Evening star., 1924-01-16
RECIPROCITY BILL
IS REPORTED WITH
$1,000 EXEMPTION
Measure Carrying 2-Cent
Auto Gas Tax Limits Per-
sonaI Property Valuation.
POLICE AND FIREMEN's
LEGISLATION DELAYED
Control of Social Diseases Also
Recommended to House by
District Committee.

The so-called reciprocity bill carry
ing a tWo-cent gasoline tax was ordered
iaVoraniy reported to the House by a
'-to-6 vote in the House District COM
mlttee today, after 1t had been
amended allowing exemption from
personal property tax on each auto
i"ooiie up to valuation of $1,000 on
each car
Inc police and firemen's paw bill.
winch was ordered favorably reported
10 the full committee by a suhcom-
mittee yesterday, has been temporari-
~ held up to meet the wishes OF
representative Beers, republican, of
TenhsylVanfa, member Of the suh-
committee. who has discovered some
inaccuracies in compensation which
nc %lshes TO correct, and who was
TuaDie 10 attend the meeting TO-DAY
me committee. however, was en-
thta pna eicaIiy on record as favorable to
Would Report More Bills.
Emphasis was laid by several
speakers on the necessity for report
ing out several important measures
anectfng the District in order that
they may be on the District calendar
on the first District day in the House.
ihe committee favorably reported
the health office bill, fathered by Rep
resentative Ralph Gilbert of Ken
lucky, democrat, for prevention and
trict
The committee also agreed to allow
nearing to patriotic and other or
ganfzations behind the bill to make
LnCOln'Q hIrfhdau IN h.
District
Zihlmnn Offers Amendment.
Representative Fred N Zihlman of
Maryland offered the amendment to
the so-called reciprocity bill allow
ing exemptions from personal prop
erty valuation on motor vehicles up
to $1,000 on each car.
He pointed out thai the District an
nually collects about S475, 900 in per-
sonal property tax on automobiles.
Under the amendment. he said, much
of this would be wiped out, and in
lieu thereof the District treasury
would receive two-cent tax on gaso-
line consumed.
Representative zihIman, who has
been fathering reciprocity between
Maryland and the District, explained
necessary expenses of government in
the District. There is no need, there
fore, in the District for raising more
funds by any personal property tax"
really no exemption from personal
property tax, but substitutes a gaso-
line pay-as-you-go tax.
Wants Uniform Legislation.
Representative Keller, republican,
Of Minnesota, asserted that under
this bill automobile owners in the
District would have to pay more than
they do now.
Representative Kunz democrat, OF
Illinois, said that. in his opinion. 1t is
unfair to make people from all parts
of the country who come to their
National Capital pay a gasoline tax
here. There are a great many OF
these people coming here, he said.
who pay road taxes at home and who,
therefore, would be doubly taxed. He
spoke in favor of uniform legislation
covering all the states.
Representative Thomas L Blanton,
democrat. Of Texas, offered substi-
tute amendment which would reduce
the personal property tax exemption
on automobiles to $500 instead of
$1,000. He argued that this would
cover all the poorer people and own
ers of cheap cars. His amendment
was defeated by an S-to-4 vote.
Adopted by 7-to-6 Vote.
The Zihlman amendment then was
adopted by a 7-to-6 vote, those in
favor of it being zihlman. Maryland;
Keller, Minnesota; Fitzgerald. Ohio;
Gilbert, Kentucky; Gibson. Vermont:
Rathbone, Illinois, and Kent, Penn
sylvania Those voting against it
were: Stalker, New York; Blanton,
Texas; Hammer. North Carolina;
Kunz, Illinois; Jost. Missouri. and
Gasque South Carolina Representa-
tive Blanton announced that he
would file minority report. Repre-
sentative Gibson said he was opposed
to exemption of personal property
tax on automobiles, but that he did
not propose to prevent action on this
legislation. He favored q graduated
tax. based on the weight of auto
mobiles.
Representative Hammer said that
he was opposed to exempting auto
mobiles when other means OF con-
yeyance are not exempt.
Representative Roy G. Fitzgerald of
Ohio. father of the workmen's COM
pensation measure, which would make
Industrial insurance in the District
compulsory, under the administration
of an already existing agency, asked
for the appointment of a subcommit-
tee to consider this legislation. Rep
resentative Blanton called the atten-
tion of the committee to the desira-
bility of having some members Of the
subcommittee include men opposed to
this legislation. The subcommittee
appointed by Representative Zihl-
man. acting chairman, on account of
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