Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-01-09
An Incr ease in Taxables,

all the counties in the State show the
number of taxables in 1895 to be 1896
7sr, as compared with 1854, ,S46 the pre-
vious year. The most notable increases
were in Beaver, Carbon, Clearfeld and
Philadelphia In Butler, Dauphin, Fay
cite, Lebanon and Westnioreland there
were decreases. AS compared with last
year Philadelphia increased her number
of taxables over $1,000, giving the city
an aggregate this year of 332,297. Inc
Secretary of Internal Affairs says when
it is understood that the amount OF
school appropriation received by each
municipality and each school district IS
based on the number of taxables It VIII
be seen how exceeding important 1t IS
for each school district that the highest
return possible is made.
The correctness of the Philadelphia re-
turn is questioned:
Discredit is thrown on the reports OF
cleared and timber land in the State be-
cause they are at variance IN many IN
| stances with natural condiuons. Inc
number of acres of cleared land IN 1895
is I6,27o,I57, as compared with 1901,
o6I in 1904, and the number OF acres OF
timber land 1851, ,74o, as compared Win
S,4I7, ,327 the previous year: Inc oeCre-
tary of internal Affairs claims that there
has been no increase of the acreage OF
timber land, but on the contrary marx
ed decrease in view OF the disappersnce
of native forests. As illustrations OF the
| attention Is
directed to those of Cambria, Clearheld
and Cumberland. In 1894 72,256 acres
of timber land were reported from Cam
bria and in 1908. 28o,737. The acreage
i, CIear6e1d was increased from 23I;456
to a68 oo6 and, in Cumberland, from
4o,o57 to 72,7o5.
The value of real estate in Pennsyl-
vania, including that exempt from taxa
ton, is s2,74I ,o3S, SAG, as compared Win
"A. ga Col, 500 in 1894. Since 1890 there
has been an increase in the value OF real
estate of 600, ,ooo, 900. In philadelphia
| there has been an increase of about SIo,-
600 600. and. in Westmoreland, SIG, 9,ooo,-
| 600. There are marked decreases IN Cam
eron. Chester, Cumberland, Greene,
jefferson, Northampton, Perry and Wash
ington. s
The value of real estate exempt from
| taxation reported in 1894 was S245,3oo'
752, and in 1895, $27o,92o, ,645: In the
| opinion of the Secretary OF Internal
| Affairs this sum does not approach the
| great amount of money invested IN
church, school, municipal and other
| roperty not subject to taxation. Inc
1 increase of taxable real estate since last
year is $SI, ,7S5.456:
Referring to an inquiry made two years
Il ,,,aIac nf accRCcrnPnt
prevailing in the State, the Secretary OF
| internal Affairs says:
This investigation showed that the real
estate of the Commonwealth was assessed
| for taxes at not more than so or 55 per
cent. of its actual value. Therefore,
when the returns of 1895 show an assess
ed valuation of $2,47I ,oIS, ,2o4 1t must
not be assumed that these figures rep
resent anything like the actual value OF
real estate subject to taxation. In all
probability SIS 600, ooo, 900 would be near
er the actual value. These hgur es
are significant when compared with the
total wealth of the country, which is es-
timated at $65 600, ,ooo, 900.
"For many years the tax reformers
have been trying to mature plans to com,
pei an honest and fair assessment OF real
estate for the purpose of taxation, and
the efforts that have been made are GER
tainly to be commended, for il is fact
that there are irregularities; inconsis-
teucies and acts committed in the assess
ment of real estate that are little less
| than fraud, the inevitable result OF which
is to produce inequalities in the payment
of taxes. That is, through favoritism,
neglect of duty or other methods, one
man is exempt from paying the amount
of tax which he should pay on his real
estate, while another man, perhaps a
neighbor, is compelled to pay more than
in equity he should be required to pay,
In great majority of assessment dis
tricts of the Commonwealth property
owners forget political affiliations when
electing assessors, and the property own
er is strongly induced to vote for the
assessor he may think will best serve his
interests in making up the return OF the
district in which his real estate may be i
situated. 1t is conceded that the law as
it stands is equitable, and the only fail
| ure consists in the manner in which 1t is
executed"
While the number of horses in the
State increased from 55o,I34 in 1894 to
SIC, 80 in 1895 their value diminished
from $50, I62 ,3oe to S25,4o3,4 400. Since
1901 the value of horses has decreased
about 81, 900, 900. This big drop is main |
ly ascribed to the introduction of cleo
tricity as motive power to operate street
cars, thus displacing large number OF
horses and diminishing the demand for
tn em.
The number of neat cattle over four
years old in the State is 667. .7S8, de-
crease of nearly 5000 as compared with
the previous year. In value they IN
crease from $II, 565, ,283 60 $II $50, SOL. |
The Secretary of Internal Affairs says:
''Recent legislation may give some re-
lief to the owners of his species OF per
sonal property. One of the State de-
partments has been thoroughly organlz-
ed with a view of preventing in the Com
monwealth the sale of oleomargar1ne,
and if this is successful it will undoubt.
edly result in making the manufacture OF
| butter and cheese more profitable and IN
| increasing not only the number OF neat
cattle, but also their valuation, condi-
ton certainly to be desired, as during
the past five years their value seemed to
have been decreasing.