Evening star., 1924-03-08
Texan Favors $3.50 Tax
Rate, Government to Pay
Any Deficit Ensuing.
AMENDMENT is MADE
TO PARK-BUYING BILL
House Committee Defers Action
Until Tonight-Expect De-
feat of Proposal.

\ proposal 10 entirely change the
fiscal relations between the federal and
District governments as fathered by
Representative Thomas l.. Blanton
democrat, of Texas, in a rider on the
Dill to authorize the purchase of three
tracts of land for park sites on which
the House District committee is seek
ing expeditions action, was under con-
slderation by the committee today.
This effort to change the fiscal rels-
.iohs came as surprise to the mem
bership of the committee and action
was deferred until special meeting
tonight at o'clock, which was neces-
sary IN order that the committee might
keep faith with Harry Wardman. be-
| cause they had promised him a definite
reply regarding the committee's atti-
tude on the park bill before Monday.
Text of Amendment.
The amendment which Representa-
tive Blanton had added as a rider i'm
the subcommittee executive session
yesterday is as follows:
In lieu of the present fiscal system
and tax rate of sl.2O on the 500 from
|
| collected from residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia taxes on real estate
| and personal property at the rate of
| $3.50 per hundred, assessment to be
! made at full value and all expenses
! of the District of Columbia over and
| above such funds so raised shall be
PAID by the United States, provided
! that personal property exemption of
81 900 shall be allowed free from tax
alton"
| A dangerous joker is found in Rep
| resentative Blanton's amendment,
| which provides for taxing resident s.
and which would exempt from tax
| alton other persons owning property
/ in the National Capital, such as those
| who occupy residences only during
! the social season, and who own
some of the most valuable property
! in Washington. This same exemp-
ton would also apply on much of the
best business property in the Dis
trict which is owned by persons who
are not residents
! Representative Blanton told the
| committee today that this amend
ment had been adopted unanimously
by the subcommittee yesterday. Chair
man Gibson of the subcommittee ex-
| planned that only four members Of the
subcommittee were present and that
| later Representative Stalker of New
/ York, who had been absent, declared
himself as intending to fight the
, amendment.
| Division on Proposal.
Representative Underhill of MassA-
! chusetts raised a point of order
| against the amendment, which de-
ferred action until the special meet
ing tonight.
1t was explained afterward that
Representatives Beers of Pennsyl-
| vania, republican, and Kunz of ILL
| nois. democrat, supported Mr.. Blan-
/ ton in the amendment before the sub
| committee. because Mr.. Blanton had
| agreed that If he was allowed to get
consideration of the proposed amend
would support the rest of the bill au-
| thorizing the purchase of the park
! sites.
| Representative Gibson, republican.
of Vermont. who put the motion in
the subcommittee, did not vote and
today declared himself in opposition
| to the amendment.
! 1t was the general sentiment of the
House District committee that the
Blanton amendment will probably re
ceive only his own vote.
| Chart OF Park Sites.
| Representative Fred N. Zihlman
republican, Maryland, acting chair
man Of the House District committee.
emphasized for the special benefit of
new members of the committee how
the Blanton amendment would en-
tirely change the fiscal relations.
/ When the committee meets tonight
a chart will be shown visualizing
| what the purchase of the three con
! Meeting links in the parkway system
| will mean to the National Capital.