Evening star., 1902-04-26
"Under-Taxed" Washington.

From time 10 time during the discussion
In Congress of matters affecting the finan-
cIaI status of the District the assertion IS
made that Washington is undertaxed This
declaration has been often refuted with sta
tistics. SO conclusively to lead to the
hope that it would not again be advanced.
But the other day while the union station
bill was under consideration in the Senate
MIR. Gallinger repeated the charge that the
capital Is not taxed to the usual extent, de-
ciaring that Washington pays less In taxes
than any other city in the United States"
Washington is not, Senator Gallinger
to the contrary notwithstanding, the
least heavily taxed city In the United
States, Its people pay, per capita, larger
property tax than is paid by the people of
seventy-five other cities In this country of
ali sizes above 10000, ranging from Chicago
with its 1.69S,j75 to Chattanooga with its
Bo.154. In per capita tax the capital is ex-
ceeded by only fffty-eight cities This as
sertion is borne out by computations, the
results of which are given at length else
where In The Star today, based upon the
statistics supplied by the department of
labor in its bulletin, to which reference has
been made by The Star occasionally of late.
This per capita calculation, which so en-
phaticaIly refutes the charge that Wash
ingtOn is undertaXed, is based upon condi
tions which are decidedly unfair to Wash
inGton. for reasons which were elaborated
in The Star yesterday. 1t involves the divi
sion by the total District population, includ-
ing that of the rural sections. of the total
property tax, both real and personal. 1t
excludes all forms of license taxes, fees.
fines, etc. and in the case of Washington
excludes the governments contribution. 1t
Is as nearly as It is possible at this time to
compute. the amount of property tax which
the individual Washingtonian pays out of
his pocket annually for the support of the
national capital. 1t does not allow for the
fact that the percentage of taxpayers in
Washington Is lower than that in other
cities. 1t does not allow for the large num-
bers Of temporary residents connected with
the government who own no property. 1t
does not discriminate in Washington's ia
vor because of the peculiar social and ra-
cial conditions here. unparalleled in any
other city. 1t does not subtract unit be-
cause of the absorption by the government
OF the business energies of the community.
II takes Washington as 1t stands In statis-
ties and yields the bare result. which af-
fords so conclusive q showing.
Were the governments property included
mated property tax the share which the
treasury pays for the capitals support
Washington would stand fourth among the
III cities. This is mentioned only In pass
ing to show what difference is made in
the financial comparison of the capital with
the other communities when the conputa-
ton is thrown squarely upon the citizens.
but II is not necessary to challenge thus
the criticism of those who insist upon re-
garding the governments share as a gra-
tuty and the citizens tax burden as the
zeal basis OF municipal support. Looking
forward to the time when the local taxa
tion revenue Will be increased according to
pending plans, with the Districts per capita
property tax payment at $3.50 year, the
Nash!ngtonians will stand sixth among the
134 cities in point of the individual tax
burden
So 1t plainly appears that Washington is
not, as stated, today less heavily taxed
than any other city In the United States"
IT Is more heavily taxed today than nearly
66 per cent of the American cities over 30
on population. and when the prospective
taxation system is applied It's individual
citizens will he more heavily burdened than
those "f nearly 6 per cent of these cities