Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-31

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
There Is much being said at this time in the
city about the proper way Of assessing property
for taxation. 1t is a cranky question and the
cranks Of the city are having their say and
propose to have mine. 1t is a question that
have given much thought to and had some ex-
perience with. was member of the board of
assistant assessors for two assessments and my
observation is that there never has been, and
probably never will be, a truly equitable assess
ment made, and certainly never can be under
the present law. 1t is the policy of society to
exempt from taxation certain property and in
debtedness. To this l take no exception, but
after that exemption taxes should be assessed
against each person for what he is worth, no
more and no less The value Of all town lots de-
ponds on the houses and business of the
town; yet. under the present law A and b,
owning adjoining lots, A borrows money and
builds him home and is taxed for that home
built with that borrowed money, while he is
taxed on his lot the same that is taxed on his
lot that has been made more valuable by AS
building. This is neither just nor honest.
Then, while the citizens of the District are
mere serfs, dependent on Congress for all APP
preparations for city improvements, the city
only needs taxes to the amount of one-half OF
the sum appropriated by Congress, while an as
sessment of all the District property at its real
salable value would, at Il per cent tax, amount
to three or four times one-half Of the sum ap-
propriated. The object in the two assessments
In which took part was to make an assessment
that would give sum in taxes equal to the
clty's share OF the congressional appropriation,
and at that time about two-thirds value of the
salable value of the property gave the amount.
The twelve assistant assessors, rs a board
OF equalization, honestly went over the
whole work and equalized the assess
ment That, however, was not fair
assessment. The rich man living in
S75, 900 house got discount Of S25. 600, while
the mechanic living in 81 800 home only got a
credit Of $500, the rich man paving less per
cent tax than the poor man. But there is no
remedy for this except to value the buildings
and real estate at their true value and then
levy the taxes low enough to realize the sum
needed. The great need is to have assessors
who are men Of honesty and good, hard COM
mon sense, who mean to do right and work to
that end. From present indications three
fourths Of per cent will be sufficient levy on
the real present value of the property of the
District to raise sum equal to One-half the
congressional appropriation for the District.
The suggestion of rental value determining
the tax to me seems most fallacious. In a city
thousand or two years old. where there is no
change In real estate values or rentals it NAV
do, but Washington is not up to that standard
1t seems to me. In civilization in the west they
do not tax the man who sells chickens or eggs
OF mas push cart would at once strike OF
the licenses, especially the license to sell whisky
Our democratic friends are dead sure that
tariff is a tax. What if it is? 1t only takes
from the people a few dimes each: but only
one-half the people believe the tariff to be a
tax, while the whole people know that the
license to sell liquor is tax on the treasury, a
tax on morality, a tax on humanity, tax terri
BILE on the poor women and children. tax on
all that is good and a promoter of all that is
bad. Why not drop it? HAWKINS TAYLOR.
Sc B street northeast.