Evening star., 1922-04-28
Mobilizing Forces
To Bring Defeat
To Scheme.
RUDOLPH TO MAKE
SPECIAL INQUIRIES
ID. C.. Real Estate Board,
Board of Trade and
Merchants to Act.

Forces are being modified to de-
termine what form Of action to adopt
to bring about the defeat of the latest
proposed taxation system. as con-
tained in the conference report of the
District appropriation bill. Coming
as 1t did like battle unannounced.
local organizations, business and
civic. are preparing. for action. They
will discuss the whole question be-
fore determining. They are moving
but not hastily.
The first to. take action, as it af-
fects seriously every owner OF real
estate in the District-and there are
since the homecoming
took hold-will be tho
committee of which will
meet this afternoon.
The board Of directors Of the Wash
ington Board Of Trade will consider
the matter Monday afternoon; the
and Manufacturers Asso-
citation Tuesday afternoon and the
of Commerce Tuesday night
Commissioners Take Action.
After an hours discussion OF the
report on the District bill,
the board of District Commissioners,
at a session today delegated Com
missioner Rudolph. chairman Of the
board. TO make special inquiries into
this matter. and take what action he
saw fit before the next meeting of the
board.
1t was indicated that it is possible
oct IN q hao orfr
the conferees might be included in
the District administration program
on this situation. 1t was said definite
ly that the Commissioners did request
a hearing on Capitol Hill last week to
present matters appertaining to fiscal
relations between the District gov
ernment and the federal government,
but that this request was denied.
The meeting started at 1850 and
ended shortly before l o'clock. For
more than an hour. during half of
which time District Auditor D. ].
fiscal affairs, was closeted with the
members of the board. It was said
that Mr.. Donovan is going to Capitol.
Hill this afternoon. presumably to
present some data regarding fiscal af-
fairs to friends of the District ip the
House and Senate.
Many Protests Come In.
The Washington Real Estate
Board will give this most serious
business it's consideration it was
announced today by John A. Petty, ex-
ecutive secretary Of the board.
Much of the forenoon at headQuar-
ters of the Real Estate Board was
taken up in receiving telephone calls
from various real estate brokers and
property owners. requesting the
board to take some immediate action
nf tvtny sci IN fnr
Congress the disastrous possibilities
of the pending legislation, Mr.. Petty
said
While the executive secretary
would not predict what position the
committee would take on the matter,
the proposed increase in taxes at this
time adds another impediment to the
problem of housing and further in
creAses the cost of living by the
necessary increase in rent which
you'd probably follow an increase in
taxes"
VIII Name Committee.
Referring to the vast numbers of
employees and others of
moderate means. who have purchased
homes within the past few years
many of them making sacrihces in
their effort to complete payment on
deferred mortgages" he stated that
their burden would not only be in
creased by the contemplated boost in
real estate taxes, but an increase In
the intangible tax would have d.
rect effect on them, as holders OF
mortgages would more than likely.
transfer this raise in>intangible tax
to an increased rate of interest charg-
ed the property owner.
It Is expected that the executive.
committee will appoint special COM
nnittee to represent the board In the
city-wide protest which has been
raised by business and civic organfza-
tions against what is termed a drastic
step by Congress. Members OF the
executive committee are: Harry K
Boss, J. C. Weldon. Morton J. Luchs.
Harry L. Rust, Charles s. Shreve.
Percy H. Russell and Jesse H. Hedges.
VIII Aggravate Situation.
Numerous leading officials of the
real estate board and individual
brokers were not backward in voicing
their opinion Of the projected tax
raises.
"In the face of the desperate efforts
that are being made to help the rent
situation, Congress proceeds to enact
LEGISLATION which will have exactly the
opposite effect" declared John L.
Weaver. former president OF the Ma.
tional Association OF Real Estate ;,s
aggravate the rent situation more than
any other one thing possibly could do
"The increase would be most unfor-
tunate for Washington real estate.
said N. L. Sansbury. Money for mort
cages already is being withdrawn from
securities in other cities. The In
creased tax on mortgages. which are
included in the intangible tax levy,
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