Evening star., 1947-06-25
'ConfereesAdopt
Broader District
income TaxBdse
Revenue and Teacher
Pay Bills Ready for
Final Congress Action
By Don S. Worren

"a ICSOllliIlClludVtOIiS b4ldU bAlC
District income tax be applied to
persons living. here more than
seven months of the year was
adopted by Senate and House
conferees today as they cleared
the city revenue and teacher pay
bills for final congressional ac-
ton.
Efforts will be made for final
action in the House Friday on both
bills.
House conferees on the S13,500, 900
revenue bill voted, 3 to 2. to knock
out of the measure the O'Hara
amendment which would exempt
from the income levy all Federal
employees who make affadivits that
they are domiciled In a State.
O'Hara to Continue Fight.
Beaten in conference, Representa-
tive O'Hara, Republican, of Min
nesota, smilingly served notice he
would resume his fight on the House
floor. This just means that we go
back to another battle in the
House." he said.
A motion that the House recede
was made by Chairman Dirksen of
the House District Committee. He
was. supported by Representative
Bates, Republican, of Massachus-
etts, who headed the fiscal subcom-
mittee which drafted the measure,
and Smith, Democrat, of Virginia, a
member of the drafting group. Rep
resentative Mcmillan, Democrat, Of
South Carolina. sided with Mr..
O'Hara.
Senator Cain, Republican, of
Washington, head of the fiscal SUBJ
committee of the Senate District
Committee, had the unanimous sup
port of the Senate conferees on the
income tax question-the only one
lacking unanimous agreement by the
House and Senate managers on this
bill. He was supported by Senator
Flanders, Republican, of Vermont.
The third Senate conferee. Senator
McGrath, Democrat. of Rhode Is
land, who could not attend, also
favors the tax plan.
Teacher Pay Amendments Accer&ed.
There was no dispute over the final
terms of the teacher pay bill. The
conference committee unanimously
recommended that the House accept
two minor amendments written into
the bill by the Senate. One of these
gives hberaized sick leave to school
attendance iofficers. The other Sem
ate amendment writes into the new
pay bill tenure and retirement pro-
visions contained in earlier basic
teacher statutes.
Senator Cain and school officials
had not thought the~repetition of
the tenure provisions was necessary
but willingly agreed to write it into
the bill at the request of some
teacher spokesmen.
Chairman Dirksen said he would
consult with House leaders on re-
quest that action on the conference
report be taken by the House Fri
day. Senator Cain said all con-
ferees were agreed as to the neces-
sity of quickly disposing of both
the bills.
Session Lasts Hour.
The session of the conferees lasted
little more than an hour Mr.. O'Hara
made a determined fight for his
position that Federal workers should
be exempted from the District in
come levy.
Senator Cain said he had the sup
port of all but two of the conferees
that it was fair proposition that
persons living in Washington most
of the year should pay share OF
the costs of District facilities which
they use like other District resi-
dents subject to the income tax.
The income tax section as passed
by the Senate and approved by all
but two of the conferees, while re-
curing returns from all living here
more than seven months of the year,
would give full credits for the
amount of State income taxes or
State intangible personal property
taxes paid back home.
The measure would exempt mem
bers of Congress, the Presidents
cabinet and presidential appotntees
who are subject to confirmation by
| the Senate
Senator Cain, with the support of
other conferees, contended that un-
| less the O'Hara amendment was
eliminated from the bill, the entire
District income tax should be re-
pealed. If there is public support
for such a move, and the O'Hara
amendment should prevail, he said
he would feel constrained to sup
port elimination of the income tax
levy, but at a future date.
Senator Cain warned the con-
ferees there was a practical prob
lem involved in the issue, as we'll as
a question of fairness. With Con-