Evening star., 1933-03-29
Economy Without Tax Relief.

Economy Wltn0ut lax helleI'
In other American communities cost
of government is reduced-notwith-
standing resulting hardships imposed
upon individual members Of the COM
munity in government employ whose
means of livelihood are reduced or who
lose their jobs and swell the army OF
the unemployed-in order to gain the
greater compensating benefit OF relief
of the whole tax-paying community
from a substantial portion Of the bur-
den of taxation. With them there Is
a direct close relation between reduc-
ton of governmental costs and reduc-
ton of taxation.
In the case of the District, which has
no representation in Congress. its ma
tional and local legislature, there Is no
relation between cost Of government and
tax burden. Cost Of government, ma
tional and local, is drastically reduced
by the process of cutting salaries and
wages and by discharges, converting
hundreds from wage earners into relief
seeking members OF the army of un-
employed, thus increasing the already
unbearably heavy burden Of unemploy-
ment relief imposed upon the remain
der Of the community which Is still
employed and earning living or is
still self-sustaining from accumulated
resources. Though a considerable frac-
ton of our army of unemployed came
here from the States to seek employ
ment or relief from the National Gov
eminent at the Nations Capital, the
Nation, through Congress, announces
that it will not contribute to this work
Of charitable relief and specifically
throws this burden entirely upon local
individual contributors and local tax
payers.
The District endures in large degree
the sacrifices and suffering which the
States impose upon themselves in order
to enjoy greater benefits from tax re-
ductions. But Congress, its State and
municipal Legislature, in which 1t is not
represented, while imposing arbitrarily
upon its ward the injury and distress
of discharges and wage cuts incidental
to the reduction Of governmental costs,
grants no relief whatever from taxation.
On the contrary, taxes are increased
and further increases threatened.
In local taxes increases are made or
threatened by the Mapes bills and other
legislative proposals, in the gasoline tax,
In the rate OF intangible tax or through
the substitute of an income tax for
the intangible tax and in new tax
on legalized beer. The too heavy local
taxes already imposed are not fully
expended by our Legislature for
the benefit Ct the District. but are
allowed In part to accumulate in sur
pluses to the injury Of the District.
The effect Of new or increased local
taxes is only to increae these hurtful
surpluses which lie without bearing
interest in the National Treasury and
tempt to unwise and unjust forms Of
final expenditure, If expended over for
the Districts benefit.
The only contributor to the Districts
revenue whose burden is lessened by the
reduction Of governmental cost is the
national lump sum contributor, whose
lump sum contribution Qtsen vio-
lation of legislative PLEDGE tends to
decrease as the local taxpayers burden
increases.
In the campaign for the reduction
of the tax burden, due to excessive gov
ernmental cost, the District enjoys no
reduction of either local or national
tax burdens.
AS national taxpayers, taxpayers OF
the District who already pay more ma
tional taxes than any one of n Of the
States, must pay this year the tre-
mendously increased super-taxes, the
additional cent on gasoline and the
internal revenue tax on beer.
In the light of these facts and figures
and in fair play and financial equity,
the proposals Of the budget estimate
for District appropriations for the fis-
cal year 1884, just submitted, repre-
sent the climax Of unjust and hurtful
discrimination.
The direct relation between reduced
governmental cost and reduced taxation
should be established in District finance.
To the extent that the proposed cuts
are permitted to go into effect there
should be corresponding reductions of
the local taxes, especially of the excess
sive and burdensome taxes on realty.
The District taxpayers appeal to
Congress (their local Legislature) and
to the President (their Governor and
Mayor to protect them with sympa-
thetic consideration of their welfare
against injustice.