Evening star., 1938-09-11
By DON S. WARREN.

Any increase in the 1910 estimates
over the near s50,000,000 budget
adopted for the present fiscal year
definitely will affect the size of the
tax load to be recommended in the
forthcoming report to Congress on pro-
posed revisions of the District tax
structure. tax survey officials made
clear yesterday
Taxpayers and civic spokesmen will
BE- given an opportunity to make sug-
gestions on both the budget estimates
and changes in the tax system. begin
ming tomorrow. The extent of public
participation in the tax study, prior
to its formal consideration by Con-
Rress. will be determined this week
Public hearings on the 66.0O0;O00
appropriation requests of District de-
partment heads will be started tomor-
row at the District Building by the
Commissioners
An invita- ton to the public to sub
NIT written suggestions to the tax
survey group was issued yesterday by
Colin F. STAN, chief of staff of the
Congressional Joint Committee on
Internal Revenue Taxation, which is
in charge of the revenue question.
To Decide on Hearings.
Whether public hearings will be
held by the Commissioners Advisory
Tax Committee will be determined at
q meeting of the group, called for
Thursday at 2 pm. Some members
of this group, which is headed by Dis
trict Auditor Daniel J. Donovan, are
known to favor public hearings before
the report of the Congressional Joint
Committee is drafted. since the subject
30 vitality affects all District taxpayers.
DR.. Chester Pond, the youthful but
experienced New York economist, who
heads the official staff of the survey
body for the congressional group,
gave assurances that no final conclu-
sions as yet have been drawn as to
what revisions may be recommended
In the District tax structure. At the
same time. he made clear that the
prospective revenue needs of the Dis
tr1ct for the next fiscal year and
for the succeeding four years would
be given all due weight ir the report
on tax revision.
Neither the commissioners, nor Maj
Donovan. their budget officer, have
indicated what their actions will be
on the proposed $66,0OO,00O budget
requests, but it is expected they will
seek to slash these proposals down tc
10 maximum of s50,0O00O0. If this
Happens, and if the Budget Bureau
and Congress approve, it. may be as
Sun1ed that the new revenue plan, al
though perhaps calling for extensive
revisions of the present scheme, would
not demand any considerable further
increase in the total tax load. How.
ever, the congressional committee L
expected to consider future needs oi
the District, at least during the nex1
i've years, and for this reason the
new revenue plan may call for some
/ increase in revenues.
] Slashes May Be Made.
! Healthy slashes may be made ir
the proposed 1910 estimates becaus,
the Public Works Administration ha!
approved loans and grants amount
Ing to date to more than $4,000, 900
! permitting more or less correspondent,
cuts to be made from the origina
budget requests. While the first re
payments of loans is deferred to 194l
every new structure placed in op
>-eration causes an increase in main
tenance and operation costs and i
the tax plan is based on revenu
needs averaged over a five-year per
Tod, this may call for some furthe
/. increase, even if the 1910 request
! are held to s50,O0o,0OO or less.
AS to the tax plan, two main objec
tives are being held in mind, official
+! indicated. The first would be to pro
pose a modern and better balanced ia
structure for the District, and the sec
(See TAX SURVEY Page R-4N