Evening star., 1926-04-25
ADVISORY COUNCIL
HITS BORLANDLAW
Repeal and Not Modification
Asked in Letter to Conn.,
missioner Bell.

The Citizens Advisory Council.
through it's chairman. Jesse c. Suter,
formally notified Engineer Commits
sioner !. FRA nl<Iin Fell yesterday that
II would not lie a party to the move
ment for modification Of the Rorland
amendment
THE council is more firmly com
WINGED than ever that the Iorland
law should he repealed in it's entirety
as this is the general desire of the
citizens Of the District. who alone are
entitled To consideration In this mat
ter" MIR. Suffers communication said.
The general revenues ~ the District
of Columbia were required 10 hear the
burden Of highway construction he
fore the enactment Of the Bora nd law
and that is where this burden row he
longs. OF course recoSniziE" that the
gasoline tax is an added special source
of revenue for this particular nur-
pose"
The councils letter followed IT'S sc.
ton of last Tuesday in reiteratiuG !te
sta nd for complete repeal "f the act.
At that time the proposed hill I" mod
ify the law, drafted by Commissioned
Bell. was considered.
Amendment taIIe0 I NUuSt.
while your proposed bill w0rId
grant relief through exemption from
assessments for Tepa wing declared
the councils letter. IT At the same
time proposes To extend the oi Grafton
OF the Borla nd law through making II
operative against property in outlying
sections which has not heen euhdi-
vided into blocks As far as we lave
vi RI
in the said Rorla nd law ia that This
part has been made imperative
through judicial decision. There is n"
desire on the part of the council Ia
support the commissioners in ohta in
ing legisla tion to overt,Ir1 this action
by the court. Our only regret is that
the court did not inva lidate this IN
Just and unnecessary law in its en-
tirety."
Mr. Suter cited the prnvious recon
mendations Of the council on the E,I-
Ia nd act and declared that it not only
represented it's maturr judgment. uuI'
practically the una anim"Ils views NJ
the people of the DistIic as per
sistently expressed f. n number uf
years
In connection with the repOTt to
the commissioners on the budget, Mr.
% 1925 made the following recon
mbndation: We recommend YOU 10
urge upon the Congress The immedi
ate repeal Of the So-called Borland
amendment. which imposes upon ahu'
ting property heavy and ineQuitahlo
special tax burdens for street and
road construction. Onr citizens.
through our civic and trade hodies
with great nsnimity have long snd
Dersistently pettiOned for this relief
Enactment by the last Congress NJ
the ga asoline tax law has recognized
principle Of responsibility opposed
to that involved in the Borland
amendment The responsibility Of the
users of the streets now being def
nitelv established. II would seem that
in all fairness IL should likewise he
recognized that street and road con-
strlction and maintena nee ia gen
eral ia ther than an anuttine property
obligation
Repeal Is Asked.
Mr. Suter also called attention 10
section in the councils first legisla-
tive report relating To the question.
which read: THE council renews its
recommendation for repeal Of the B"'
land amendment contained In tts re-
port on the budget. This law Is S'
manifestly unfair 10 the owners of
abutting property that II sh"uld ne
immediately repealed.
"'The theory Of the HoI'la nd provi-
sion is that a highway is 80 per cent
for the benefit of ahutting property.
The fact is that any highway Ia tor
the use nf the entire public. The con-
stluction and maintenance of any
highway should he borne equally ny
all the taxpayers. Consideration has
heen given 10 proposition to modify
this law so as TO relieve ahutunc
property from assessment for resur-
facing and repairing where they have
paid for the original pavement. but
we adhere TO our original opinion that
Justice demands a complete repeal.
we sincerely trust" the councils
letter ctHcludtt ,h-i tnr UnI,'>-
sioners will join forces with the rest
of the community and insistently and
persistently urge upon Congress the
repeal of this entire law.