Evening star., 1938-07-19
DIR. POND STARTS
BROAD PROBE OF
DISTRICTS TAXES
Findings Expected to Be
Ready for Congress by
January Is.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
IN SESSION YESTERDAY
Preliminary Work to Be Devoted
to Investigating Present
Taxation Setup.

A comprehensive analysis of local
taxes. first step in survey which may
result in revision of the District tax
structure, was under way today under
the direction of DR.. Chester Pond
33-year-old New York economist.
The study, authorized at the last
session of Congress after it had again
been necessary to pass emergency tax
legislation for local needs, is expected
to be completed and its recommended
tions ready for submission to Congress
by next January Is.
The survey was launched officially
yesterday, when DR.. Pond, who has
had previous experience with District
tax problems, conferred with mem pers
of the Tax Advisory Committee at a
meeting in Engineer Commissioner
Dan l. Sultan's Office in the District
Building.
After the conference DR.. Pond in
an interview repeated an earlier state
ment that his preliminary work will
be devoted entirely to an investigation
of the present tax setup, and that
Whatever recommendations might be
made would come later.
No Prior Convictions.
Were going to start from scratch "
he declared, without any previous
convictions to bind us. An objective
,l, l,
lem
DR.. Pond, who served as staff ex-
pert with the so-called Jacobs Com
mittee on Fiscal Relations in 1886.
was asked what he thought of that
committees report.
II was employed as a technical eX-
pert with the Jacobs Committee he
replied, "and I had little to do with
its recommendations.
L want to emphasize that this pres
ent study is to be made irrespective
of the findings in the Jacobs report.
The Jacobs Committee survey dealt
with the entire problem of fiscal rela-
tons between the United States and
the District of Columbia. This new
study will be devoted to the tax struc-
ture of the municipality
DR.. Pond said he became very in
terested' in the Districts tax prob
lens while serving on the Jacobs
Committee.
Commissioner Hazen told reporters
the problem will be tackled with a
view toward determining how much
tax revenue will be needed by the
District in the next seven years.
Two Will Aid Pond.
DR.. Pond will be aided in the study
by two assistant directors. Benjamin
F. Adams, assistant assessor of the
Board of Real Estate Assessors, was
loaned" by the Commissioners to
serve as one assistant director, Com
missioner Hazen said. The other aide
has not yet been selected by DR.. Pond.
The meeting yesterday was marked
by the selection of Maj. Daniel j.
Donovan, District auditor and budget
officer, as chairman of the Tax Ad-
viSory Committee. This committee,
Commissioner Hazen explained, will
not take an active part in the study
but will meet from time to time
probably once week, to discuss the
results of the survey.
Senator King, Democrat. of Utah,
chairman of the Senate District Com
mittee, who now is in charge of the
congressional Joint Committee on In
ternal Revenue Taxation, and Colin
F. Stam, chief of staff of the COM
mittee also attended the meeting.
Ten on Committee.
Five District officials and five citi-
zens make up the membership of the
Tax Advisory Committee. The Off
cials, besides Maj. Donovan, are FL
wood H. Seal, corporation counsel;
Richmond B. Keech, vice chairman
of the Public Utilities Commission;
Fred D. Allen, District tax assessor,
and 10 V. Morgan, the "one-man"
Board of Tax Appeals.
The citizen members are L. A. Car
futhers, president of the Federation
of Citizens Associat tions; John Locher,
president of the Central Labor Union;
Pobert V. Fleming, president of Riggs
National Bank; Prof. Charles M.
Thomas and Mrs. Ernest F. Parkinson
Commissioner Hazen said the study
would have 20 be completed in time
for submission to the Joint commit
tee before it is presented to Congress.