Evening star., 1932-01-11
MAPES TAX BILLS
WILL Be OPPOSED
Montgomery Federation Com.
mittee to Present Recon-
mendations Tonight.
sy q STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

BY q STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
BETHESDA, Nd, January 1l.-Pol-
icies OF Montgomery County regarding
the Mapes taxation bills now pending
before Congress were formulated by the
Committee on Public Finance and Bud
get of the Montgomery County Civic
Federation in the county building here
yesterday and the committees action
will be taken before the federation for
approval at the meeting at the Bethesda
School tonight.
The committee meeting, presided over
by Stephen James, chairman, also dis
cussed in brief the several other mat
ters pending before it, but none OF these
matters Is expected to be taken up TO-
night, Mr. James stated.
To Oppose Measures.
The committee agreed with regard 10
the MapeS bills, which as they now
stand contain provision for the payment
of income taxes to the District OF Co
lumbia on all monies earned In the Das-
trict whether by residents OF WaShlng-
ton or elsewhere, that the policy OF the
county should be the opposition of that
portion of the bill affecting Montgomery
County in particular and at the same
time that the bills in general be OPP
posed.
Opposition to the bills in general was
advocated on the grounds Of the near
ness of the county to Washington and
also on the grounds that the members
of the federation and the residents OF
the county are citizens of the United
States. The committee will ask the
federation to authorize a delegation 20
appear before the Senate committee
which is to hold hearings on the meas
ures at which time the views adopted
by the federation will be put forth.
The features of the measures affect
ing Montgomery County were opposed
on three counts the first of which was
that the citizens Of the county already
make an adequate contribution to the
District of Columbia by reason OF lndi-
rect taxes paid through purchases lin
Washington. The measure was opposed
also on the grounds that the bill is in
tended as a substitute for the intangible
tax In the District of Columbia while
it cannot relieve residents of the county
Of their intangible tax.
Suburban Area Declared Asset.
Thirdly, it was contended that the
existence on tne eQS6 Gl LIE DlSITlCI Ol
Columbia of a desirable suburban sec
ton which costs the District nothing Is
an asset to Washington. This section,
If 1t were annexed to the city, it was
set forth, would cost the city more per
capita for the expenses of highways,
water, sewer and other items than Is
now paid for each resident of the Dis
trict and since the residents Of the
county receive only the usual benefits
from Washington which are received by
any one, no matter how far from the
District he might live, there Is no rea-
son why the county residents should be
called on to pay more toward the Dis
trict's expenses.
The committee reported receiving a
detailed statement from the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission re-
garding two subjects now pending be-
fore the committee for investigation one
of them being the Huntington resolu-
tion calling for an investigation of facts
relating to water supply and report Of
reasons for any discrepancy between
cost and distribution charges and the
other a report on the financial policies
of the Sanitary Commission. These
matters viii be referred to a special
subcommittee for further action, Mr..
James stated A special committee will
also be named to take up the matter
of studying the system of depoSiting
county funds, surety bonds, rates, in
terest, ETC., pending before the commit
tee, it was stated.