Evening star., 1932-04-03
The Fundamental Issue.

THE Senate District Committees hear
ipgs ON the House bill to impose an
estate tax in the District of Columbia
will be followed on Tuesday and Friday
by hearings on the House bill to impose
an automobile weight tax and to in
crease the gasoline tax The date of
hearings on the House bill TO impose
an income tax in the District and on
the House bill to abolish the fixed ratio
principle of appropriating for the Dis
trict will depend in part upon the
Bureau of Efficiency's completion Of
its report on these measures.
r, 1t is proper here to recall the action
taken by the Citizens Joint Committee
on Fiscal Relations Between the United
States and the District of Columbia in
connection with these three bills by
recording in part the text of its resolu-
tion adopted December "a, 1881:
Whereas there are now pending in the
Senate and before the Senate District
Committee H r. bills numbered 502l,
1922 and 1929. which impose new and
1nGTe9SeQ taxes dtlIOQI3bllAS ANNUALLY, II
is estimated. to three million dollars for
the apparent purpose OF reducing by
that amount the annual lump-Sum ap-
nronriation from the Treasury for the
maintenance and development Of the
Nations City;
-, Resolved by the Citizens Joint Com
rnittee on Fiscal Relations Between the
United States and the District OF Co.
1umbia,
THAT the committee vigorously pro-
tests against any increase Whatever IN
the District taxpayers already heavy
tax burden solely or primarily to facili-
ltate reduction by mlllions OF tne
lump-sum payment by the Nation To-
ward Capital maintenance and up
building;
: That the committee urges that no
additional increased tax be imposed
yunless after thorough examination 1t is
found that such additional taxation Is
.sbsolutely necessary to meet urgent
municipal needs which cannot other
wise be satisfied
-l--Fhat. in framing any new tax legts-
aiation. care be taken to give assurance
that the proposed form or method OF
taxation is sound in principle, and that
the legislation is SO worded as to be
equitable in application to all tax
payers.
The Citizens Joint Committee. in
petition presented to Congress Decem-
ber 10, declared:
H. R. 6285 (the bill tn eliminate the
fixed ratio principle of appropriating
for the District) and several bills in
creasing the tax burden of the District
have been introduced and a cutting
down or elimination of the annual
1ump-sum payment has been proposed
on the theory that the District tax
payers are aot bearing an adequate tax
burden. The Citizens Joint Commit
tee contends that the District taxpay-
erS are now reasonably and, in view of
their peculiar disabilities. even heavily
taxed, and that no increase of their tax
burden shoHld be considered unless it
Is clearly demonstrated that such addi-
.tional taxation is absolutely necessary
to meet urgent municipal needs that
cannot otherwise be satisfied. At con-
gressional hearings, especially that on
II X. 6285. the committee will ask the
privilege OF submitting the facts and
reasoning upon which it's contention
inat the District is not undertaXed is
based
The Senate District Committee has
with customary fairness received the
views of citizens and citizens organi-
cations on the estate tax bill. and has
Invited any who care to appear to
state their views regarding the plan
to impose the weight tax and to in
crease the gas tax and later the pro-
posed income tax.
- If some of the citizens have made
or will make, their protests general.
rather than specific, in regard to these
SPECIFIC proposals to increase taxes here,
1t is because the tax bills are funda-
mentally based on a premise that the
District is not now paying its due
share of taxes. A refutation of that
premise and Of the conclusion-written
IN the form of the tax bills-properly
belongs to consideration Of H R. $685.
the bill to eliminate the fixed ratio
and in final effect to reduce the lump
sum
Washingtons citizens organizations
will be prepared to show that as the
premise is false, the conclusion that
the various tax bills should be enacted
is unsupported. In the meantime the
Senate District Committee is perform
ing a service of great value to Wash
ington in providing the opportunity,
hitherto lacking, for discovery and cor
rection of technical and other weak
nesses in the language of the tax bills
themselves, and for hearing the views
of classes or groups of citizens upon
whom would fall most heavily the ad-
ditional tax burdens proposed.