Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-14
Think of 1t!


Representative Connolly of Illinois, in the
recent House debate on the free library
BILL said:
"You gentlemen who come from rural
districts and from the interior parts of this
great country, think OF it, The law limits
the rate of taxation on real estate in this
District to $3.50 per 800 of valuation, and
there is no law OF regulation made by Con-
gIess to determine how the valuation shall
be made. and venture to say that proper
ty in this city worth $40 square foot is
rot assessed at exceeding % cents per
square foot"
The fact that Mr.. Connolly refers to the
Districts assessment-even though it be to
misrepresent it-shows that he is aware
that the tax-burden cannot be measured by
the rate alone, irrespective of the assess
.ment- Extra census bulletin No. Co. show
Ing the finances of municipalities having
1900 or more of population, gives the official
figures not only in respect to Washington
but also the municipalities in Mr.. Connol-
ly's district and elsewhere in the United
States, and comparison may be interest
irg- The highest rate of taxation paid by a
municipality in his district is that of Lin
coin city 1888. Does this mean that the
Lipcolnite pays over. four times much
tax as the Washingtonian with his rate of
$50? No. The per capita tax levy, which
shows the actual tax burden. is s1O.65 in the
case of the Washingtonian and only 1913
in the case of the Lincolnite. The former
Is burdened with per capita indebtedness
of 1855; the latter of only 1871. The tax
rate is rendered unmeaning by the differ
exec in the assessment valuation. That of
Washington real estate is, in comparison
with other municipalities, so near the true
value that it is stated in the census in
the same figures. In the case of Lincoln
the assessed is about one-sixth of the real
value according to the census bulletin. The
same ratio prevails in the two other mum
icipaliiies containing over 1900 population
in Mr.. Connolly's district, including his own
smaller in Chicago.
Washington s123.11O219 $123 11O.219
hlneoin ----.-....... 1880 80 2Si
Springfield .. 100000 329.994
Chicago -.--........1, 25O,OOO.0OO 17O, 554, lat
1t thus appears that the half of Wash
ington which does not belong to the
government, while worth about four times
as much as Springfield. Decatur and Lin
coin put together, is assessed at about
twenty-four times their aggregated value
1t also appears from the same bulletin
as recently stated in The Star, that the
taxed half of Washington under the assess
E1ent of 1893 was within ten millions of the
QseO assessed value of the whole of the
great city of Chicago. with it's vast area,
mere than million of inhabitants, and it's
numerous and costly business buildings and
fine residences.
The lesson of Washington's comparative
ly high assessment is taught not only by
he
of Nj. ConEolly's district and of Illinois
generally, but by the statistics of some
other cities in the Illinois neighborhood.
True value. Ass'd value
Washington. sl23.11O,219 $123, 40. 2l9
Indianapolis. IS, 49, $40 5000 SCl5
Omaha .-..... 9,94s.575 16315,6i5
One half of the capital is assessed at
more than three times the value of all
indianapolis, more than seven times the
value of all Omaha. and 70 per cent more
than the value of the whole of the great
and rich city of Cleveland.
Think of it, Not only "you gentlemen
who come from rural Districts" but towns
men and seafaring men as well-in fact
everybody, think of it,
If Mr.. Connolly's statement that the
assessment valuation of Washington prop
erty does not exceed % cents on so of real
value. be applied to the capitals assess
ment of s123. 11O.119. one learns that the
real value of the taxed half of Washing
ton is $4,92i. 40S, 100 Thus, in Mr. Con-
nolly's opinion, the true value of Washing
ton is 241 times as great as that of his
city of Springfield, which is stated by the
census at soO.OOO.OOO twenty-four times the
value of the whole of Cleveland, over fifty
times the value of all Omaha. and over
fourteen times the value of the whole of
ST. Louis.
VIII not Mr. Connolly modify his figures
and his conclusions based thereon?