Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-14
Hiehlv Assessed Washington.

In another part Of The Star today ap
pears an analysis of the statistics OF cities
published by the department of labor In
the course of it's regular bulletin service.
with special relation in this connection to
the present and the prospective taxation
assessments in the District, as compared
with the assessments in other cities. 1t
will be seen from the tables and summaries
there given that Washington is today far
ahead of the average American city of rela-
lively it's own size in the assessment placed
upon the actual property, real and per-
sonal and in the per capita municip Il in
come. Even considered as the record
stands today with the total assessment of
both real and personal properly placed at
s1S9 7Gl 2JG Washington leads large ma
jority of the cities chosen for this Par
ticular comparison. namely. the eight i'm
rnediately above and the eight inlnf d'ately
below in point of population, as deter
mined by the twelfth census. But when
the proposed assessment Cf 1851 oGh,oo0 is
accepted as the basis of comparison it is
to be seen that Washington Will be far
more heavily assessed. When the single
item of personal taxation is considered. on
the prospective basis of an assessment of
S6I .ODoGD Washington stands virtually
In a class by itself. being exceeded only
by two of the sixteen cities of his group
San Francisco and Detroit-the latter be
ing practically on a par with the suggested
local assessment.
The minor tables given in the analysis of
the statistics show that in many instances
Washington is to be assessed more heavily,
I'm both real and personal property, than two,
three and even as many as four other cities
combined with aggregated populations far
exceeding that of Washington, in one case
the personal assessment proposed being APP
proXimately as large as that of five other
cities whose populations aggregate more
than four times that of the capital. These
concrete examples of the effect of the pro-
posed tax assessment are especially VAL
liable in view of the fact that frequently
the argument is heard in Congress that
Washington is an under-taxed community,
that the tax-dodger here flourishes immune
from the collector, that the residents bask
in the favor of the governmental partner
ship. which theoretically yields one-half the
income of she District The reverse. in
fact. is the case, the tax-paying Washing
tonian bearing a relatively heavier burden
than the taxpayer of many other cities The
assessment laid upon him is higher than it
is elsewhere, with a few exceptions, and
the per capita taxation and expenditure
rank above the average. The lack of large
Industrial establishments. in part compen-
stated for by the presence here of the I'M
taxed but share-paying government, dimin-
fshes the business opportunities of the local
taxpayer, who would otherwise have a
better chance to expand and prosper. The
local taxpayers are relatively few in Wash
ington. comprising approximately only
about thirteen per cent of the total pop
Ulation.
1t IS important that the trainers of all
new legislation affecting the taxation basis
of the District should look abroad for instruc-
ton 1t is not enough to fix upon an absolute
sum which must be raised and then to
tablish a basis of assessment which VIII
yield that sum without considering the bur
ders laid upon other municipalities. Nor is
II desirable that the asse ssment basis be
determined with reference to the emergen-
C!es of the present, contributed to and
largely caused by the governments own
violations of the organic act of partner
ship Considering that the cost of main
tanning the city Of Washington is relative
y higher than In the average American
city of approximately the same size. owing
to the restricting influence of the govern
mental presence here and the necessity OF
holding 10 high standard of efficiency and
beauty. the first requisite is that the ca
pacity of the people to pay, in terms of
what other American city-dwellers pay.
should be carefully studied and made TO
form the basis of exactions in the way of
taxes of whatever nature.