Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-23
Tax Protests
Called Threat
ToWorksPIan
O'Horu Warns D. G.
Public Complaints
Endonger Program


mine the whole $305 million pub
lie works program if they keep
complaining about taxes to sup
port it, Chairman O'Hara of the
joint subcommittee which drafted
the latest proposals, said today.
The revenue bill agreed on by
the fiscal subcommittee of the
House and Senate District Com
mitteeS would more than double
the Commissioners proposals for
tax boosts on residents here.
The Federation of Citizens
Associations Saturday night de-
clared that if Congress insists on
additional real estate taxes and
sales taxes on food, it will no
longer feel bound to support the
program.
Another protest has come
from the Columbia Park Com
munity Club, and William F..
Fadler, jr., president of the Ma
tional Capital Young Democratic
Club, has sent a complaint to
Senator Nicely, Democfat. of
West Virginia, of the Senate Dis
trict Committee.
Dislike "Bellyaching."
In his comment, Mr.. O'Hara
asserted that If everybody keeps
on bellyaching, Congressman are
going to say, why worry about
public works at ALP We're beat
ing our brains out trying to sell
this bill"
Robert c. Albrook, clerk of the
Senate District Committee.
pointed out that Chairman Case
feels District residents are not
giving enough recognition to the
gains made in the proposed bill.
Mr.. Albrook referred to the
proposed increase in the Federal
payment to the District SO mil
lion to total of $40 million a
year, some SGT million in in
creased borrowing power, and
provision for the Federal Gov
eminent to pay for water and
sewer service at retail rates.
Columbia Park Club Protests.
Arthur r. Cochel, ST., presi-
dent of the Columbia Park Com
munity Club, signed the clubs
protest, sent to Mr.. O'Hara,
Senator Case, Chairman Simpson
of the House District Committee
and Senator Morse. independent,
of Oregon, a District committee
member.
The club protested the "un-
wise. unwarTanted and economi-
cally injurious action of the
Joint Fiscal subcommittee, which
added excessive and Furnishing
increases to the already heavy tax
burden of the people of Wash
ington."
Congressional delinquency
the obstinate Sinking of its hon.
est responsibilities with respect to
Federal participation in D. C.
money problems since 1922 has
been the greatest single factor
contributing to the progressive
enlargement of vast deficits in
capital improvements" the COM
munication said.
The accumulated Federal de-
f1ciency in the D. c. budgets for
the past 80 years is over $4OO
million-more than enough to
have paid for all necessary capt.
tai Improvements as they were
required" it continued.
Exodus to Suburbs.
Protesting an obvious scheme
to pass the buck once again to
the D. c. taxpayers" the state
ment declared:
Thousands of families have
already migrated to the fuller,
heer life of adjoining States and
the exodus is still on. The
majority of those remaining will
not be financially capable of
supporting the Federal Govern
ment in the style to which it
has accustomed itself and it will
be left holding the bag contain
ing a decadent capital"
John A. Reilly, chairman of
the Citizens Public Works Com
mittee, expressed hope that the
$40 million loan proposed for the
GENERAL fund could be reinstated.
This, was eliminated from the
bill by the subcommittee.
Mr.. Fadler's letter declared
that 1.-The time is long overdue
for the Congress and the Presi-
dent to call a halt to this disin-
tegrating erosion of blind-spot
transgression in the District -"
Violates Democracy.
Sandwiched between the cele-
brations of George WaShington's
Birthday and of the national
independence. he said, "some of
the trustees of our American
heritage and ina1ienah1a RIGHTS