Evening star., 1924-01-27
MINORITY REPORT
ON GAS TAX FILED
BIanton Terms Bill --latest
Tax.Dodging Scheme of
Commissioners"

In his minority report on the two
cent gasoline tax bill designed to ef-
feet auto-tag reciprocity. Representa-
tive Thomas L. Blanton of Texas says
that this bill should be known as "the
District Commissioners latest tax
lodging scheme" He complains at
length that this legislation would re-
duce the taxes of District residents,
although the majority report filed
several days ago showed that 1t will
increase bv some 100000 the cost
to automobile owners in the District.
Representative Blanton's minority re-
port points out that the terms of the
bill "are quite different from the de-
mands made, by Maryland. All that
the Governor of Maryland required
was tax of cents per gallon on gaso-
line, as his state assessed such tax,
and he didn't want people to have an
advantage of buying gasoline cheaper in
the District than in Maryland.
I'm framing their so-called reci-
procity measure. the District Com
missioners did not stop with fixing a
s-cent tax on gasoline, which was all
that Maryland demanded. but they
seek to change the law in the fol-
lowing vital particulars. to wit: %
They abolish the $40. S5 and SO
charges for licenses and provide that
all cars, ollS-Royce and Fords alike,
are to be charged a license fee of
only 81 each. which entities them
to number tags: co they abolish all
of the property tax. which, even at
the small rate of sl.20 per 500 paid
IN the District, amounted to $3.50 per
annum on a $4,000 Rolls Royce: and
CD they provide that instead of
placing the receipts from the 2-cents-
per-gallon tax on gasoline in the
Treasury, so per cent to the credit
of the District and 40 per cent to the
credit of the government, so per cent
would be placed to the District and
only 20 per cent to the government.
thus changing the present 60-40 ratio
TO a ratio of 1920. with the govern
ment, as usual, getting the little end
of it.
End Property Tax.
The committee has amended the
bill by exempting all motor vehicles
up to the value of $1,000 from a
property tax. but providing that the
present property tax of s1.20 per
500 shall apply above the valuation
of $1,000. The committee admits that
this will exempt at least ive-siXths
of all the automobiles in the District
of Columbia from the payment of
any property tax whatever, for at
would be assessed at n valuation of
not more than $1,000. which is the
value. the committee exempts from
all taxation"
Representative Blanton's minority
report severely criticiZes the attitude
of Maryland regarding reciprocity de-
mands, saying:
Every state in the United States,
other than Maryland. has reciprocity
with the District of Columbia. Out
a N fnd Sfat 70. TNr-ao bud
rect appropriation. Maryland has had
more public money spent upon her
state highways than practically all
other states combined. And, in addi-
ton. MARYLAND has received her fair
share of the good roads appropria-
tions made by Congress. the bureau
or public roads advising that Mary
land has already received from it
alone the sum Of S4,013. .004.99. And,
in addition thereto, Congress has al
ready appropriated an additional s75.-
100000, out of which Maryland will
receive approximately s640,000 more.
Gets Free Tuition.
And this year Maryland and Vir-
ginia had approximately $500 chill
dren attending the public schools of
Washington. receiving free their tut
tion and school books, paid for by the
District Of Columbia and the govern
lnent
any automobile bearing a District of
Columbia license to even pass from
the Nations Capital along any of her
roads without paying for Maryland
license.
NO part of the bill authorizes reci-
procity. The bill nowhere compels
reciprocity. Should we pass this bill,
Maryland still could compel all ears
from the District of Columbia to pro-
cure Maryland licenses.
The state of Virginia curronpd- 4
ing the District on the other side,
has tax on gasoline of g cents per
gallon. With equal propriety, the
pass a new law increasing the tax on
gasoline to cents per gallon, SO that
the people would not all buy their
gasoline in the District and in Mary
land. only a few miles removed. The
people of the United States do not
expect Congress to thus specially
legislate at the command of any state.
THE people of the United States
TO the nations capital the same auto
mobile reciprocity which all of the
states grant both to the District of
Columbia and to Maryland. or else
account for the s4,o13.o04.ss which
she has already received from the
United States Treasury through the
federal bureau of public roads, and
" nave stopped the payment OF the
s640.000 more which Maryland will
receive from such bureau during the
coming fiscal year"
FavOrs AsweII Bill,
Representative Blanton announces
that he intends to offer as a substi-
tute the Aswell bill prohibiting from
the use of federal road funds any
state that refuses to recognize the
auto license tags of any other state
or the District of Columbia.
Charging that the System of tax
alton here is a crime upon the whole
people" Representative Blanton in
serts in his report a list of certain
property of wellknonw Washington
residents and apartment property.
which he argues is not paying suffi
cient taxes, and discusses in consid-
cradle detail fiscal relations between
the federal government and the Dis
trfct as municipality.