Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-02-06
Morse Repeats
10
Sales Tax Rise
FuiIs to Threaten
FiIibuster Though
He's Against 1t
BY GRACE BASSETT
star Staff Writer


Oregon, last night reasserted
his complete opposition" to a
District sales tax. But he
seemed in no mood to fight to-
kill an increase from 2 to 3
per cent pending before a Sem
ate-House conference.
The Senator also scored Com
missioner Walter N. Tobriner
for "sidestepping" a Morse
inspired battle for more Fed
eral aid to schools here. Then,
the Oregonian admitted his
amendment to add the District
to the federally mpacted
school aid program probably
would be dropped from the tax
bill by conferees.
A 8 per cent sales tax to
yield SO million annually and
District inclusion in the school
program to win 1877 million a
year were the most controver-
sial parts Of a disputed revenue
bill last session.
Senator Morse, as a conferee
in September, refused to accept
the sales tax without school
aid. Twice, the House voted
down the school program. Eff
forts at agreement collapsed.
Passage Important
In his speech to local Demo-
cratic leaders, Senator Morse
indicated that passage of some
revenue bill was more i'm
portant now than the success
of minority amendmentS-even
his own.
II will not vote for a sales
tax increase" he said. II will
not vote for a conference re-
port with a sales tax in it."
What he did not say was
that he would filibuster a sales
tax bill. This he has threat
ened for last two years. Last
night, he admitted he was in
the minority. The Senate wants
more revenue measures and a
sales tax, he said.
He noted that Mr.. Tobriner,
president of the Board of Com
missioners, had urged that the
tschool program be cut from
the revenue bill, in the interest
of action. Mr.. Tobriner thought
the idea should be developed
in separate legislation.
Sees Empty Gesture"
81 am accustomed to that
kind of sidestepping an is
sue," Senator Morse told the
Commissioners Democratic COL
leagues. Separate legislation
will be an empty gesture. 7
still think If we would hang
together, we would have an OPP
portunity to get the District
school grants out of this con-
ference fight"
Commissioner Tobriner made
the suggestion in a January
IL letter to the Senate and
House District Committees.
The letter, confidential I'M
til last night, warned the Dis
trict could afford practically
no construction" by 1868 with
out new taxes.
The Commissioners recon-
mended a $3.50 per gallon
alcohol tax and a Scent
per pack cigarette tax and
a 5 per cent levy on hotel
and transient rooms. The rooms
tax should not be overlooked, !"
the letter said, although the
hotel industry strongly opposes
it. Tourism as a major industry
will be the major source of
revenue raised by this charge,
they reasoned.
The total tax program sug-
gested to conferences by the
Commissioners would carry, in
addition: The 3 per cent across
the-board sales tax; a u per
cent tax on deed recordations:
an authorized Federal payment
increase Of 81 million to 500
million annually; payment of
business taxes in one INSTALL
ment; authorization for Com
missioners to raise water rates
by Is per cent and sewer
charges by Is per cent.
Senator Morse is not a con-
fierce this year. But a conference
meeting he urged last night
has been postponed day-by day
for weeks. Many congressional
sources believed conferees were
unable to meet until they had
checked with Senator Morse.
He has been attending con-
ferences in South America.
Senate and House District
Committee Chairmen Bible of
Nevada and Mcmillan Of South
Carolina, both Democrats, hope
to set UP a conference today.