Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-02
Poor and Rich Alike Threatened.

The bucoliC Mr.. Rucker in his recent ex-
h!bitirn Of ignorance and rancor in the
House debate on the District bill. posed
the champion Of the honest yeomanry,
the humble citizen and denounced the To-
cal opposition to a personal tax law as hos
tile to the interest Of the poor or those III
moderate circumstances" This contention
is demagogical humbug-solely for Missouri
consumption.
The proposed vast increase of the local
personal tax is distinctly an additional in
distinction from a substituted burden. 1t
will fall upon rich and poor in approximate
proportion to their means. 1t does not help
the poor man to bear increased taxation to
feel that still larger exactiOn is made
from the rich. His burden will be heavier
in proportion than his wealthy neighbours
for his personal property is likely to be en-
tirely of the tangible visible kind which
cannot be hid. while a large proportion of
the rich mans personal property is of the
intangible. elusive sort which readily evades
taxation. The poor man, man of moder-
ate means. does not clamor for the privilege
OF paying a sum small absolutely but large
as wrung from his need. in order that his
wealthy neighbor may pay larger sum.
the loss of which he will not feel.
II the problem were merely that of the
scientific adjustment of an ascertained tax
burden upon the local taxpayers, and an
increase of the personal property assess
ment from a dozen millions to seventy mil
lions. as proposed. meant a corresponding
decrease of the real estate assessment there
would be some reason for the local tan
payers to examine carefully the proposition
In order to ascertain whether or not it in
VOWED juster distribution of the tax bur
den. But a decrease of the excessive real
estate tax assessment is not proposed is
not intended. and will never be accom-
plished. On the contrary. threatening pres
sure is applied to force this real estate as
sessment also to the highest notch
The surplus over legitimate current cx-
penditures thus extorted is TO be used first
IN large payments To meet the expense of
permanent municipal improvements. The
taxpayers of the present and immediate
future are to pay the entire cost of great
works of which the largest benefit will be
derived by future generations. In sensioiy
managed municipalities the payment for
such works is spread over iong term OF
years. through the device of a loan coapIsG
with sinking fund arrangement and tn.
future beneficiaries thus participate Cuuf-
tably in bearing the burden
After the present taxpayers have thus as
sumed and met. not only their own propor-
Tomato share. but the proper obligations of
pOSter1ty, the local surplus is to be applied
10 national objects such as the enlarge
ment and adornment of the national half
OF the capital. the public grounds the
parks. the reservations surrounding public
buildings. 1t has been estimated that the
grand project of national park improve
ments will cost 500. on. coo and one of the
means proposed for raising portion of this
sum fs-legalized highway robbery of the in
dIvIdual taxpayers of the District of Co
IImbfa
When the policy of using the current rev
enues in meeting such expenditures has
been adopted. and when with the increased
personal and real taxation that is proposed
the per capita property tax burden of the
Washingtonian has been permanently in
creased from S10,s}. as at present. to SIS. 50
and the city has been exalted from fifty
ninth out of 134 in the list of American
cities arranged according to per capita
property tax levy to sixth in the same list
the small taxpayers will suffer with the
larSe, and even more severely in proportion
TO their means. For as has already been
suggested the taxable personal property of
the wealthy is Protean and evasive 1t as
sumes non-taXahle shape ON the day of as
sessrnent. and. if hard pressed by the asses
sor. it flies TO more congeniaI cIimes
The threat of present conditions and ten
denotes is aimed at all local Ia pay ers and
the Star, which represents poor and rich
alike. cannot TOO vigorously impress upon
its entire constituency the seriousness of
the existing emergency.