Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-10-04
THE TAX DODGERS.
HOW THE WEALTHY CORPORATIONS
MAKE OUT SCHEDULE.
Tho Value of Chicago Property Figured
at Thirty-Five Million Less Than in
1873-Some of the Largest Corpora
tions Not Assessed at All.

There is no lack of civic pride In
Chicago's rich men. They are fairly
bursting with it, but 1t is not strong
enough to induce many Of them to
make an honest return Of their prop
erty to the assessors. This is the COM
mon plant of almost every commun-
ity, but it is doubtful ii any other can
furnish such fragrant instances Of dis
honesty in taxation or such deplora-
BILE results therefrom.
If you ask the patriotic Chicagoan
about the growth of the city since the
great fire, thirty years ago, he will
swell up and tell you that it is with
out parallel in the history of the
world. He will point to the thousands
of magnificent buildings erected, to
the phenomenal growth of its manu-
facture and commerce, and its wonder
full increase in property values. He
can convince you by statements OF
facts that the city has grown twenty
fold.
Story of OmcIal Records.
If you go to the official records of
assessments to ascertain the exact fig
ures of this wonderful growth, these
are the figures you will find:
Year. Total ass'ed valuation. Revenue.
1873. 49,. ,072,955 $5,617,313
1900. ...... 276,565,SS0 12,242,26S
Tor assessment purposes the value
of Chicago property is $35,507 ,115 less
than it was twenty-seven years ago.
From the revenue of 1900 must be
deducted $6,9O3,939 for public schools,
1908, $50 for library, and $1,149,102 for
interest and sinking fund, leaving
net revenue from general taxation for
city purposes of $685. 1896, or less than
it was two years after the great fire,
when the school system made only
light demand upon the city revenue.
These figures. it is true, represent
but one-fifth of the supposed actual
valuation, which is the basis for the
tax levy; but that fact does not lessen
their farcical characters.
FAILS on the POOfs
It requires no expert to see that by
this system the heaviest taxation falls
upon the small property owners, whose
property, if proportionately diminished
in value with that Of the large prop
erty owner and then assessed at one
fifth, would vanish altogether. Hence
it is apparent that If the small tax
payer actually pays on one-fifth the
value of his property the large proper
ty holder pays on about one-twentieth
valuation-and that Is the actual con-
dition.
The utter inadequacy Of Chicago's
assessed valuation and the revenue de-
rived therefrom is most apparent by
comparisons with other cities. The
figures are as follows:
Assessed valuation-Chicago, $26,-
565, $50; New York, STATS, 252.O29 Rev.
enue from the same-Chicago, 12,242,-
26S; New York, $76,17S,034.
Assessed valuation - Philadelphia,
S95S, 6O1 ,955; Boston. $1,155,e47,252.
Revenue from same-Philadelphia,
$14, 484, 1923; Boston, 14,140,05S.
Thus Greater New York. with only
double the population OF Chicago, has
six times more revenue from general
taxation; Philadelphia, with a half
million less population, has two mil
lions more revenue, and Boston has
about the same revenue from general
taxation as Philadelphia, although it
has only third the population of Chi
cago. OF city revenues from all
sources, New York has five times as
much, and Philadelphia and Boston
nearly twice as much as Chicago.