Evening star., 1937-09-27
Member Of the Associated Pres.
Belated Realization.

boosting program has demonstrated at
least two points which may or may not
be OF value to local taxpayers.
First: The time to protest and If pos
sibe to prevent the imposition of new,
heavier tax burdens is before, not after,
the imposition of these new burdens.
Many business men are just discovering,
to their amazement and sorrow, the full
e1ects OF the gross receipts tax An Or
ganization has already been perfected to
work for It's repeal. 1t should be re-
pealed. But while many new taxes are
levied, few are ever repealed. The time
to have made the real fight was before,
not after, enactment of this tax Every
thing predicted for this vicious measure
has come to pass. But while there was
no lack OF prophesy, there was a certain
lack of effective protest by those who are
now discovering the full weight of bur-
dens imposed.
Second: The prevailing idea at the
District Building is to spend what money
can be obtained from local taxes. There
is no effort at cutting down expenses
or proposed expenditures to permit
needed reduction in local taxes.
The full weight Of the new taxes, both
Federal and local, with which the local
community has been plastered in the
past two years, is shown in the picture
drawn by the Board Of Trade described
in the columns of The Star yesterday
OF what these increases amount to in
dollars and cents.
The same group Of representative
businesses which in 1886 paid a total
OF sl,2l3,Olo, will pay, in 1887, total of
Sl,745 ,252-or an increase of fortv-four
per cent. Some individual increases in
tax burden are astonishing, amounting
to more than 300 per cent. The cumu-
latlve effect Of these tax increases is to
boost the cost of living, already high, to
reach down deeper into the average con-
sumer's pocket and to exercise an ad-
verse effect on all business.
Will the consumer get any more for his
taxes than he did the year before?
Nothing, unless, of course, he happens
to be in position to get a job at the
District Building administering the new
taxes or interpreting them so that they
may be understood.
The new taxes are plastered on the
District to make up a deficit caused by
the failure of the exclusively controlling
National Government to meet its own
obligations. The increased taxes do not
guarantee the local taxpayer any cheaper
government, or any increased govern
mental facilities. The more the local gov
ernment spends, the higher becomes the
cost of maintaining it.
Those who were hit by the business
privilege, or gross receipts tax, have
loudly protested the imposition of a new
and unfair tax burden. But wait until
the motorist realizes what the tax pro-
gram means to llim That bad news will
be broken gently in December, when he
gets his new license tags. Will it be any
comfort to him to know that the high
way department has already mapped out
extensive plans for spending millions OF
dollars-without Federal contribution of
any sort-for an expensive face-lifting
treatment for the National Capital high
way system, designed originally and
utilized largely now to meet demands
Of the Nations Capital?
Local taxpayers are faced with the
choice between two alternatives. They
may continue to let the District Build
ing speak for them in proposing new
taxes and in proposing new ways of
spending taxpayers money, or they can
at least assume the right of speaking
for themselves and demanding that as
much thought and energy be directed to
cutting taxes as has been given to the
subject of boosting taxes.
If the controlling National Govern
nent continues to evade responsibility
for National Capital development, the
local taxpayer should likewise refuse to
assume it. New Federal, and perhaps
local, tax increases are threatened this
coming Winter. Now is the time to
organize and to prepare for united cam
paign against new proposals for spending
-xSyy