Evening star., 1922-04-28

from flTSC tdSe.)
would serve further to accelerate this
withdrawal Of funds to outside invest
ments, thus decreasing the supply OF
money for building homes In Washing
\ ton. Agitation over the rent law has
encouraged many persons to purchase
and these unfortunate buyers will be
seriously affected by the added bur-
dens."
Deplores the Prospect.
]. C. Weldon deplored the prospects
| Of investors being driven away from
Washington at q time when their
financial assistance Is most needed.
Investors are in great demand in the
should be shown some inducement for
placing their money in local real
estate, rather than be confronted with
| increased tax burdens on their In
vestment.
Jesse H. Hedges stated: "The legls-
| lation will exert a very serious pres
| sure on persons who have bought
their homes on the consideration only
of present tax rates, and who have
| not figured on SO heavy an increase"
Arthur Brown, former president Of
the Board Of Trade and a member of
the real estate board, said that he
could not be quoted too strongly re-
gardtng his opposition to tax raise
as proposed. pointing out that the
tenant, the property owner and busi-
under such burdens.
District Held Helpless.
Tho danger which the District now
faces OF having it's system of taxation
upset in the new appropriation law
furnishes another example Of the
helpless position in which the people
of Washington find themselves with
nj a In in
opinion Of Albert Schulteis, president
Of the Chamber Of Commerce..
III We had representatives in the
halls of Congress-, as we should have"
said the head Of the chamber: they
could lay a dangerous situation Of
! this kind clearly before the members
of the House and Senate and point
out to them what the far-reaching
effects OF it will be on the Capital
city; -
legislation goes through the effects
of 1t will be felt In Washington for
years to come"
"Eminently subversivef of good or
/ DER" is the characterization given the
new conditions of taxation which are
proposed through the terms of the
conference report on the District ap-
preparation bill by President Stephan
Of the Merchants and Manufacturers
| Association.
Special Meeting Called.
Believing that such taxation would
be tyranny, Mr.. Stephan last night
issued call for special meeting of
| ton for Tuesday afternoon at 2
o'clock, where representatives of more
| than twenty-six different lines of
business will have an opportunity to
| vote on the question.
With civic Washington, from the
I Ia fn ho Olry he Cf1 @0A
\ at the proposals in the conference re-
port, rising in their full strength to
fight 1t, 1t Is expected that vigorous
| opposition to what is termed the
l outrageous conditions proposed in the
new bill'' will soon be felt by Con-
\ gress. Gen. Stephan says.
"The city OF Washington has been
! imposed on more than once, but the
new conditions Of taxation which are
proposed through the terms Of the
conference report on the District ap-
propriation bill is Just another evil
i dence of imposition on an unfranchis-
ed and therefore defenseless people,"
| said Gen. Stephan.
II have issued a call for a meeting
of the board of governors Of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
| tfon for next Tuesday afternoon at
| o'clock, so that the representatives of
the twenty-six different lines of busi-
fness that compose our board of gov
ernors will have an opportunity to
voice what, / am sure. every citizen
ing been outraged by this proposal.
Subversiye4 Of Good order.
Coming at a time when a most sin
greatest economic problem that busi-
ness men and the people of every
character and kind have had to face;
likewise at a time when a most
earnest effort is. being made to solve
the housing problem. matter of
shelter for human beings, the pro-
posal is not only unwise, but emf
nently subversive OF a sense Of good
order. 1t tends to a situation where
taxation is indeed tyranny.
| whatsoever in the determination Of
this and other questions, directly or
indirectly.
"It could not come at more unfa-
vorable time for any Of US, and since
there seems to be no essential reason
trarily increase the cost Of living I
am sure the business men Of the Ma
tfonal Capital will desire, and they
will certainly be given, an oppor-
tunity TO express their sentiments
and to transmit the same to every
member of Congress"
President Stephan has named a COM
/, mittee to make a study of the situa-
1 tion, consisting of E. c. Graham, r,
p. Andrews. NJ. A. Leese,- General
tCounsel NJ. D. Rosenberg and Secre-
tary Charles J. Columbus:
Briefly. the decision of the confer
ence, which has caused such stir
Throughout the city, provides for the
ktaxing of real estate on a full value
assessment, instead of two-thirds
assessment, as at present, and an in
crease in the tax rate on Intangible
property from three-tenths to Ave-
tenths of 1 per cent.
I Increase In Taxes.
r. While both these increases In tax
alton will add heavily to the tax
burden of the thousands of covern-
iment employees who are buying homes.
the chief concern Of civic leaders is
that 1t will discourage the building of
4 moro homes SO urgently needed to
relieve. the housing shortage.
These increases In taxation" said
A.. ]. Driscoll president of the Mid
City Citizenss Association. "are going
to be met in the end by the poor man
and the man of average means, If
he owns his home the proposed legis-
llation will be reflected In his annual
real estate tax. II he Ii BUYING a
new home, he will feel 1t in the cost
lsof hia mortgages, for the increase m
intangible tax will apply to mortgage
Il believe the twoscore of citizens
Organisations throughout the city
should act Immediately to lay before
tnur arnY,w frfAi1t1R SIM hfyf h .1Rot,Ras Al