Evening star., 1898-03-18

Kansas City. Mo. Representative Cow
herds city,, has 20 per cent of Washing
its assessed valuation. Omitting ST. Louis
the twenty-eight Missouri cities exceeding
1000 in population have a combined popu-
lation of 349. 100 and a combined tax as
sessment valuation OF $103 $40 ,8O1. Thus
these twenty-eight cities with a population
nearly double that Of Washington are VAL
ued by the assessors at S20,0O0.O0O less
than the assessed half of Washington.
assessed half Of Washington is valued at
$4,000, GOO more than all of the twenty
eight Missouri cities. emitting St. Louis,
but including Kansas City.
1T has already been shown that Chi
cago Representative Whites city, has
mere than five times the population of
Washington. while the assessed valuation
of the capital is more than two-thirds of
that of the great western metropolis. The
fcrtyfour cities of Illinois exceeding 1900
in population, omitting Chicago. have e
combined population OF 4G6S46 and COM
bined tax assessment Of s5l, ,9O2.277. Thus
these cities have more than two and one
half times the population of Washington,
while the assessed half of Washington has
nearly two and one-half times as large an
assessed valuation as these aggregated
cities. In other words, the assessed half
of Washington is valued at more than $TO,
0O0, 600 in excess of the combined values of
all the Illinois cities, forty-four In number
omitting Chicago. Peoria, the nearest Lii
more than one-fifth Of Washingtons pop.
ulation and only about one twenty-fourth
of Washfngton's assessed real estate val.
uation. -
wash1ston. g fosst sn ssss si;Ssis fs5ass
Peoila .......-...... 4t.o24 5,337 40
CnicHso 1,U3c,S5U 11O654, 141
Compared With Commercial Cities.
"In comparing the assessed valuation of
Washington with that of the commercial
and manufacturing cities, like Cleveland
Chicago, Milwaukee, New Orleans and De-
troit, for instance it; is to be remember
ed that Washington lacks the millions of
taxable property which are found in the
American business city in the twenty
story sky-scrapers, in the solid blocks of
business establishments and in the ware
houses and factories. iWaShingtofl's great
est and almost only conspicuous and nota-
bic factories are the government work
shops, such as the bureau Of engraving
and printing and the government printing
office. Washirgton's 81 greatest business es-
tablishments are the government depart
ments, with their thousands of employees
These factories and these business estab-
lishments cut no figpre in Washirgton's
exempted half of the capital, which be-
longs to the nation. How ridicuIously low
would be the assessed valuation of any
of these commercial and manufacturing cit
les If its list of taxable DToperfy Were
similarly treated and There were stricken
therefrom its principal factories and busi-
ness establishments. How quickly would
the people of any of these cities perceive
and complain that their assessment yalua-
ton was excessive if after such elimina-
tfons their city's tax valuation was great
er than that of some equally populous
neishbor, whose taxtslist had not been
thus curtailed! Washington's population
In 1880 was less than that of any of the
cities above enumerated; less than one
fifth as large as that of Chicago. lis as
sessed half lacked the indicated important
factors of business city's valuation,
nent of these other cities. Yet the vaiu-
alton of the assessed half of Washington
was is has been said, more than two.
thirds of that Of the whole of rich Chicago,
OF tnat of New Orleans, 143 per cent of
that Of Milwaukee and 1863 per cent of
that OF prosperous and busy Cleveland