Evening star., 1902-05-01
Taxation Without Even Indirect
Representation.


In all the long line of congressional in
Justices toward the District of Columbia
nothing worse has ever been broached than
the proposition. advanced yesterday by the
House appropriations committee, that the
local government is untrustworthy in the
raising of revenues by taxation. This is the
Substance of the charges brought construc-
lively against the District Commissioners
ard their subordinates, the assessors. The
committee ayers that these officials have
not properly assessed the real estate of the
District and have violated their trust by
neglecting to assess the personal property.
Because of these derelictions the committee
proposes that the assessors shall henceforth
be appointed by the President, without re-
strictiou as to residence.
Even here in the District. up to the pres
ent. there has been an effort to preserve
shadow of the right of representation in
the taxation processes. In most other cities
the whole matter is relegated to the people,
who. through their chosen officials, fix their
tax rate and their assessment basis without
Lindrance or suggestion from other quar-
ters. The District having no vote or voice
in Congress upon its own affairs, that body
has in the past permitted it, through its ap-
pointed assessors. 10 fix the basis of the
itself definitely fixed the rate Thus the
community has been given a part in the
process. and the result has been satis-
factory in raising the necessary revenue
The rate being comparatively low, the as
sessment has been comparatively high:
higher. according TO the latest obtainable
statistics. than in thirteen of the
sixteen cities with which Washington
Is fairly to be contrasted in point Of size,
namely Cleveland, Cincinnati, New Or
leans Detroit, Milwaukee. Newark. Jer-
sey City. Louisville. Minneapolis. Provi-
deuce Indianapolis. Kansas City, Mo. and
St Paul; even higher than the combined
assessments of Cleveland and Kansas City
with almost double the population.
The high assessment coupled with the
rate fixed by Congress has yielded tax
which has amply sufficed for all the Dis
trct'S purposes for many years. 1t has
often yielded more money than Congress
has been willing 10 meet with federal ap-
preparations under the organic act. 1t has
thus IN fact, produced a surplus of reve-
nue.. leading eventually 10 violations of the
organic act and the subsequent financial
embarrassment of the capital city. But
even when the revenues were larger than
Congress was willing to duplicate with
federal money, the assessors did not cut
down the tax basis but continued TO assess
the realty of the District at an excessive
valuation as compared with those of other
cities. They are even now AT work upon
revision of the assessment which will. ac-
coriing to reliable es. imates, yield an in
crease of a million dollars in tax.
To accuse these faithful officials of dere-
LECTION of duty. or of undue Ieniency toward
= ~ oI-O ~ of the
proper values of land and improvements, is
grossly unjust. To propose their replace
uent by officers chosen in rebuke by the
President is cruelty and brutally in
equitable. Such a method of selection
would strip from the District all guarantee
II even It's indirect representation in the
taxation process. In its tendency il would
poiRt u he appointment Of political favor
ties from the states. with absolutely To
kn6wiedge Of the District and no Gua!itica-
t!usas fns therdeiieate task Of property as
sessmeyt. i. would divorce the TAX ma
chinery almost entirely from the jurisdic-
tion and responsibility of the Commits
sioncrs. leaving them in an anomalous
position with regard to the most important
function of the local government.
II the record bore the least shadow of
excuse for such a radical proposal. if the
assessors had in fact systematically under
assessed the local property, if they had
failed To bring the tax basis up to a point
sufficiently high TO yield. at the rate fixed
by Congress. an amount sufficient to meet
all the Districts Legitimate needs. if they
had Disseminated Enthusiastically in favor
of certain individuals interests. if they
had violated or ignored any enforcible laws.
the remedy fer such a condition would lie
directly with the Commissioners. who are
responsible for the acts of their subordi-
mates. But these assessors who are now
cism have been in office for years and have
not been previously criticised for their ac-
tIons even as individuals, certainly not as
q body. .
In those cases where national exigencies
have compelled the use by the republic OF
un-American methods of administration,
the greatest care has been exercised to
ascertain and to give considerate attention
to public opinion in the unrepresented
communities and to give them in this way
indirect participation in self-sovernment.
The tendency of this treatment of the un-
represented taxpayers of the District is.
however. in exactly the opposite direction,
and needs onlyrhe proposition to farm out
the capitals taxrevenues to some national
official to round out the policy until it ac-
cords with the Roman imperial plan of
handling subject provinces.
As consul general in London. the indorsed
and vindicated ex-commissioner of pensions
will be thoroughly comfortable and we'll