Evening star., 1951-05-13
Hearings Slated
In Congress on
D. {. Measures
Personal Property
Tax Repeal, Budget
Up for Discussion
By Harold B. Rogers

py HoIoto D. Rogers
Tax legislation, the District
budget and possibly some angle
of the home-rule issue may come
up for congressional consideration
this week.
Definitely slated is a public
hearing for Thursday at 10 am.
before the joint House-Senate
District fiscal subcommittee on
proposals to repeal the city's per-
lsonal property tax on household
effects.
This levy has been denounced
by numerous citizens associations
and city officials as the most in
equitable tax on the books and
the one most impossible to apply
equally. Its repeal, sponsors say,
would cost the District no more
than about 100000 a year in
revenue.
Sales Tax Takes Place.
The public hearing on this ques-
ton is expected to attract many
SpokeSmen for civic groups and
leading public officials. Jointly
conducting this hearing will be
Senator Hunt, Democrat, of Wyo-
ming and Representative Smith.
Democrat, of Virginia, who head
the District fiscal subcommittee
Repeal of personal property
household taxes would still leave
the levy on business and all auto
mobiles. No great net loss in reve-
nue. was expected, however, some
officials said, because revenues
from the general sales tax have
been exceeding earlier estimates.
The sales tax now is estimated to
bring in about $14.6 million each
year.
| A public hearing also will be
held Thursday morhing on the
pending $136 million city budget
on which executive hearings have
been concluded by the Bates sub
committee of the House Appro-
lpriationS Committee. This will be
held at the Capitol but the exact
room is yet to be announced.
Home Rule Compromise.
4 There was talk yesterday at the
Capitol about some kind of a COM
promise on the Kefauver- Taft
Washington ''home rule" bill now
bottled up in the Senate District
Committee by tie vote of 6 to 6.
Advocates are hoping that a
new Republican member who may
be named soon to replace the late
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg
may be one who would favor the
bill. But since this as yet was un-
certain some advocates were talk
ing Of compromise that might
= win votes from some of the
doubters on the District Commit
r tee so that modified bill might
be sent to the Senate for, action.
Senator Case, Republican, Of
South Dakota. ranking minority
member of the District Committee,
noted yesterday that most of the
Kefauver-Taft bill dealt with re-
organization of the city govern
ment rather than with a grant Of
1 District suffrage as such.
Separate Subjects.
He raised the question as to
why proposals for reorganization
/, of the District government set-up
should not be treated separately.
In fact, he said he had been ad-
4 vised that at least some of these
proposals could be put into effect
I by administrative action by the
Commissioners without the need
y for legislation.
He called attention to the fact
e that District Budget Officer Wall
ter L. Fowler has made his own
), proposals for city government re-
organization, some of which are
in line with reorganization ideas
e embodied in the Kefauver-T Taft
l bill. Senator Case last night said
he thought it would be a good idea
If the Commissioners would take
action on those reorganization
proposals which did not need leg
O islative sanction.
+ Wage Bill Proposed.
8 The Johnston judiciary SUBJ
committee of the Senate District
p Committee plans public hearing
r at 2:30 pm. tomorrow on a bill
0 to permit divorce in the District
y on the grounds of insanity. The
o Johnston subcommittee also will
= hear arguments on a bill to pro-
vide punishment for trespass on
:. public property as well as private
1 holdings. School officials are ex-
pected to testify about damage to
school property.
On Wednesday at $50 am, the
Pastore subcommittee of the Sem
e ate District Committee has sched-
o uled a hearing on a proposed law
requiring premarital examinations
S for syphilis and gonorrhea. This
n welfare subcommittee also will
S consider proposals to require en-
q ployers to pay the wages of their
employees at least twice a month
o in cash or checks. 1t also will
hear proposals for establishment
of a centralized department of
food services in the public schools
n to take charge of all the school
e cafeterias and their financing.
The House tomorrow on Dis
e trict Day plans to act on two bills.
f They would transfer from the
q Controller of the Currency to the
: Federal Home Loan Bank Board
. supervision over building and loan
= associations here. and protect the
. civil service rights of a member
of the police or fire departments
l. assigned as Director of District
Z, Civil Defense.
. . Boy, 3, Trying TO Hitch Ride
m Tr,,rk Ie Hurf eorioueIv