Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-10
BOARD OF TRADE
|. PLANS TAX STUDY
Committee Meets With Bell
and Donovan to Seek
Lower Rate for D. c.

Proposals for cutting down appro-
priations for the District OF Columbia
to avoid higher taxes were made at
meeting Of the directors. members OF
the committee on municipal finance
and chairmen of the various commit
fees of the washington Board OF
Trade with Engineer Commissioners
]. Franklin Bell and Daniel ]. Dono-
van. District auditor. In the head
quarters Of the organization. In The
star Building, late yesterday AFTER
noon.
The meeting was called by Joshua
Evans. ir.. chairman of the boards
committee on municipal finance, TO
carry out the Board OF Trades desire
to keep taxes to minimum.
Some Of the proposals made were to
establish q magistrate system at some
OF the police stations to take care ol
minor traffic violations, and thus
eliminate the cost Of q new Police
Court. to stop paying for extraor-
siinaryl expenses, such as large build
inos. great parks and water systems
ont sof current taxes: the placement
~ tIae arfnory for the District Ma
fforai. Guard. which Is Federal or
earizatiorI. IN Il Federal building 70
eiiminate the cost OF q new armory.
and the arrangement OF an equitaole
proportionate payment on the part
OF the Federal Government IN connec.
tiofl with the running OF the District
of Columbia
Special Committee Named.
An were agreed that taxes should
ha Ikent down. How this can De
hrourilt about viii be suggested as
the result of q study to be made Dy
4 sDecial committee of seven 10 De
anpointed by Mr.. Evans to eelve into
the estimate for 1927 and 1879 ana
the revenue sources of the Distrct
with the assistance of District onl-
cials. This committee win be APP
pointed Immediately and VIII report
bv AuRuss is to the committee on
municiDal finance, who VIII then con-
Ter With the Commissio
Delinouent taxes seemed to be q
nrohleun hard to deal with and enter
into the question OF higher tax rates.
according to explanations made by
Maj Donoyax. He explained that In
June 1926, there were $1,e0O,000 in
tarea unpaid for that year. Collec-
tInns to that amount were expected
h the fiscal year just closed. A
higher tax rate brought, about an
iucreased deficiency instead ana the
amount of realty taxes owing from
last wear amounts to $4,000, 900, or
1900. 900 more than estimated by Dis
frlct officials, adding thereby cents
TO this years tax rate.
Going into the estimates Tor TINS
wear. both Commissioners Bell ana
MAI. Donovan declared that nothing
could be cut down without creating
deficiency that would have TO De
carried over. They stated they ex-
meet q $1,000,000 supplemental esti-
mate during the year. It was ex-
plained by Commissioner Bell $5O0,-
900 for schools would be the only
thing that could possibly be elm
mated without causing dencdency.
Includes Extra Expenses.
s-omnissioner Bell pointed out after
John Joy Edson had objected 70 meet
ing extraordinary expenses out or cuI
rn1,t faxes that if bond issue is ever
consIdered it should be considered fol-
specific purpose such as q 20-yeaI
mark and planning development which
would take park estimates out o.
the tax rate.
Commissioners He'll explained that
the present tax rate includes many
extraordinary expenses. Analyzing the
tax rate he explained 6 cents Is paid
for the $500, 900 annual payment fol
the sinking fund. Forty cents Is paid
for the $4,000 900 annually appropria
tion to the $40 1000, 900 flve-year school
building program. Six cents for the
$500, 900 park purchases. Twenty-Five
cents for the annual payment Of 81,
500 900 for the new water conduit
These, he said, are all extraordinary
expenses, which in all, he said, &C,
counted for SO to so cents on the
tax rate. &
He declared, together with Maj
Donovan, that he is insistant on pub
licity through the newspapers on tho
estimates and tax figures so that ths
public e'will know what we are ar
against.
Seek Aid IN ECONOMY.
what we want to deal with IS q
committee like this that viii tell vi
and help Us to keep down the taz
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