Evening star., 1932-04-06
WEIGHT TAX FOES
TO APPEAR TODAY
Hearing Yesterday Touched
Upon Fiscal Relations and
Utilities Levies.
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Continued From First Page)
when the estimated tax on the Federal
property actually used by the United
States in Washington was added it in
creased this citys per capita tax from
S57 to $73.
Needs Pass Revenues.
He told the committee that whenever
per capita comparisons are made be-
tween Washington and other cities,
one of two things must be done to
arrive at a fair result either to de-
duct something from the other cities
for the large tax paying industries that
exist elsewhere. or add something to
Washington to allow for that factor.
In response to questions, Murphy
said it was his understanding that in
the past two years the District budget
has used up a $5,000,000 surplus and.
in addition, has gone into the reserve
cash-operating fund to the extent of
81 100000, indicating, he said, that
budget needs are running ahead of
revenues, including the Federal con-
tribution. of $9.500,000.
Mr.. Murphy contended the Federal
contribution should be determined as
one item rather than attempt to ascer-
tain the Federal Governments liabil-
ity separately toward certain functions,
such as the schools, the water service
and the streets. He said there are two
questions for Congress to determine.
one is what is a reasonable tax burden
for the people of the District, and the
other is what the Federal Government
should pay. He said the pending
Mapes bills, seeking to levy new or
additional taxes on estates, incomes,
gasoline and motor vehicles by weight
have a bearing on how the tax burden
of the local community should be dis
tributed.
Chairman Capper pointed out that
this basic problem of the financial rela-
tionship between the Federal and Dis
trict Governments is to be gone into
more fully at later hearing. and the
discussion turned back to the details
of the weight tax proposal.
Explains Changes in Bill
Murphy explained the changes which
the bureau made in the Mapes weight
tax bill, the principal one being to con-
fine weight taxes. to pneumatic tired
vehicles, starting at 5000 pounds and
solid tired vehicles, starting at 1000
pounds, which would leave private pas
ton fee. He said the bureau plan would
produce weight tax revenue of only
S467, 900 as compared with $4,000 900 of
estimated revenue under the Mapes bill
The bureau however. also recommended
that the personal property tax on ve-
hicles. which the House voted to abol-
ish, be retained.
Murphy explained that the bureau
went on the theory that the gasoline
tax and the weight tax were special
levies imposed to meet the special cost
Of street and highway work, that the
bureau found out what the District
requirements would be for such work
in the next few years and tried to avoid
levying a greater sum in motor vehicle
taxes than would be needed for this
purpose.
Senator Carey told Murphy he had
been informed by member of the city
government the general laws here can
not be adequately enforced because the
police are required to devote so much
of their time to traffic cases. The Sen
ator said this official expressed the
opinion more policemen was the only
solution to this problem.
Murphy said it was true the police
are obliged to waste considerable time
in enforcing the traffic regulations. He
said his suggestion would be to impound
the cars parked overtime. and indicated
his belief this practice would soon dc
away with violations of this character
Favors License Tax.
The question of paying the salaries
of these proposed additional policemen
was brought up, and Senator Kean.
Republican, Of New Jersey, indicated
that he favored substituting a heavy
license tax for the present property tax
for automobiles, in order to raise the
necessary money.
When Traffic Director William A
Van Duzer took the stand he was ac-
cused by Senator Kean of mot making
a reasonable effort" to control parking
on the streets.
Mr.. Van Duzer replied that he has
been making a special study OF the
parking problem and expects to offer
some recommendations in the near fu-
ture He indicated he favored abolish
ing parking on the streets entirely dur
ing the next or 10 years.
The traffic director also told the COM
mittee he was doing away with the
amber light with the red signal and
hooding the green lights to reduce
danger at street intersections as con-
sequence of a tendency on the part OF
motorists to start across streets while
the amber light is on during the change
fer red to green.
When Murphy said the bureau eSti-
mated the proposed Accent gas tax
would produce So $1,000, Senator Kean
observed that the bureau assumed the
people of the District will be as pros
porous next year as now" Murphy re-
piled that the experience elsewhere in
raising the gasoline tax rate indicates
the bureaus estimate of probable re-
suits here is conservative.
Based on Actual Needs.
While the witness was giving illustra-
tions of what the bureaus proposed
weight tax would amount to for trucks
of various capacities, a suggestion was
made that some of these rates be made
higher in order to produce some ad-
ditional money for the city'S general
revenue fund Murphy replied that the
weight taxes were worked out to meet
the actual money requirements for the
highway program, and indicated he was
opposed to using this special form OF
taxation to add to the general revenues
The request Of the railway compa'
nies that their busses be exempted from
payment of a weight tax because they
pay 4 per cent gross receipts tax
was presented by S. R, Bowen for the
Washington Railway & Electric Co.
and by G. Thomas Dunlop for the
Capital Traction Co.
Chairman Capper brought out BY
questioning that the gross receipts ta'
is in lieu of a personal property tax
Senator Capper said he was interested
in a discussion in one of the newspa'
pers recently of the possibility Of in
creasing the taxes on utilities. Tit
chairman also quoted what the Mape!
Committee said on this subject in it
report to the House. The rallwa.
spokesmen argued that their compa
nies are bearing fair share in taxa
| ton.