Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-23
Democrats Ask
End TO Virginia
Tax RebateA
Nearby Candidates
For Delegate Differ
On Measures Merit
BY Alex R. Preston

FAIRFAX county voters last
night were treated to the spec
tacle of two Democrats asking
for repeal Of a major piece of
Democratic legislation while two
Republicans defended the law.
At issue in the candidates
forum at Annandale School was
the automatic income tax re-
duction law sponsored by State
Senator Harry F. Byrd, jr., son
of the State Democratic organi-
cation leader. Since it was en-
acted in 1850 and amended last
year. Virginians have received
about $40 million in refunds on
income taxes.
Omer L. Hirst and John Webb,
Democratic candidates for the
House of Delegates from the
Fairfax-Falls Church area, dwelt
on parts of their 14-point legis-
lative program which includes
repeal OF Lne law.
Their Republican opponents
for the two seats, Mrs. Cynthia
Zimmerman and Col. Harris T.
Richards, reiterated their de-
tense Of the act.
Mr.. Webb said, 1.-THE fact is
that so per cent of the individual
tax rebates in 1851 went to less
than 6 per cent of the individual
taxpayers. And that's not all.
In 1851, there were 1926 cor
porate taxpayers. Yet "a cor
porations comprising less than
three-tenths of l per cent of the
total corporate taxpayers received
As per cent of the total corpora
ton rebate.
Take Money from State.
Nov, who were the taxpayers
who benefited so greatly? You
and l as individual average citi-
Zens? No indeed. They were pri-
marily high-income individuals
and corporations who received
this neutrality-suspicious. oper-
ating under a Federal excess
profits tax act that requires them
to pay to the United States Gov
eminent 80 cents out of every
dollar related by the State OF
Virginia"
This, he said "takes money
from our State and sends a
tremendous part of it to Wash
ington."
Mrs. Zimmerman said eve see
nothing wrong with the Byrd tax
reducation law. I don't believe
n taking in more money than we
need"
She said that if the present
system of drafting budgets, item
by item, were changed so as to
give departmental heads discre-
ton to use appropriations to
best advantage, and if annual
sessions of the legislature were
held to replace budget making
on a two-year basis, then there
would be no need for the auto
matte tax reduction law"
The position of the two Dem
ocrats differs from that of their
party's candidate for governor,
Thomas B. Stanley, who favors
retention of the Byrd law.
Poll Tax Repeal.
In another respect, too, Mr..
Hirst and Mr.. Webb have de-
parted from Mr.. Stanley's views
ON repeal of the poll tax.
Last night the two made it
clear they joined the Republic
cans in seeking repeal of the
poll taX-up to a point. Mr..
Hirst expresses it this way:
I'VE in the Democratic Party
want to repeal the poll tax. We
want to replace it, though, with
a fraud-proof registration law.
But we propose that the people
decide the question by referen-
dunn.
1T is at that point that we
part company with our Republic
can friends. They want a con-
stitutional convention to make
these changes"
Col. Richards derided the
Democrats claim that the cam
paign has new" and different"
issues, THE issues are the same
as they were two, four, six or
eight years ago." he said. He
listed schools, roads, hospitals
and poll tax repeal among them.
THE Democratic Party has
been representing this district
all that time" Col. Richards
added, land they haven't
changed the issue yet"
Candidates for Supervisor.
Three of the five candidates
for the Board of Supervisors
spoke. They are Theodore R.
Arrants, James A. Lawrence and
Warren D. QuenStedt. Mr.. Law
renee is the only one running
with official party support. He
is the Republican candidate.
The other two made references
to this fact.
Mr.. ArrantS said he is a strong
believer in the two-party system
at the State and National level,
but believes local Offices should
be filled on "non-partisan"
basis.
Mr.. Quenstedt said 81 would
not go to the Board of Super
visors (if electedO as a thorn in
the side of the Democratic men,
bers. Mine would not be the
lone dissenting vote"
Mr.. Lawrence rejoined, "It
gives me pleasure to appear on
the same platform with so many
Democratic candidates who are
hiding behind the non-partiSan
label"