Evening star., 1934-10-22
City Heads to Back Plea
for Large Lump Sum
With New Data.
TRADE BOARD APPROVES
1886 BUDGET PROGRAM
Indorses Intent of Commissioners
to Keep Spending Within In.
dicated Income.

Having made demand on the
Federal Government for increasing
its payment to the District by $751;
600 in their annual budget request,
the Commissioners were preparing to-
day to support this plea at hearings
before congressional committees by
showing that District citizens are pay
ing more than their fair share OF the
tax burden.
Melvin c. Hazen, chairman OF the
Board of Commissioners, said today
that he would have District officials
collect figures showing the per capita
tax burden on residents of other
cities, including taxation of all sorts,
such as local, income taxes which are
not levied here. These will be COM
pared with the per capita taxation In
the District.
II am sure" Hazen said, that the
people of the District want to pay
their fair share of the taxes-that is
to say, what the average citizen in
the average city pays.
Excessive Burden Cited.
But they should not be called upon
to pay anything beyond that, as rep
resented by the increased cost of
maintaining diversified streets and the
capital costs of monumental, municipal
buildings which come into existence
only because this is the Federal
Capital"
Hazen probably will call on the
budget director some time this week
in connection with the opening OF
budget hearings next Monday, when
District officials will endeavor to sup
port their requests before the Federal
Bureau of the Budget.
For 1886 they are asking $44 ,039, 1856.
They want still to keep the Sl.50 tax
rate on personal property and real
estate and have requested that the
Federal Government increase its pay
ment to $8,137,500.
They arrived at their figure for the
Federal payment by averaging pay
ments made since 1926. The total they
requested for the budget represented
a slash of more than S8,000,00 in the
totals requested by the various depart
ment heads.
It was advanced as "the lowest nee
essary amount required for mainte-
nance and operating costs
Board of Trade Approves.
The Washington Board of Trade
approved the position of the Com
missioners today and issued the fol-
lowing statement:
1.-The Washington Board of Trade
has given considerable attention to the
proposed budget for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1886, and inasmuch
as the expenditures for the support OF
our local government, under existing
law, must come from very definite
sources, it was felt that this year
in particular, very close examination
into the economic effect of any addi-
tional taxation of the citizens of the
District of Columbia should be given.
1T was very apparent that any in
creaseS at this time would bring about
serious disadvantage not only to
many businesses in the community
who would be plunged again into the
difficulties of the last three years, but
also to thousands of home owners who
under great stress and effort, have
managed to survive the serious eco
nomic crises without losing theil
homes.
"a perusal of the budget indicated
that expected revenues for 1886 would
only be sufficient to cover the operat-
ing and maintenance cost of the loca
government, and that capital expendi-
lures could not be looked for without
an increase in taxes or some new form
of taxation if predicated on the re-
stricted basis permitted in the current
appropriation bill 1t was further
evident to the Board of Trade that this
situation has arisen primarily through
the diminishing amount appropriated
by the Federal Government as it:
share toward the responsibility o.
maintaining the Nations Capital, anc
that if the Federal Government hac
continued tc appropriate upon ar
equitable basis such a condition
would not have arisen, particularly il
view Of the large amount of property
being withdrawn from taxation in tht
District Of Columbia for use by tht
Federal Government.
Proposed Course o. KID.
"It is, therefore, with much gratifi'
cation that this organization ha.
learned that the Commissioners of th'
District of Columbia, in connection
with the 1886 budget, intend to operate
within the actua; revenues expected
without any increase in the burden o.
taxation upon our citizens. Thi!
course the Board of Trade heartily in.
dorses and approves, and pledges tt
the Commissioners its support thereto
This organization also looks with
hearty approval upon the intention O.
the Commissioners to urge upon the
Federal Government the need for ar
increased appropriation as its share
in the upkeep of the Federal City
for which the board has fought for 6
number Of years. This organization
therefore, pledges to the Commis.
sioners its support toward this enc
and its cooperation in such efforts
as may be desirable toward tht
achievement.
1T is most heartening that oul
present Board of Commissioners have
taken such wise course in the solu-
ton of the very intricate and difficult
problems which face them in the
handling of the proposed budget fol
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1886