The Washington times., 1894-06-02
Public and Private Taxes.

To the Editor of THE TINES:
The public taxes, of which complaint is always
made, are the least Of the public burdens 1t is
the private tax that exhausts the resources OF
the people. This is imposed in the shape of
rents, interest, and profits, in which the few
share at the expense of the many.
In this District there are 10000 houses occu-
pied by the owners and 10000. that are rented.
1 he stores, warehouses, Office buildings, hotels,
etc. nearly all rented \ few hundred
owners hold the whole Of the rented property
and The vacant lots On a total assessed valua-
tion of $500, 0,U0O,V00 the rented properties may
comprise something like three-fourths. say
Sl50,O0OOO0. The public taxes on this amount,
$4,000 year. are paid by the tenants, but
the tenants pay a great deal more 10 the farm
ers OF the revenue the property owners The
latter collect an average OF II per cent or over
per annum on assessed valuation. assuming
that the assessment averages so per cent OF the
market value Tenants, then, pay slSOOO,0J0 a
year in rents. 1t is not the sl,JO0,OO0 per year
paid out OF this sum in public taxes that hurts.
II is the other SI5,0OOO0D year that makes up a
burden too grievous To be borne
Neither is this all The private taxes COL
lected by gas and electric light companies over
the full cost of a better puolic service 10 the
same. extent and better wages 10 employees
would probably pay the whole expense of the
public school system. enlarged and improved to
meet public necessities The private taxes col
lected by street railroad companies and District
telegraph and telephone companies over the
cost of a better public service and better pay to
employees are more than the cost OF maintain
ing the police and fire departments The pri-
vate coal and ice taxes cannot amount TO less
than half million dollars year in clear profits
taken out OF the people by those who manage
the service The District could do its own SUPER
intendence n great deal cheaper, and the people
could get their own coal and ice through their
own public agencies at much less rates than
they ROW pay.
More than sa00O,000 year ia collected rs a
private tax by various insurance companies,
home and foreign. ii this service was munich
paiiYed. insurance rates would be reduced ut
least one-nalf and perfect security obtained
he pri ate tax pad to cont actors for public
works amounts TO ali the appropriations Il is
poor business when municipal contracts do not
pay prOht of - per cent. Hence it is that
frantic demand always comes from the partici-
pants in the plumber that public WORK must be
done i'll this way. wen ths public health is put in
peril by farming out carriage contracts instead
OF making this important work q m. nicipal
function. Bat what can be expected nom Dis
trict Commissioners who r,.rard the interests OF
contractors and other EN- mpioyers of labor ST.
periOr 20 the rights of workingmen and 10 the
general business interests OF tue District, and as
superior to the pub ic interests in every seEsel
The foregoing IL tanccs do not comprise Il full
schedule, they are Il part of the schedule only of
the private taxes annually paid By the people OF
the District. j. w L.