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

The result of the investigations made by
the Commission on Valuation and Taxa.
ton appointed by the Pennsylvania Tax
Conference, as published to-day, contains
mass of figures giving evidence of able
and painstaking labor under the chair
manship of Mr.. Joseph d. Weeks, and
provides food for good deal of thought
and careful consideration. The Commits
sion lays the figures before the public
without making any suggestions for re-
vision of taxation to reduce it to more
equable and rational basis than that in
vogue, and none such can be made off
hand.
The extreme difficulty experienced in
obtaining information on some of the
most important points under investiga-
ton is strong argument on behalf
of the establishment of the proposed
permanent State Bureau of Statistics.
Such bureau, under thorough business
management, and separated from all
political affiliations, would be an ex-
tremely useful institution. That the sub
ject of taxation in this State demands
more consideration than it has hitherto re-
ceived is evidenced more strongly than
ever by the immense values of property
set forth along with the many curious de-
tails as to their components by the report
now published. Such an investigation has
never been made before and its results are
the more interesting and astonishing for
that reason.
In round numbers the total value of all
property in Pennsylvania is found to be
under half billion dollars. And the total
taxes paid amounts to s49, 1885,, ,9O8. Prop
erty directly exempt from taxation in the
State, without that freed by the failure of
the Legislature to reach it, is valued at
$500, ,479, ,621. The assessed value of tax
able property in the State is 81, 799, ,039, $40,
or less than one third of the total actual
valuation.
One of the remarkable variations found
in the statistics is in the difference of the
values of land and improvements in the
real estate of Allegheny and Philadelphia
counties, where the conditions are suffi-
ciently alike to warrant an expectation of
agreement. For the whole State the real
estate is valued at s3,6Os, $50, 1877, divided
nearly equally between land and improve
ments. But in Philadelphia county only
Sc per cent of the valuation is due to the
land, while in Allegheny county land
makes 81 per cent OF the value.
Remarks and figures on the wealth and
taxation of New York City, as given by
the San in its newly published guide, form
an interesting comparison in connection
with the statistics furnished by the Com
mission. After saying that "the wealth of
New York City is greater than the wealth
of the entire State of Pennsylvania, the
San states that 'of property subject to
taxation there is over three billion dollars
worth assessed at 60 per cent of its value,
and the tax rate is about one and one
fourth cents on the dollar, making the
annual income of the city from direct
taxation about s36, ,O0O,0 From
this it appears that New York City alone
raises annually s36, ,OOO, 900 on about three
billion dollars, while the whole of Penn
sylvania raises about 40 million dollars by
on property assessed at rather
less, but worth more than three times as
much. But meanwhile it is not quite clear
upon what basis the San assumes that the
wealth of New York City is greater than
that of the whole of PENNSYLVANIA.