Evening star., 1947-04-04
Commissioners
Delay 1axPlea
For Utility Bills
Question Too Involves
For Quick Dropping,
City Heods Soy

The Commissioners today put on
until next week a decision on
whether to ask Congress to drop
proposed levies on amusements and
utilities bills from the District tax
program.
In q joint statement, the city
heads said the question OF dropping
the two taxes was too involved for
such quick decision. Each Of the
tax bills is designed to yield about
$l.00Q,000 in revenue.
The decision from the Commits
sioners had been expected in view
of a statement made yesterday
to the Senate House committee ex-
amining the city's $40, 900 900 pro-
posed tax program. Commissioner
John Russell Young, who previously
had indicated to the committee
that the two bills might be dropped,
assured the committee that the
Board of Commissioners would take
the matter up at a meeting today.
Further Discussion Seen.
Under questioning by newsmen,
the Commissioners said the tax
question would certainly be dis
cussed further at next Tuesdays
board meeting and that a special
session Of the board might be held
Monday in an effort to arrive at a
decision.
They gave assurance an answer
would be ready for the congressional
group when testimony Is resumed
next week.
Two days ago Commissioner
Young told Senate-House COM
mittee he was not anxious TO
see passage of the bill calling for a
2 per cent tax on gas, electric and
telephone bills. The committee laid
the measure aside.
Yesterday Mr.. Young was not so
sure. Although the specific bill was
laid aside, provision for applying
the same rate of tax to the utilities
consumers is carried In the sales
tax measure, also before the COM
mittee.
Have to Think It Over.
Asked by Representative Bates.
Republican, of Massachusetts,,
whether he wanted to erase this
language from the sales tax bill, Mr..
Young demurred. He said the Com
missioners would have to think 1t
over.
Commissioner Guy Mason said the
city heads would try to decide over
the week end what is and what is
not in the program so the committee
can be informed before the public
hearings are resumed on Tuesday.
AS they wound up two days OF
oflcial testimony on the whole tax
program yesterday, Commissioners
Mason told the joint committee It.
was approaching the problem from
the wrong standpoint"
The District is neither a city nor
q State, he said. 1t is the Capitaf7
of the United States. Congress
should decide what kind of a Capt.
tai it wants, provide the money
and then assess District residents
equitable taxes.
we almost had to hook the land
here to lay out the CITY," declared
Mr.. Mason, land we've proceeded on
that basis ever since"
Yield on Taxes Explained.
Earlier Deputy Budget Ofdcer
william G.. Wilding told the COM
mittee present taxes will yield the
city an estimated $65,979,600 during
the next fiscal year beginning July
/. In addition. he said, the city
will have a $1,675,7o1 carryover from
this year, $1.945,4 ,46o from the sale
OF invested savings and the $1,000
200 Federal payments. This brings
the total expected income to ST.
60o,761, against requested appro-
priations of s95 ,0S2 500.
Mr. Wilding said the Commis-
sioners hope to make up the ST.
481, ,739 difference by raising $13,-
$4,000 In new taxes and borrowing
SO 3533,7 from the water fund.
DR.. John Reed. head of the
Board of Police and Fire Surgeons.
testified briefly on procedures of
retiring police and f1remen here.