Evening star., 1941-04-27
Taxation Commission
Is Urged TO Study
Overlapping Levies
Real Estute Is Forced
To Curry Too Much Of
Lood, Session Told

Loud, Session Told
A petition to Congress to create
Commission on Taxation which
would study the entire tax struc-
ture of the United States with
view to correcting such existing in
equities as "pramiding and over
tapping" by intra- governmental tax
ing bodies, was made Yesterday at
the closing session of the National
Conference of Real Estate Tax
PAYERS Convention here.
The request for the commission
is the result of the conference con-
tention that in many instances real
estate is being taxed unfairly and
that it is being forced to Garry
too much of the tax load The
conference plea for a tax study
would include, however, all forms
of taxation.
Delegates voted to make the con-
ference a permanent body. 10 be
known as the National Council Of
Real Estate Taxpayers. 1t is spon-
sored by five organizations, the Ma
tional Grange, Mortgage Bankers
Association of America. National
Apartment Owners Association. Ma
tional Association OF Real Estate
Boards and the National Associa-
ton of Building Owners and Man
ayers. The convention reelected
Myers Y. Cooper Cincinnati. for
mer Governor of Ohio. as its presi-
dent. Lawrence 6. Holmes. Chi
cago, was reelected secretary.
s5e0,000 Appropriation Asked.
The conference asked Congress
for an appropriation of not less
than s500000 a year for the COM
mission on taxation and requested
that 1t be given authority to use
records of the Federal Government,
and that State and local govern
ments be requested to cooperate.
The personnel of the commission,
it was stated. should be representa-
tive of all taxpaying interests as
we'll as of Congress and of the Fed
eral, State and local taxing agen-
cies.
Conference leaders said the idea
OF a commission TO study taxation
had met with approval of leaders
in Congress.
Let us have a magma charta Of
taxation to modernize the structure
to the end that no man shall be
called upon to go beyond his ability
to pay in meeting the costs of gov
ernment.' Mr.. Cooper. president of
| the conference demanded. "Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Secretary Nor
genthau have both expressed hearty
! approval of national commission
Of the general type that we propose
/ quote from the Presidents budget
message: No really satisfactory tax
reform can be achieved without re-
adjusting the Federal. State and
local fiscal relationships
Greeting From President.
President Roosevelt in a written
| greeting to the convention expressed
his hope that the conference may
result in fruitful suggestions for the
better coordination of tax policies
among all units of government In
the United States"
The conference named as its No.
! objective IAN overall limitation
or ceiling on real estate taxes" 1t
was pointed out that this goal has
been achieved in nine States and now
is being sought in the SO others.
Delegates adopted resolutions ask
ing for economy and efficiency in
Government: broadening of the tax
base to relieve excessive real estate
taxes and to provide for the adequate
functioning of local government,
and the correction Of inequities of
the ad vslorem tax valuation process.
and recognition of productivity as
basis of tax valuations"
The convention asked that all
forms of wealth, including Govern
ment income producing property, be
made to pay just share of the cost
of government They asked for
creation of central expenditure
control agencies in each State"
Conference Hears Opie.
The conference heard yesterday
an address by Redvers Opie. eco
nomic adviser to the British En-
| bassy, on Taxes on Property in
England" The speaker explained
the English have two taxes on their
property, one levied by the central
government and one by the local
authorities.
The central government property
tax is levied against all income from
the ownerships of lands. This in
come that is subject to the tax is
not the actual rent received, but
an assessed annual value as de-
termined by quinquennial valua-
tions, Mr. Opie said.
IN England the speaker pointed
out, the ner-occupier pays on
the rental value of his property just
as much as would be paid if 1t were
occupied by a lessee This is in
contrast to the treatment of house
owner occupiers in the United
States"
The local property taxes, although
much more complicated, are based
on substantially the same broad out
line as the central property tax
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