Evening star., 1931-12-16
Frear Argues Residents of
Other Cities Help Bear
Capital Burden.
BLANT0N CITES LOW RATE
OF AUTO ASSESSMENTS
Most of Time Is Consumed by
Criticism and Defense of
President.

With two hours allowed for general
debate, the House this afternoon is
nominally debating the bill introduced
and reported yesterday by Chairman
Mapes Of the Special Committee on Fis-
cal Relations of the Federal Govern
ment with the District of Columbia.
providing for an income tax graduated
from l per cent to maximum of per
cent on incomes in excess of $4,000.
MOST OF the time. however. has been
devoted to extraneous matters prin-
clpally to criticism of and defense of
PRESIDENT Hoover, which Representative
blanton of Texas referred to as Re
publican Party Wash day"
representative Frear, Republican. of
wisconsin, the only member of the
special committee who declined to sign
the Mapes report, lectured the House
at length on his proposal that addi-
tlonal taxes be levied on real estate
ana otherwise to total of $4,000 900
ABOVE the current revenues of the Dis
trlct. BY doing this, he said the Fed
eral contribution for support Of the
National Capital could be discontinued
Blanton Speaks.
However, Representative Frear en-
phasized his conviction that no mem
per OF Congress will oppose any appro-
prlatlon to beautify the Capital City
and make it the most beautiful CITY in
the world"
Representative Mapes in urging IA
Vorable action by the House on the in
come tax bill, which would repeal the
present Intangible personal property
tax, said 1t Is estimated such a measure
would raise s750000 to 81 ,0O0,0 900 more
than the present intangible personal
property tax.
In opening the discussion on this
District bill, Representative Frear said
Both papers this morning and the
papers last night criticized without
gloves those who have been engaged in
the work Of this committee in irving
10 give to the House the facts that
nave come to us through thu experts
and through the studies We have made
put l am not going to answer the
ollilngsgate OF one of the morning
papers
Those of us who know the man that
IS the publisher know his character. and
know the character of some of the
otnerS who are responsible for such
statements and would object to our own
records being compared with theirs and
YET tney abuse men SO that no one
wants to sit, here and discuss District
matters.
Thinks Statement Is Answer.
I am not going to discuss them. but
l am going to emphasize a situation
that confronts the country in regard to
the City OF Washington and the District
OF Columbia that you should know.
1our members who come from outside
OF the city should know what is being
zone mere. and 1t is something which
ought TO be discussed frankly before the
House because we have no other wav hv
Whlch TO reach the subject of taxes of
lump-sum appropriations or the District
oole as 1t was called this morning
SO l am going to read briefly, not
from the additional views which I
expressed yesterday and put in the
RECORD, because 1 think that is prac-
tlcally a complete answer if the COM
mittee is correct in its facts, and We
all agreed about that-but I am going
to discuss the effect of this unfair
taxation scheme upon the rest of the
country, and in relation to a publisher
whom 1 speak of in the highest terms
because 1 believe he is gentleman
whom We all respect"
Representative Blanton. formerly a
storm center on the House District
Committee and now a member of the
Appropriation Committee and of the
subcommittee which will soon draft the
District appropriation bill for the next
nscal year, also spoke on the financial
burden that should be borne by the
people OF the National Capital, but
devoted the early and most lengthy part
10
publican administration.
Evidently taking offense at opposition
voiced by Washington newspapers 10
the new tax proposals and the suggested
reduction OF the lump-Sum contribution
from the Federal Government, botn
Frear ana Blanton at
tempted to show the House that pub
nshers OF Washington newspapers. The
star. Post, Times and Herald being
mentioned, have smaller tax burden
than that carried by publishers of pa
pers throughout the country.
Representative Frear referred to a
table OF comparative taxes, quoting ;he
ngures for Cleveland, Boston and other
cities, and arguing that the taxpayers
there help to bear the burden in fthe
capital City, which they felt should be
borne by the residents In the District
of Columbia.
Representative Blanton made refer
ence particularly to the assessment on
automobile owners, pointing out that
while people throughout the country
pay an average OF $l4 per car, in Wash
lngton the motor car owners merely
pay registration free of ST.. Mr.. Blan-
ton said he would put in the record
a statement from the District asses
sor, showing how large corporations
have been evading payment of taxes.