Evening star., 1932-06-22
LICENSE FEE BILL
TO RAISE $1OQ,Ol0
EXPECTED TOPASS
Senate District Committee
Authorizes Favorable Re-
port on Measure.
HIGHER SCHEDULE BASED
ON COST OF INSPECTIONS
Some Businesses Not Heretofore
Taxed Also Placed in Proposed
Act Increasing Revenue.

:. Legislation increasing most Of the
license fees IN the District Of Colum-
pa, raising thereby an additional $780,
0Oo, will be put through Congress be-
lore adjournment unless some unfore-
seen obstacle arises.
The Senate District Committee late
yesterday authorized Senator Capper of
Kansas, its chairman, to report the
Dill favorably. 1t has already passed
the House. At the same time the
committee ordered a favorable report
on another House bill This would per
NIT the sale of ice cream and other
frozen foods in containers more con-
venient and practical for the dealer
tnan those now required.
The license bill, which was unamen6-
ed IN committee, fixes fees after July
on the basis of the costs Of the neces-
sary inspections and also imposes fees
on certain businesses and occupations
which are not now taxed.
Taxicab Fee Increased.
Corporation Counsel w. w. Bride,
who recently appeared before the COM
mittee In favor of the bill. pointed out
that the license provisions with re-
spect to public vehicles, considering the
dlfhculties Of inspection, are obsolete.
The license fee for taxicabs, now SO,
is increased to $25, and the character
cards, for which drivers now pay only
so cents, will cost S. If the bill be-
comes law. Some of the committee
members thought this was excessive, but
no change was recommended.
Hundreds of huge interstate busses
operate over the District of Columbia,
occupying space on the public streets.
the committee was informed, without
paying any substantial license, franchise
or property tax. Local common car
rier busses operating thousands of miles
per month only pay s12 year. al
though the direct expense of policing
and supervising is vastly in excess of
that amount, the committee also was
informed
The provisions Of paragraph 81 in the
bill are intended to establish a tax
basis in lieu of any other franchise,
personal or license tax by a require
ment OF mills per bus mile on routed
common carrier vehicles, except sight
seeing busses. In view Of the fact that
the mileage operated by such vehicles
can be ascertained with reasonable ac-
curacy and bears a direct relation to
the extent of use within the District,
it was believed this was the most rea-
sonable method Of taxation. 1t Is one
that has been almost universally
adopted in the States.
$l00 a Year Proposed.
Sightseeing bussses, charter buses
and similar vehicles operate irregular
distances and irregular routes and the
mileage tax is not applicable There
fore, a fixed tax of $100 a year is
proposed.
In addition to the $25 fee imposed
on taxicabs. the legislation specifically
permits the establishment of genera.
public hack stands on public space ad-
jacent to hotels and in other loca-
tons now pre-empted under private
contracts.
Some Of the businesses which do not
now pay fees are apartment houses.
which will be required to pay SIS
tax If the bill becomes law. Apart
ment houses with cafes will be taxed
So additional. Public garages and auto
repair shops, now untaxed. will be re-
quired to pay IS per year. Solicitors
also would be taxed S. and public guides
$40 and the Commissioners are author
lied to make regulations for the ex-
animation Of all who seek to take
out permits as guides.
Detective agencies, which now escape
tax. would be required to pay S100
year. Beauty parlors also are put
in the class of taxed businesses, with
fee Of IS.
Among some Of the license fees in
creased in the bill are those for me-
diums and clairvoyants, from S25 to
$3.50; employment agencies. from S25
to s100, and secondhand dealers, from
$40 to $50.
Food Establishments Affected.
Food establishments, about which
quired, are affected under the bill
Diaries, which do not now pay an an
nual fee, would have to pay $160, the
necessary inspections being of the most
painstaking sort, it was explained. The
same applies to fish dealers, whose
shops must be inspected frequently
during the day They will be COM
PEELED to pay fee of $50. Abattoirs,
or slaughter houses now untaXed, are
slated to pay $100 If the bill becomes
law
In other ways the bill seeks to cor
rect inequalities under the present law.
Florists, whose business requires no in
spection. are made to pay an $18 fee,
for example, and are exempt under the
proposed law.
The bill affecting frozen-food con-
tainers. amended so as to be inserted
as a clause in the weights and meas
ures act, would permit the dealer to
purchase his supply of ice cream in
2R-gallon containers, which the pres
ent law does not permit. This will
enable him to place two containers IN
the space now occupied by a 5-gallon
can. thus keeping one-half the stock
sealed while the other half IS being