Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-28

70 mOct INC 1AU 6llATc OF &OVcIu-
mental costs properly chargeable
against the Federal Government.
It is the Recommendation of our
club that every effort be made to
impress upon Congress the neces-
sity of increasing the lump-sum
appropriation to the District of Co.
lumbia 80 that the taxpayers in
Washington will not be called upon
to pay Federal expenses out of local
taxes"
Sales Tax Opposed.
Vigorous objection was made by
Mrs. Edward A. Chaplin, represent
ing the American Association of
University Women, to a proposed
sales tax because, she claimed, it
Is based on the principle of Gin
ability" to pay.
She explained that her organiza-
ton last spring favored a graduated
income tax, in lieu of a sales tax.
Owen r. Lovejoy. who appeared
as an individual taxpayer, urged a
higher Federal payment, discard Of
the present tax on intangible per-
sonal property, and suggested
graduated income tax.
Such q tax, he said, should be
made to apply to all District resi-
dents, but, he added:
THE Supreme Court has seen fit
to drop the 18th amendment to the
Constitution, and exempt Federal
employees from payment Of such a
tax. That places an unfair burden
on our private citizens, and be-
heve a protest should be made
against the courts Interpretation"
End of Business Tax Asked.
Spared A. Wood and DR.. A. M.
Edwards of the Columbia Heights
Citizens Forum both urged a high
er Federal payment and repeal of
the business privilege tax.
DR.. Edwards explained the forum
also favored enactment of an equit-
able corporation net income tax,
repeal of the Intangible tax, enact
ment of a non-wage, non-Salary,
personal income tax. with exemption
OF earned incomes of businessmen
and, at least 5000 received from rent
of rooms or from boarders in a
private family home by the family
living therein and retention of the
real property tax, with the rate not
to exceed the present SITS.
1T is the opinion of the Forum"
he said that if the Federal Gov
erop,oot contributed toror ri thu ~
penses Of the District in proportion
to the value of its real and other
tangible property, its contribution
for the fiscal year 1910 would be
considerably above the $9.500,00 1t
contributed In 1882. If the Federal
Government contributed even So
100000 for the fiscal year, 1910, it
would not be necessary for the Dis
trict to raise through taxation more
than the taxes the Forum has here
recommended would provide for.
Other New Taxes Opposed.
an view of this fact. there ap-
pears to the Forum to be no good
reason why the citizens of the Dis
trict should agree either to raises
in present tax rates or to new taxes,
other than the two new taxes the
Forum has recommended be enacted
to replace the business privilege tax
and the Intangible property tax.
Rather. in the opinion of the Forum,
citizens should try to induce Con-
gress to increase to logical amount
the payment of the Federal Govern
ment toward the expenses of the
District.
Doubtless there will be need for
some increase each year in the
amount of the District budget. 1t
is believed that such increase will
be taken care of adequately by the
increased tax collections resulting
from the increase in taxable prop
erty together with an equitable an
nual increase in the Federal pay
ment.'
Another objection to the proposed
sales tax came from Edward Hol-
lander of the United Federal Work.
ers of America, c. I. O. affiliate.
He declared a graduate personal
income tax should be adopted in
lieu of sales tax. coupled with
repeal of the existing intangible
personal property levy.
Mrs. Virginia Weston, repre-