Evening star., 1947-01-12
From City Hall
By John w. Thompson, Jr.

President Truman's proclamation Of
ficially ending hostilities may pave the
way for the Districts plan to double
local taxes on liquor and begin taxing
theater admissions.
This, at least, is the way some ofh-
cials at the District Building see 1t. The
proclamation is due to bring cutbacks
in the Federal wartime taxes on liquor,
furs, theater admissions and several
other commodities, effective July l.
The Districts proposed new taxes would
become effective on that date If ap-
proved by Congress as budget balancer
for the 194s estimate sent to the Capitol
Friday. ..- .
During the war, the officials say,
municipalities were encouraged to by
pass these items as sources OF revenue
in favor of the Federal Government.
Now, they conclude, with the National
Government backing of, the local gov
ernments can step in.
Last September some representatives
of the local liquor industry met the
proposal to double its taxes with the
argument that this, on top of other
taxes, would drive customers and the
business to the nearby counties. The
ater spokesmen likewise argued that
District tax on top of the Federal 20
per cent admissions levy would be dis
criminatory and put the cost of movie
outside the range of the slim pocketbook.
X Il 4 X
Watch soon for the appointments to
the five-man District Redevelopment
Land Agency created by the Slum Clear
ance Act last summer. Three are named
by the District Commissioners and two
by the President. The names are now
at the White House. District Assessor
Edward A. Dent, one Of the keenest
minds in the city service. is a good bet
to be one of them.
When Gen. George Marshall was
named last week Secretary OF State to
succeed James F. Byrnes, one Of the
loudest cheers came from Commissioner
John Russell Young. Gen. Marshall Is
a graduate of that bonvivant group de-
veloped during Mr.. Young's years as
a White House reporter for The Star
and known as "The j. Russell Young
School Of Expression"
After seeing the announcement of
the appointment, Dean Young could not
resist calling up Chief Justice Fred Vim
son of the Supreme Court-another
graduate-and Growing over the way
George" has gotten ahead since he re-
ceived his diploma. Mr.. Byrnes also
has a sheepskin from the school whose
convocation hall is the Mayfower Hotel
One of the last calls to reach the
District Building in behalf Of disap-
pointed candidate for the police in
spectorship that went last week to
Lloyd Kelly of No. precinct, came
from Capitol Hill. The legislator said
he was well acquainted with his nominee
and had known him for years. District
officials wondered why, If that was So,
he did not know the pcliceman's correct
name.
Another call from the Capitol for
disappointed candidate came in a full
day after the Kelly nomination had
been announced.
\ ~ X Il
Never in the history OF District finance
has the city sent to Congress budget
dependent in such large measure upon
new taxes and Federal loans not yet on
the statute books. The 1948 money bill
that went to the Capitol Friday is
$1,000 900 above expected income from
present revenue sources The principle
OF balancing the requests with legisla-
ton ito come" was established, however.
in the 1888 bill on much smaller basis
about 5000, 900.