Evening star., 1947-07-23
Sales Tax Favored

To the Editor Of The Star:
Now, the sales tax is being considered, and
7 want to go on record as favoring . sales
tax for the District. First it would mean much
saving to the merchants of Washington. There
no longer would be the keeping Of separate
accounts, one for the Government, the other
for the customer.
As Maryland now has sales tax the same
as proposed for the District, would it not be
a much more simple matter to put into practice
a sales tax equal to that Of Maryland thereby
eliminating the necessity of keeping separate
accounts for the individual purchaser?
There is another side to the question, too:
When a customer, whether from Maryland,
Virginia or some other State, buys something
the sales tax would be applied at the place of
purchase, and inasmuch as the District has a
grave necessity to increase its revenue to keep
up with our financial obligations, the sales tax
is the logical method. The sales tax would not
be burden on any one as it only would mean
one or two more pennies on an article to the
average person. JOHN GARDINER, sr.
Wants Modern Practice in Chest
To the Editor of The Star:
AS q District citizen, especially interested
in young people and in Washington as . COM
munity. various problems have come to the at
tention of the undersigned.
I therefore have read with particular interest
the partial reports published in your paper on
the Community Chest Perhaps this is the
time to give certain suggestions which would
be conducive to preventing at least some of
problems which have quite recently existed in
some Washington institutions.
l. A study should be made of chest agencies
and public welfare agencies covering the same
services, to arrive at a comparison with regard
to money spent. For instance, understand
that q greater number of Washington children
are cared for by our public welfare agencies
at far less cost per child than is true of private
Community ChesD agencies If this state
ment is correct, should not the former Allow
ances be increased, the latter decreased? Or
should they be merged?
2. There appears to be lack of standard rs
to private institutions. BY this I mean, 4
yardstick which may be applied. Such infor-
nation as to standards is easily available, and
should be adhered to- For instance, some
problems recently have come to pass because of
self-perpetuating, outmoded, well-meaning
boards. The Chest well might require that any
private institution desiring to be included in
its set-up conform to the most modern prac-
tice as to personnel Of such boards and as to
regular changes. In New York City, for in
stance members of boards must be citizens,
all experts in their lines, each Of whom con-
tributes a different trained viewpoint to the
problems confronting the board. have been
told that this practice is put into effect in our
own Travellers Aid. Washington is rich in
trained citizens in many lines who would be
glad to serve. Have we not tended to over
balance washington board with the same
names, SO that it is impossible for individuals
belonging to many boards to do a good job,
however well-meaning they may be?
3. It Is suggested that private institutions
not only finance studies by outside disinter-
ested experts as to ways of improving their in
dividual institutions but that these studies be
turned over to the Chest (board?) and that it
be required that 50 far as possible the sugges-
tions Of these experts be put into force in the
said institutions.
Finally, 1t should be borne in mind that in
stitutions for children are outmoded. Wash
ington, like other cities should look forward to
more (well-paiD home and foster-parent care.
with the gradual elimination Of institutions.