Evening star., 1937-10-19
SULTAN ASSA|LS
|NTANG|bLES TAX,
URGES ITS REPEAL
Levy on Personal Property
Hit as "ViCious" by Engi-
neer Official.
MOVE FOLLOWS SESSION
OF BUSINESS PAYERS
Local Groups Seek to Organize
$4,000 Victims" for Fair and
Equitable" System Here.

Equitable System Here.
Engineer Commissioner Dan I. Sui
tan announced today that he will
advocate repeal of the Districts
''vicious" tax on intangible personal
property as a major element of any
revision of the municipal tax struc-
ture.
Col. Sultan'S announcement followed
a meeting last night of 35 represen-
tatives of business and professional
groups seeking to organize the $4,000
victims" of the business privilege tax
in fight for fair and equitable taxa
ton"
The meeting, held at the Hamilton
Hotel, resulted in the adoption of a
resolution authorizing the creation
of committee to prepare plans
for a permanent organization. An
other meeting will be held Novem-
ber l.
Honest Payer Seen Penalized.
There have been repeated assaults
Oll tllS lllpdllSlDlC lSN AL bAiS HesSS VA
the ground that it penalized the honest
taxpayer, who reported all his intan-
gibel holdings and opened the door tc
tax evasion for those whose conscience
did not inspire honest returns. Seek
ing to correct this fault. Congress at
the last session amended the law to
put more teeth into its enforcement,
giving the assessor broad powers of in
vestigation and examination OF the
holdings of the taxpayers.
Col. Sultan said he would not COM
nit himself as yet on any other re-
vision of the tax structure but indl-
Gated he would favor a District in
come tax if one could be drawn which
would prove effective as a revenue
measure which would stand court
tests.
He indicated he would side with
Commissioner George E. Allen on the
view that an exemption should be
granted all those earning their in
comes here who pay State income
tax back home" Commissioner Mel
win c. Hazen holds the view that if
there is to be District income tax
there should be no exemptions.
Business Tax Extension.
Col. Sultan joined with the other
Commissioners in declaring there
should be extensive revision of the
business privilege tax if it is to be
continued beyond the present one
year limit.
Col. Sultan insisted, however, he
would keep an open mind on the tax
problems until after the Commits
sioners had received the recommended
tions of the District Tax Committee,
consisting of a half dozen District
officials, and the Tax Advisory Com
mittee, including spokesmen for nine
civic and business organizations.
The movement for permanent
organization of representatives of va
rious business and professional groups,
initiated by the Federation of Busi-
ness Mems Associations, was designed
primarily to stress the need of con-
certed and united action to convince
Congress there is something radically
wrong with the present emergency
tax program.
Unjust Taxation Charged.
A. Julian Brylawski, who presided,
sounded the keynote of the meeting
with q declaration: 1--WE feel we are
taxed unjustly There is necessity for
concerted action"
Washington l. Cleveland, represent
ing the District Motor Club of the
American Automobile Association, like
wise Joined in condemning the new
program of taxation. I'VE have got
to live with it and suffer under it for
a year." he declared.
It was Cleveland who proposed the
creation of committee to frame plans
for a permanent organization. He
stressed the need of an organization
of business and professional men who
would present to Congress lone COM
mon idea" for fair and equitable tax
program.
Lets try it," he declared. IF we
don't succeed, we will be no worse
off than we are now
Fairfax Oyster, representing the
New Center Market Dealers ASsocia-
ton, proposed general sales tax IN
lieu of the present business privilege
tax. and declared: "If we have got to
be taxed. we should be taxed fairly
and equitably."
Would Garry Fight to Capitol.
Oyster also said the Commissioners
could be considered lightly" in the
development of a new tax program,
but demands for fair tax legislation
should be carried direct to headquar-
ters-the Capitol"
A suggestion was made by Rufus S.
Lusk of the Washington Taxpayers
Association that business and pro-
:, fessional men opposed to the proposed
$4,000, 900 budget of the Commls-
sioners for the 1889 fiscal year attend
the hearings next week before the
Budget Bureau and register their pro-
test. He declared two men at the
bureau virtually control the size of
the budget and predicted they would
be glad" to get the views of the
business and professional men.
The committee named to work out
plans for a permanent organization
of representatives of the various pro-
fessional and trade groups is composed
of Brylawski, Cleveland, Lusk, Oyster,
Mason Welsh, Theodore S. Grape
and Dial + Elkins.