Evening star., 1936-08-13
CITY HEADS REJECT
TAXPAYERS PLEA
TO AID IN SURVEY
Hint Public Hearing May
Be Held Before LevieS
Are Decided.
FEARS ITO LET DOWN
BARS" HAZEN AYERS
Protective Association Asked to
Name Four or Five to Commit
tee Examining Revenue Sources.

The Commissioners have rejected a
request of the Washington Taxpayers
Protective Association, Inc, that local
taxpayers be named on the special
committee now engaged in examining
sources of new revenue for the District.
G.. M. Thornett, acting secretary,
today advised the secretary of the tax
payers association, Rufus Lusk, of the
Commissioners action and limited that
before any final action is taken on the
subject of new taxes a public hearing
may be held.
Lusk wrote the Commissioners July
IS and asked that -four or five" Wash
ington property owners be added to the
list of officials now conducting the sur
Vey.
I'VE believe" he said, that it is
of great importance that the tax
payer be directly represented on the
Commissioners Special Tax Commit
tee. Any proposed new tax will hit
some harder than others. Protests
will naturally follow.
Some of these protests may be
forestalled if there are members of
your committee who are both tax
payers and can speak for other tax
payers. In word, it may be possible
to smooth out controversies before
they occur"
Fears Letting Down Bars"
Commissioner Melvin c. Hazen,
president of the board, explained to-
day that the attitude of the officials
is that to let down the bars" to the
Taxpayers Association would mean an
endless series of requests for repre-
sentation from other groups.
Thornett's letter said:
THE Commissioners are of the
opinion that this particular study is
one which should more appropriately
be made by officials of the District
Government. They appreciate, of
course, that a matter of this kind is
of vital interest to the taxpaying pub
lie, and they propose to give due re-
gard to this interest upon the receipt
by them of any final recommendation
that may be submitted to the Com
missioners by this special tax COM
mittee.
AT that time the Commissioners
will give consideration to the advis:-
bility Of holding public hearing,
when local taxpayers will have an
opportunity of presenting their views
to the Commissioners"
So far the committee has made two
preliminary reports, in neither of
which were definite sources of new
income recommended. Suggestions
were made, however. of the possibility
OF a weight tax on automobiles,
larger gasoline tax, an inheritance tax,
income tax and a possible new basis
for taxation of public utilities.
Donovan Is Chairman.
The committee was set up in
August, 1885, but for a time ceased
to function after making its two gen.
eral reports E. Barrett Prettyman,
former corporation counsel. was chair
man of the committee at first, but
on his resignation Maj. Daniel J.
Donovan, District auditor and budget
officer, was made the chairman.
Shortly after the current appropria-
ton bill was passed the Commis-
sioners ordered the study renewed in
view of the possibility of deficit at
the end of the present fiscal year, and
in view of the special study to be
made of the fiscal relations of the
District and Federal Governments.
In addition to Maj. Donovan, men,
bers of the committee are Vernon E.
West. assistant corporation counsel;
Richmond B. Keech. vice chairman
of the Public Utilities Commission;
William A. Roberts. peoples counsel;
Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, director of
highways, and Fred D. Allen, tax as
SCISSOR.
The committee has examined q
number of tax experts in attempting
to arrive at definite recommended
tion.