Evening star., 1924-03-02
RENEW OPPOSITION
TO GAS TAX BILL
Citizens Federation Mem
bers Fear Upset of D. C.
Fiscal Arrangement.

--
The Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations last night renewed it's OPP
position to any automobile reciproc-
ity Legislation except the bill as orig
inally drafted by the District Com
missioners.
The delegates adopted a resolution
| calling the attention of all Wash
ingtonians to the dangers which the
federation believes lie>in the sub
stltute reciprocity measure proposed
by Senator Ball.
Most of the discussion centered on
: That part of the Ball substitute which
provides that approximately mil
hon dollars, to be raised by the 2
cent tax on gasoline, shall be made
available as a special fund for street
| paving. lighting and upkeep OF
bridg
william $. TOTbert and Jesse e.
Suter told the delegates of the de
| termined stand taken against the
| Bail plan by a joint committee rep
resentfng various civic and trade or
ganizations.
Endangrrs Tax Basis.
! They emphasized the point that
| the Ball measure endangcrs the time
/ nonored system. under which I'll"
federal government has contributed
fixed proportion Of the expenses OF
! the capital city.
| Mr.. Torbert stated that. while the
Ban measure stipulates that the spo.-
| cial gas tax fund Is not intended TO
interfere with the regular annual ap-
4 mt. E.r-ir,
! were given a million dollars of gas
| tax money to spend on streets, there
would be no assurance that Congress
/ would continue to make the usual
! 6o-4o appropriations for street i'm
I provements.
Some of the delegates opposed the
| resolution, declaring they were not
| convinced the BAH measure was as
| unfair as IL had been pictured
| William Nick Clayton took the
! position that the only real objection
TO the Ball plan rested on the fact
That IT established Il precedent for
bfeaklng down the present fiscal
| relations between the United States
and District governments.
| Strikes mt Fixed Ratio.
/ Before the resolution was nnail.
| adopted Mr.. Clayton had an amend
inent added to il. setting forth ,ii;.t
the federation opposes the measure.
| especially and Specifically because II
strikes at the fixed ratio of ap-
propriating for the District.
The resolution as adopted was pre-
sented by SIR. Suter and rccitcd il,
detail all of the arguments aSaiEs-
the BaiI substitute and urged as man
citizens as possible to attend the open
hearing to be held blythe senate Dis
trict c"mmittr" at the Capitol Satur
day afternoon
Mr.. Torbert told the delegates the
/ sole thought OF the Commissioners IL
NJ no ~
was to got reciprocity with Mary
land. ana the original bill. he added
/ was satisfactory to Maryland Il
was designed merely to raise tn
same amount of revenue now collect
cd, but by different method.
Changes in Measure.
| Congress. the speaker continued.
changed the measure into a revenue.
reducing bill by providing for tn.
gas tax and at tie same time retain
ing the personal tax on automobiles
winch the commissioners had recon-
mended be abolished.
Ihe IedeTution adopted anoth.r
resolution urging Congress to r.p..l
I clause in the 1915 appropria ton aCt
under which property owners in tn.
! vicinity of the Eastern branch would
/ he liable to assessment for part of tn.
cost or retaining the Anacostia flats
/ and creating Il park
| speakers argued that similar park
| Developments in other sections of tb,.
| city mad not been assessed against tn.
! nelshbor1ng property and that il
| would be unfair to levy such assess
/ ments In the northeast now
! On motion of Snowden Ashford.
[ chairman of the committee on edu-
cation, the delegates voted in favo,
| of having the board of educatio.,
! make public it's estimates each YEA,
| before sending them to the CommiS-
, sioners.
1t was decided to ask the Commits
| sloners to make survey of the need
for better lighting equipment iu
tpublic school buildings.
Harry S. Ridgely. chairman of tho
health committee, submitted a report
! recommending that no steps be taken
to obtain new Legislation to deal with
the closing of alley dwellings III
| Washington until the District Court
Of Appeals passes on the provisions
| of the existing law. Charles 4
Baker presided.