Evening star., 1939-07-18
House Adopts
Report on
D., {. Tax Bill
Measure Now
Awaits Signature
OF President
BY JAMES E. CHINN

Without debate, the House this
afternoon adopted the conference
report on the District tax bill, thus
completing legislative action on this
long embattled measure, and send
ing it to the White House for the
signature of President Roosevelt
The bill, in addition to authorizing
a permanent $6000,000 payment to-
ward District expenses, provides for
an income tax.
The report was taken up at 1880
pm. and 6 minutes after Repre-
| sentative Nichols, Democrat, of Okla
homa, chairman of the House Con-
| ference Committee on the tax bill,
had called it up it had been ap-
proved. Action was taken after Mr..
Nichols made brief explanatio
OF the alterations in the original
measure. The House even agreed to
dispense with the customary read
| ing of conference report, which
would have required an additional
| Is minutes
The quick action of the House on
the conference report, belied earlier
reports there would be another bat
! tie on the floor over the amount of
the Federal payment The House
was advised. however, by Mr.. Nichols
it would have the right at the next
session of Congress to change this
| figure if it so desired
Only One Question.
The only question asked Mr.. Mich
OILS during consideration of the con-
ference report came from Repre-
sentative Case. Republican. of South
Dakota. He wanted to know whether
the conferees had changed the orig
inal report authorizing the s6000.-
600 Federal payment rather than
"appropriating' it. He was told the
change had been made. and asked
no further questions
| Mr.. Nichols told the House that
since the deadlock had been broken
over the amount of the Federal pay
ment in the 1910 District appropria-
ton bill, the President had signed
the measure, and that the House
conferees on the tax bill felt it
would be futile" to continue to ar
que over the figure in that measure
| The original tax bill, as passed by
the House, provided that the Fed
eral lump sum payment should not
exceed S. 100000 a year.
Mr.. Nichols also told the House
that all its conferees agreed on the
$4,000 900 figure in the tax bill ex-
cept himself.
Although the tax bill provides
that the s6000,00 Federal payment
shall be permanent declared Mr..
Nichols, Il assure the House that it
will have an opportunity at the next
session to reassert itself as to what
the payment should be- The House
should have no fear that this amount
will be permanent"
Provisions of Bill.
In addition to the Federal pay
ment provision, the finally enacted
tax bill provides:
| /. An income tax on persons ac-
tually "domiciled" in the District.
"A PSl SCllt wi pOl llcG III
. come tax.
3. Changes designed to make uni
form the taxes on public utility cor
pOrations.
T. A pro rata personal property tax
on motor vehicles.
5. A refund to the District of a
portion of fines and fees imposed by
the United States Court for the
District.
g. Repeal of the Intangible per-
| sonal property tax
7. Continuation of the present SITS
tax on real and personal property.
Altogether District officials have
figured the new tax program will
yield about $4,170.OOO in revenue,
but this amount will be offset by
the loss of $2,81O0O0 by repeal of
the intangible personal property tax
and 81 1884 900 from the business
(See D. c. TAXES, Page A-3)