Evening star., 1922-05-05
PLAN TO RUSH D. G..
TAX RAISE in SENATE
ENCOUNTERS A SNAC
Nav
Escape Point
of Order.
MIR. PHRPS MOVES IT
co TO COMMITTEE

Vice President Coolidge late this
afternoon Overruled a point Of
order made by Senator Harrison
of Mississippi against the fiscal
relations provision inserted in the
District appropriation bill by the
cOnferees.
Senator Underwood then sug-
gested that the motion to refer
an amendment adopted BY the
House to the Senate committee ON
appropriations was not the proper
procedure, but that the District
bill should be referred to the
committee with instructions to
consider the fiscal relations
senator Phfpps accepted the
suggestion and the motion to re-
fer the bill with instructions was
carried.
The report from the House on the
fiscal relations provision of the Dis
trict appropriation bill was laid be-
fore the Senate by the Vice President
at 2 o'clock today.
During the reading of the proposed
new fiscal relations plan. Senator
Poindexter of Washington inter-
rupted to say that it was matter of
very great Importance and would un-
take some time to consider.
At this point Senator Curtis OF
Kansas urged that it was matter of
so much Importance it should be re-
ferred to the Senate appropriations
committee for consideration before
being taken up in the Senate.
"This is an amendment agreed 10
in the House." said Senator GURUS
1T does not come to us as part OF
the conference report. 1t is of such
great Importance / think u ought 10
be referred to the committee. II II
had come to it as the part OF a con-
ference report 1 have no doubt that
it would be subject to point OF or
der on the ground that the conferees
had put new matter into the report
which was not in the bill as 1t passed
either house. The full committee
should pass on this"
Senator Jones of Washington. one
of the conferees. pointed out that the
Senate fiscal relations amendment
had been SO broad that he doubted
very much whether the conference
agreement would be subject to a
point of order.
senator N0frlS St0h0s
Senator Norris of Nebraska an
nounced that he would vote against
this proposition of the conference
because 1t did not contain a provision
in the original Senate amendment
exempting from taxation the hrst
$4,000 on any real property. He said
that he would vote against any con-
ference report that admitted that fea-
ture.
"I have noticed in the District a
great fuss about the poor people VINO
are going to have to pay more taxes,
said Senator Norris, but the oppo-
nents of this new proposition do not
say anything about this exemption.
Such an exemption would increase the
taxes on other property. The OBJ
jections have been made by members
of the Chamber of Commerce and
bankers and wealthy men in the
name of the poor. But they nave
never mentioned the proposed exemp-
tion except to condemn it,"
Senator Phipps OF Colorado, in
charge of the bill, said that the con-
ferees had proposed that property be
assessed at full value, SO as to bring
about the taxation of large property
owners, instead of on the two-thirds
plan. He insisted that the conference
plan would result in a reduction in
the poor mans taxation.
''The man who is escaping and the
one who ought to be taxed is the specu-
lator in real estate" continued Senator
Norris THE speculator gets his profit
at the expense of the man who tolls.
The man with a home who puts a new
shingle on a house is penalized for the
benefit OF the speculator- who is hold
ing property vacant for speculation. The
effect Of the proposed exemption is to
make the speculator sell or improve the
vacant property"
Moves to Refer.
At this point Senator P.lipps asked
TO have the fiscal relations amendment
referred to the full appropriations COM
mittee, apparently abandoning the plan
to lam it through the Senate.
Senator Harrison of Mississippi OBJ
jected to the reference at this time
and began a speech attacking the ap-
pointment of Nat Goldstein as COL
lector of internal revenue in st. Louis.
Senator Harrison is opposed to the
agreement on the fiscal
relations, and may withdraw his OBJ
lection later.
When Senator Harrison finished his
speech the fiscal relations provision
was temporarily passed over. The
tion on the water supply, the sinking
fund interest, the Fairgrounds, the
appropriations for the Dunbar and
High schools. etc, which
retained these items in the bill with
certain notifications.
On. motion of Senator Phipps the
Senate receded from it's insistence on
its amendment to purchase the Pat
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