Evening star., 1938-02-08
APPOINT REVENUE
PROGRAM BACKED
Two Per Cent Sales Tax
Urged by Dupont Circle
Citizens.

The Dupont Circle Citizens Asso-
ciation yesterday approved a four
point program as the possible means
of raising additional revenue for the
District and advocated some of the
existing taxing measures be dropped
The Executive Committee. which
drafted the program, made clear the
proposal for additional taxes to meet
the expected deficit in the budget
would not be needed if Congress would
appropriate fair and equitable
amount toward the maintenance of
the District.
The chief proposal made in the
program is for per cent consumers
sales tax without exemptions for food
and drugs.
Cites Tax Loss.
The report states the fair valua-
ton Of Federal-owned property in
the District of Columbia is $3.50, ,OO0,-
900. Taxes at the rate of $3.50 per
500 on this total aggregate the sum
Of $9,750,O0O. This is the amount of
money which the District is deprived
of by virtue of the fact that such
property is exempt from local taxa
ton. Under existing law Congress
could appropriate 40 per cent of the
total necessary for the District for
the fiscal year, and on the basis of a
> budget of approximately $48, 100000 it
could legally appropriate the sum of
Sl9,200,000. Such an appropriation
would make additional taxes unneces-
sary and could even permit repeal of
unfair and ineqaitable existing taxes.
Conditions which impose an added
burden on the District were cited.
including police and fire protection
for much GoverEment-owned prop
erty. extra police protection for En-
bassy and Legation properties and
loss of taxes through the establish
ment here of headquarters of nu-
merous religious and similar organ
tZationS.
. Would Cut Realty Tax.
The four-point program adopted by
the citizens after it was read oy
Woodson P. Houghton, president, pro-
poses disccntinuance of the business
privilege tax, reduction of the real
estate and tangible tax rate from
$l.75 to the old rate of $1.50. en-
actment of a consumers sales tax
of 2 per cent. abolishing the present
intangible tax and substituting there
for graduated income tax.
The committee admitted they we're
we'll aware of the probable desirable
ity of exempting food and drugs for
the benefit Of the poor in the proposed
consumers tax but believes that such
questions of Interpretation would
arise as to make the cost of admins
tering the tax excessive.
Clean City Urged.
The cooperation of the public is
necessary to keep the streets and al
leys of the District clean, DR.. Harry
A. Garfield. chairman of the Streets
and Parks Committee. told the gather
ing He said that under his plan the
area of the Dupont Circle Citizens
Association would be divided into IA
sections, and an inspector for each
section would be named to see the as
signed area is kept free from litter.
William A. Xanten. supervisor Of
the city refuse department. spoke at
the meeting, telling the group the
City of Washington in 1920 was con-
eidered one of the cleanest in the
country. but that since then the miles
of streets have been increased nearly
triple without any increase in his
force
William Phelps Emo, traffic author
ity. said in a brief address that IN
some foreign countries traffic accl-
dents have been reduced with the
elimination of horn blowing by motor
tst and reduction of speed. He stated
that the police force in Washington
Is not large enough to protect the
lives and property of the citizens.
The meeting was held in the May
flower Hotel