to
Measure to Determine Dis.
trict Assessment.

With the Jones Bfl establishing
the half-and-half plan as the perma-
nent basis for taxation in the Dis
trict. the unfinished business" Of
the Senate, hnai disposition of this
lonsfought measure in Congress Is
In sight.
The measure may reach a vote to-
day. and Senator Wesley Jones. of
Washington. is confident he can
muster a majority In favor of II, al
though the opposition il strong.
Efforts were made yesterday by
enemies 0f the bill to have 1t recon.
mitted to the District Committee,
but they failed through lack Of .
quorum.
Provisions Of Bill.
The Jones bill has for it's main pur-
pose the settlement of all further quar-.
rels between the House and Senate as
to the ratios that should exist between
the District and the Federal govern
ments In the payment of taxes for
the support of the municipal admins.
tration. 1t is also intended to give
the District the benefit of the $4,000
WV ooA PioS picCcu tO~ Il6 circuit LII Tue
Federal Treasury. 1t provides that
in the future. whenever a surplus In
favor OF the city Is created, the Dis.
trict shall have a proportionate low
ering or Its tax assessment In the fol-
lowing year. In others words, IL the
District taxes should yield 81 900 900
more than the appropriation bills call
for In any given year. the District
will have a correspondingly lighter
burden in the following year.
The strongest opposition to the bill
in the Senate is now offered by SEN
ator Lenroot Of Wisconsin.
mo good purpose is being served
by passing this BILL" he said. "The
House will never accept 1t. You are
not settling the taxation problem In
the District by this bill; you are mere
ly making the differences between the
two houses that much wider"
LenroOt Urges Inquiry.
Lenroot declared an impartial tax
commission should be appointed to
determine what Was Jus. and
reasonable rate Of taxation in the
District. He said that IL such taxa
ton rate failed to raise the needed
revenues to maintain Washington as
model municipality and as tho ma
tional capital. he was In favor of hay
ing the Federal treasury make up the
difference.
There is nothing sacred about the
$3.50 ration SAIL Lenroot. 1T Is
purely arbitrary. challenge any
Senator here to give aus a logical
statement of why this ratio should
be maintained permanently"
Lenroot threw a bombshell into the
camp Of the bill supporters by say
ing District taxes should be COM
pared not only with the correspond
ing taxes in other cities. but also
| with State and county taxes.
Escape Many Burdens.
"The citizens Of Washington have
20 county or State taxes to pay"
he said. They have no State In.
heritanoe or income tax to pay.
They even object to having property
ownerS assessed for street Improve
fnents in front Of their doors. In
hundreds of cities In i, this country
street improvement taxes are levied
by special assessment. and are not
figured into the regular tax rate nj
The supporters of the bill in tn,
debate were Senators Jones. Curtis
former chairman of the District A.
preparations Subcommittee, anI
Phipps. who succeeded Curtis in the
latter chairmanship. Senator Curtis
declared that the District of Colun,-
bia had always had the greatest
trouble in getting just treatmeB'
from Congress in the matter Of ~
propriations. A similar sentimer
was expressed by Senator Phipps.