Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-14

cent. These values do not include real
estate exempt from local taxation.
In the table made on the basis of di-
vision of properly into land and improve
ments the total value of real estate charge
able to land is 81, S63, Ill. .742 and to build
ings and other improvements 81, 745, III 1876,
making the total value of real estate by this
classification S3,60S, ,SS3, 1877. This total is
ST,214, $50 less than the total actual value Of
all real estate given above. 1t must be
borne in mind that the two estimates were
made on a different basis, that discrepancy
ofS7 250, 900 less than one-fifth of one per cent
is immaterial in total of over S. 600, 000, 900,
and that this difference really proves the
substantial identity of the data upon which
the two estimates were made. This data
itself is probably not in all cases complete,
but it is conservative, giving results under,
rather than over, the actual facts.
Proportion of Land to Improvement Values.
OF the total value of 3,6OS, ,SS3, 137, the
value of land is SIG per cent; of buildings,
etc., 4S4 per cent That is, the value of
real estate in the State is about evenly divi-
ded between land and improvements The
great variation in the relative percentage
of land and improvements in the several
counties will be noted. There seems to be
no law as to percentages in agricultural,
manufacturing and mining counties or
those having large cities In Philadelphia,
q large manufacturing county, with the
largest CITY in the State, but sc per cent of
the value of real estate is land, while in
Allegheny county, which is q county very
like Philadelphia in many respects, 81 per
cent is land. As rule, however, in agricul
tural counties the land values are greatest,
as would be expected, while in the manu-
featuring counties, and those having large
cities, the value of improvements is equal
to that of land, or greater.
The total actual value of agricultural
. property is but 7S per cent of the value of
township real estate. By far the larger
portion of the property in townships is
farms, and by far the larger part of the
taxes paid ii townships is assessed upon
agricultural property. In the table based
upon the division of real estate into land
and improvements subdivided into classes,
the valuation of all the land in the State is
81 ,SS1, 334, 500, and of all buildings and other
improvements 81, ,754, 525, ,949, making the
total value of real estate S3, ,635, S60, Al.
The substantial accuracy of the statistics is
shown by the closeness with which the re-
suits obtained by the three methods agree.
How the Land Is Divided.
Of the total value of land S725, ,4S5, 439, or
3S per cent, is agricultural; S212, 262, 299,
or IL 3 per cent, is mineral S129, S95, 624, or
60 per cent, is manufacturing, and $751;
691, 160, or 43. per cent, is of other classes.
OF the total value of buildings and other
improvements S245, ,494, 072, or IA per cent,
is agricultural; S52, SIS, 164, or per cent,
mining; S377, ,964 O3S, or 21.5 per cent, man
utacturing, and S1.07S, 5S9. .675, or 6l.5 per
cent, other classes. Of the total value of
all real estate $3.50, ,979, 511, or q per cent,
=
mineral; S507, $50 662, or IA per cent, manu-
featuring, and 81, ,S92, 23O, S35: or 50 per cent,
other property.
The manufacturing statistics are perhaps
the least valuable of any given above, as
they are the most incomplete. The COM
mission found it almost impossible to obtain
figures upon the money invested in manu-
featuring plants The same difficulty was
met in estimating the values of mineral
lands and plants. The vein being hidden
makes 1t an uncertain matter to pass upon
the value OF it. So in working mine or
oil well each ton of coal or barrel of oil
produced destroys so much value that can
not be renewed or restored. According to
the report of the United States State
Geological survey, showing the amount of
capital invested in the production of
minerals in Pennsylvania in 1890, the value
of the oil land is placed at 500 an acre; of
of the anthracite coal, little less than $500
per acre, and of the bituminous coal, some
STA per acre. According to the estimate of
Mr.. VIM. Grifen, of Scranton, the total
workable area of anthracite coal is oyer
300, 600 acres.
Getting at the Real Value.
From the table of real estate exempted |
from taxation it appears that $500, 479 621 |
of real estate is exempt from taxation in
Pennsylvania, an amount equal to about |
10 per cent of the actual total valuation. |
This is in round numbers double the valua- |
tion of exempt real estate reported by the |
County Commissioners to the Secre-
tary of Internal Affairs in 1891, and 80 per
cent in excess of the amount reported in |
1890. for it is a notable fact that nearly
So, 100000 more OF exempt real estate was
reported in 1890 than in 1891.
OF the total value of exempt real estate /
given in the tables, S12, 134 $50, or per
cent is property of the United States; Sl4,-
SAG, 400. or some cent is State property;
hS, Ill, $40 or 6 per cent is county prop
erty; SEC, ,319, 548, or % cent, the property
Of local governing bodies, as cities,
boroughs, etc. ; S47 $40, ,096, or 16 per cent,
is in schools of various kinds, and Sl3S, 3d.
SSS, or 46 per cent, is churches, hospitals
and other religious and benevolent institu-
tions. Allegheny county has S44, 500 90
exempted. The real estate of corporations
that paw taxes to the State ami are thereby
made exempt from county or local taxes is
not included in the foregoing amounts, the
commission holding that the real estate of
such institutions is taxed directly or indi-
rectly by the State.
The commission only estimated the value
of certain classes of personal property in
Pennsylvania, as it was impossible to secure
information on many points. The estimates
were made by persons who were as COM
petent to judge as could be found.
The Tools of the TiIlers.
The total value of agricultural imple-
ments in the State is S57, 167, DIG The
method employed to obtain these figures was
to assume value per farm of 100 acres
Opinions differ as to what this figure should
be-some figuring S2S2 and others estimat-
ing as high as 1000. The commission de-
cided that S26S per 100 acres would be con-
servative estimate and computed on that
basis.
The total estimated valuation of furniture |
and the contents of dwellings is S368, ,O83,-
142 According to the 1890 census there |
were in Pennsylvania 1,061, ,626 families,
averaging f. 95 persons to a family. These |
families occupied 999. 1854 dwellings OF 5.26
persons to a dwelling The number of
dwelling houses in eleven cities in Penn
sylvania in 1890, which cities contain nearly
one-third the total number of dwellings in
he State, is given as follows: Philadelphia,
Is6, ,052; Pittsburg, 81, 725; Allegheny, 16, 543;
Scranton, 12,263; Reading, 1888: Harris
burg, s. 164; Wilkesbarre, 6,952; Lancaster,
8, $50; Altoona, 5,867; Williamsport, g. 536;
Allentown, 500. Total, 303, 395.
The value of furniture to family is esti-
mated at S36S The larger number OF the