Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-07
DISTRICT TAXATION.
THE CITIzENS' rAx-RILL,

tween the oeiegauOn OF leading citizens And
the District Committee upon the subject of
District taxation. Subjoined we present
somewhat more fully the remarks made By
Mr.. VIM. H. Clagett in explanation of the
tax-bill presented by the delegation for the
consideration of the COMMITTEES. Mr.. Claxett
Mn es 1snf Point
raised when reflect how much time, inter
est, and labor has been devoted to perfecting
this bill Tor taxing iso 600 people, 70 see our
termine how many minutes can be allowed
for its consideration. when each OF you know
that In your own municipalities 1t takes
boards Of aldermen and councils to make
proper laws TO regulate the same. daughter,
In which the committee Joined heartily, aud
promptly returned their watches to their
here the result of our labors in the shape OF
q bill subject TO such amendments as In you
] cgment may be deemed proper and neces.
anse that we provide for the payment /,
the proper proportions to be borne by the eli =
liens OF the District TO the expenses of q e
al assessment for the present fiscal year
shall remain until otherwise provided for
The present assessment having been Care
fully made and revised Is satisfactory to OF
citizens. To make provision for an annu. /
n' raj assessment is not only expensive
Il totally unnecessary. We provide in this
~
make returns ana valuations OF all add :.
UohsI improvements since the last assess
ment, ana TO carefully revise the same; we
provide for the Limitation OF time for the col
lection OF taxes to four years, and attach
penalty from the collector for not taking the
proper means for collecting the same We
also provide the manner for publication OF
all property in arrears for taxes by publish
ing the same in pamphlet form. One OF the
greatest Outrages which the taxpayers have
had to submit 10 is the manner of advertis-
fnr 10 1anf 70 fha loC
advertisement costing the enormous
sum OF 100000, and which could have
been done for $500 II executed in the
manner provided for in this bill. This
taxes has been one of the perquisites OF the
administrations in power for many years
back, and generally bestowed upon some fa-
vorite political organ that May be hanging
around the skirts OF power for favols. This
heavy expense comes out of the tax payer,
s and without -, any P ecnniary benefit to the
The other portions of the bill provides for
the time OF collecting the penalty for nom
payment, and the manner OF selling, &c,
usually provided for In all bills which have
been In force. We now submit for your con-
sideration the portion of the bill to levy a Ia <
upon property other than real estate. Tax
alton is coming to be recognized as q sci
ence, and the political economists OF this
country are now engaged in solving the
problem how to tax other property than real
estate, and save the soul of the tax payer.
The required oath and the inquisitorial fea-
lures of all laws now In force, under personal
tax laws, $50 called) has its democrat
izing effect, as SO wen explained by
plan herein submitted, we feel assured,
will be endorsed by the citizen tax payer
There may be some few minor alterations
This tax will be promptly paid, with com
paratively no cost for its collection, and pro-
duce more revenue than would be produced
under a personal tax law, so called. This
portion OF the bill Will produce a revenue
of $500, 600, which will be one per cent. on
S30,OOO,0OO OF personal property, which
amount returned by the great state of New
York under the sO-called personal tax la v;
when we all know that one ward in the city
Of New York alone represents more wealth.
than the whole of the District of Columbia.
Ny experience as chairman OF the board of
assessors under the law for 1876, demon
strated clearly that 1t would be Impossible
to reach class of property intended to be
taxed. The peculiar character of the popu-
lation of the District soon developed that we
had few wealthy citizens; almost in every
case they claiming TO be citizens OF other
sections Of the country, and those amongst
us that could not get of under this plea OF
non residence, had no difficulty In arrangl ng
so as not to have taxable property upon the
day fixed by the law for its assessment, by
converting the same into non taxable pro.
perty before that day, and after the time had
passed to reconvert the same property back
to its former status; and from evidence de-
velOped by being brought in contact with
non-residents, 1t is fearful to contemplate
Ine amount Oh perjury that is committed
over this country. partly producing the ,rm
for the demoralized condition of society cco.
ping out daily all around us.
We will state that the citizens OF the Dis
trict OF Columbia do not wish to evade any
just responsibility that may be imposed
upon them. Let them know the amount that
you propose to demand of them, and they
will pay 1t like men. All we ask is, that we
nave the poor privilege OF paying the same
in the manner submitted by the bill we have
presented, which we know and believe will
be least onerous and oppressive. In asking
this poor privilege, we do not wish 1t con-
strued that we lack the intelligence or man
language, as right as American citizens
taxed without representation. You have
made 1t unnecessary for us to make such de-
mands by your kind patience and the deep in
terest you have manifested to day in all that
pertains to our welfare. The honorable gen.
tleman has suggested the taxation of mort
cages. Nothing could be more disastrous to
our city, or any other growing ty, that de-
ponds on outside capital for It's advance
ment. By taxing them Cow, you might
catch the present Investments by mortgage,
but In every case where such mortgage Is
due, I'd in those coming due, the mortgagor
would demand his pay, except upon the con-
when once collected, IL would not be loaned
again, except upon the same condition.
Therefore, it is perfectly apparent that a
Sns hs would 6ot Be more
than tax levied upon mortgages.
1t is astonishing how little attention has
been given to the benefits that are derived To
any community by not taxing capital in
vested upon mortgages. AS an illustration,
1 beg leave to call the attention OF your hon.
orable committee to the result OF what is
known as the "five county act" In the state
of New Jersey. This state has twenty. one
counties, five of which, for reasons best
known to themselves. were relieved from q
taxation upon mortgages The result of this
relief to the five counties was, In ten years,
the increase in taxable property, which the
whole state got the benefit Of, of one hundred
and twenty-six million, seven hundred thous-
and dollars against an increase of thirty
seven million in all of the other sixteen
counties, and the savings banks in the I've
counties thus relieved made loans upon real
estate by mortgage of fourteen million
against five hundred thousand dollars in all
the remaining sixteen counties, thus show
ing the timidity of capital of running into the
jaws OF taxation under the sO-called personal
tax laws. Similar results have been expe-
rienced in other states. Depending as we do
upon outside capital for the advancement OF
our city, we fear Its taxation will result ma
terially to our disadvantage.
Gentlemen, / have nothing more to say,
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