Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-12

by the District committee in limiting
+, the personal tax to the excess of
| valuation above $1,000.
As originally framed and presented
the bill was designed to relieve the
District motorists Of the burden of
| motor taxation in Maryland by accept
ing the proposal Of that state to es-
tablish reciprocity through the mutual
imposition of gasoline tax. The
| revenue from this tax, it was made
plain through the Commissioners
| statement, would be approximately the
| same as that now derived from motor
vehicles in the District. There would be
no loss Of revenue and practically no
gain Of revenue. The measure was not
designed as a revenue bill, but simply
as q means to the end Of securing
reciprocity with the only jurisdiction
declining to recognize District motor
licenses. al.
In the committee it was proposed to
amend the District Commissioners bill
by adding to the two-cent tax on gaso-
line the present personal property tax
on motor cars, which. would mean
taxing the District motorists by about
100000 a year for the privilege of
using Maryland roads without secur-
ing Maryland licenses. 1t was then
proposed in u spirit Of equity to re-
duce this personal property tax by
e4empting all motor vehicles Of less
than 81, 900 in value, and so the bill
went to the House. Yesterday it was
changed again by cutting out the
exemption clause and leaving the bill
on passage in its most Objectionable
form, increasing the total tax Oh Dis
trict motorists from $500, 900 to 81 ,60O,-
900 u year.
In the Senate it is to be hoped that
the bill will be amended to bring il
back at least to the shape in which it
emerged from the House committee, if
not to the point where it came from
the Commissioners. That is to say, it
is for the Senate to prevent this i'm
position Of a burdensome tax upon the
people of the District, q tax for which
there is no revenue need and for
which there is no equity.
In one respect the bill as it passed
the House is particularly mischievous.
1t provides that all the gasoline tax
money shall be placed in the Treasury
to be used solely for street and road
improvements, without any match
ing of federal money in expendi.
ture on the established ratio of Dis
trict maintenance. 60-40. That is to
say, under this bill the District will
have to its credit available for appro-
prhtion, but not necessarily appro-
priated, the total return from the saso-
line tax, which may be spent only on
street and road work, while the United
States pays nothing on this account.
notwithstanding the provisions Of the
new organic act OF 1922. 1t is most
undesirable to establish segregated
funds OF any character, and it is most
unfair to put them upon the whole
cost basis as proposed in the amend.
ment adopted yesterday by the House.
In respect to the personal tax on
motor vehicles the District can have
no hope Of any but the most rigid and
Naturalization assessment for tax pur-
poses. The widest fluctuations prevail
elsewhere in this regard, but here it
can be well assured that under the
jealous scrutiny Of Congress motor
vehicles will for taxation PURPOSES he
rated at the highest point. The Dis
trict will not be able to make the show
ing, for instance, that was presented
in Illinois in 1917. when only 1915
motor cars were assessed for taxation
in Cook county at an average valua-
ton OF s112.s5, while in the entire
state only 166,645 were assessed at an
average valuation OF SS5.05.