Evening star., 1947-03-27
Joint Group 10 Hear
Residents tuesday on
D. T.. Tax Increase
Bigger Expenditures
Laid to Rising Costs
And City's Growth
By Don S. Warren

Washington taxpayers will be
given a special day in court"
next Tuesday before the House
Senate joint fiscal subcommittee
considering proposals for $19,-
100000 more in District taxes.
The joint group today completed
hearings on the general background
of why municipal government costs
roughly doubled in the last 10 years.
Officials of the engineer depart
ments of the District today testified
as to their needs for increased
revenues.
One of these, George E. Keneipp,
traffic director, told the Joint Com
mittee his division planned even-
tually to install 1000 more park
ing meters in the congested down.
town area and 1000 additional
meters in other sections.
A serious examination of each of
the separate tax increase bills will
be begun next week. Before this
more technical study is started,
however, the committee agreed
today to set aside at least an entire
day to hear the views of Washing
ton residents.
Taxpayers to Be Heard.
Chairman Cain of the Fiscal SUBJ
committee of the Senate District
Committee and Chairman Bates of
the corresponding subcommittee of
the House District Committee agreed
civic groups and taxpayers generally
should be heard fully before the tax
bills are taken up as separate items.
Commissioner Guy Mason recon-
nended this action and volunteered
the suggestion the Commissioners
would be willing to absent them
selves from the hearing so the
citizens will feel free to take what
ever digs at us they might wish"
Senator Cain remarked that If
taxpayers have any complaint about
the proposals of the Commissioners
they probably would be just as will
ing to express them in the presence
of the Commissioners as otherwise.
Engineer Commissioner Gordon
R. Young told the subcommittee as
the hearing was resumed today "a
great deal more money" was needed
now and would be required in the
future for the Districts public works
divisions than 10 years ago.
City's Growth Cited.
He gave as prime reasons the fact
the Districts population increased
by 40 per cent in the last decade
and heavy increases in costs of ma
terials and labor
Added 10 this, he said, was the
fact the District has gone back to
a 40-hour week for its employees.
He gave rough estimate that con-
struction costs "at best" have gone
up not less than 65 per cent since
1887.
Actual bids recently received, he
said, have been even higher III
many cases than construction in
dices would seem to justify. This,
Gen. Young said. is due in part to
the element of uncertainty which
has been in the minds of building
contractors since the war. Before
today's committee hearings began
Representative Horan, Republican,
of Washington, who heads the
House subcommittee in charge of
District appropriations, explained
and modified his declaration of yes
terday that Washington residents
were not ready for citizenship"
Still answering telephone in
quiries about the District manage
ment criticism he voiced yesterday
Mr.. Horan reiterated his belief local
taxes should be boosted.
But he added:
when said the District was not
ready for citizenship, did not mean
to imply any criticism of any Wash
ington resident. Nor did I mean