Evening star., 1937-07-30
BY j. A. O'LEARY.

Designed TO raise a total of S8,675,.
900, the District tax bill was reported
out Of conference today, with the busi-
ness privilege gross receipts levy and
the 25-cent increase in the rate on
real estate and tangible personal
property as the main sources Of
revenue.
The conference report will come
up first in the House. If it is an.
proved there no difficulty is expected
in the Senate
In final form. the long pending
measure provides for:
Inheritance and estate taxes. to
yield 100000. but not expected to
produce revenue before 1899.
Gross receipts tax on business
and professional groups At com.
promise rate of two-fifths Of / per
cent, and $4,000 exemption, s3,. !,
100000. Credit is allowed for
tangible personal tax payments. .
Boost in rate on real estate and '
tangible personal property from
sl.50 to s1.75 per hundred of as.
sessed value, $3,125,000 (
Increase from u to 2 per cent in )
tax on net premiums of insurance
companies, 100000. +
Section placing more teeth IN
method of collecting personal taxes,
S250,00O
Weight tax on motor vehicles. ,
ranging from IS to sl2 on passenger
cars and from SIS to $3.50 on ,
trucks, s1,500,OOo
Authority for the Commissioners
to borrow from the Treasury pend-
ing collection Of local revenues.
An authorization to spend $4,000
en- comprehensive survey of the
entire local tax structure and re-
port back to Congress in January.
The House conferees agreed to the
Senate's action in striking out the
chain store tax and also in eliminat.
ing the higher rates on inheritances.
These two propositions were not. In
the bill as originally drafted by the
House committee but were put in on
the House floor.
Rider Stays on Bill.
The Miller-Tydings national resale
price maintenance bill also stays in as
a rider, and this is believed to contain
the possibility of becoming an obstacle
to final enactment of the measure. In
dications are, however, that in the end
both houses will ratify the conference
report.
There have been conflicting reports
on Capitol Hill during the past few
days as to whether the White House
is ready to go along with or oppose
the resale price measure.
The motor vehicle weight tax goes
to the credit of the separate highway
improvement fund, leaving s7,375, 900
OF new revenue for the general fund,
where the current deficit exists. When
allowance is made for the fact that
the 100000 from inheritance and es-
tate taxes is not due to be collected
Immediately, the estimated yields from
other sources do not quite come up to
the 81 ,000, 900 deficit figure.
District officials indicated on leav-
ing the conference, however, that they
regard it as close enough to meet the
situation.
Realty Tax Payments.
The conference agreement empowers
the Commissioners to postpone for not
more than go days the real estate and
personal tax payments that ordinarily
would be due in September. This pro-
vision was necessary because the as.
SCISSOR and tax collector have had to
hold up the work of preparing tax
ledgers and thousands of bills while
Congress was considering what thu
rates would be for the current year
In order to be ready for collection In
September the tax bills and ledgers
should be in process Of preparation in
July.
As predicted for the past two days
the conferees rejected the Senate,
income levy and heavy land tax.
While the increase to SITS in the