The Washington times., 1903-08-13
(continued from First Page.l

| 70 the courts 10 test the Validity OF the
| acts OF February IL and July 1. The re-
! suit was long debate upon the sub
| ject by the Assessors, and a shaving
| down of the list to suit the objections
of the holders of property. Less than
/ $500. Geo was added TO the revenue and
suspicion was aroused relative TO the
method OF assessment.
Three Reforms Suggested.
Three reforms, at least. are suggested
to eliminate the evils complained of in
the assessment of property. These are
new rate OF valuation, new body Of
assessors. and the publication Of the
assessment.
The rate OF valuation at two-thirds of
the appraisement of the assessors is
purely arbitrary. It Is not better than
the guess of the assessors under the old
law, or. as an attorney arguing before
the board once said. cit is two-thirds OF
a poor guess" This rate was put into
the law of 1902 to aid in the equaliza-
ton Of values, which, before that time,
had reached the proportions of a public
scandal.
1t is well-established principle of
economics that whatever property is
worth for income or sale IL Is worth for
taxation" The contention OF the econ
omist is that not one-haIf. two-thirds,
or any other percentage, but the real
value, should be the basis of assess
ment The rental Of property IS ae-
cepted az the key 70 such values for
| improvements. and recorded sales for
the land
BY applying these tests assessment
would not be left to the guessing of
three men, but to the actual index OF
value. Moreover. making the real value
the basis of assessment would give
equalization at once, simplify the list
/ ing. and lessen the rate of taxation. re
the property of the District were as
sessed its true value the rate of taxa
ton could be reduced TO one dollar. or
even less, without impairing the reye-
nues. This has already been accom-
plished in the cities CT Chicago and
New York, where this rate OF assess
ment has been adopted.
New Board of Assessors.
Equitable assessment in the District
line of such new equipment has been
suggested as follows:
! The board of equalization and review
could stand as now, with the additional
duties Of the excise board. For the as
sessment the District could be divided
into small sections, each Of which one
man could cover in the working days of
two months. The Assessor should be a
resident of the section ne assesses and
we'll acquainted with the values of prop
erty there. The remuneration OF these
assessors should be 50 per diem, and
their work, under general instruction
from the central board, should be COM
plete in two months.
The lists sent In by these assessors
would then be carefully considered by
the board of equalization and review.
There would be opportunity OF appeal by
the property owners. but changes would
be spariugly made This method would
bring to the records the selling value of
property IN all parts OF the District.
Publication of Lists.
The most important reform OF all
would be the publication Of the assess
ment lists for inspection before the fnal
action OF the board of equalization and
review This may be effected in two
ways, each OF which has its advantages.
The first Is known as the block sys-
tenn" and is used in Chicago. Slips are
printed containing a description OF each
piece OF property in each block or square.
with the assessment and one is sent to
the owner Of each holding for inspec-
ton By this plan each taxpayer knows
not only his own assessment. but that Of
all his neighbors in the same square
ANY inequality in the assessment viii be
quickly noted and reported to the board.
These slips being distributed throughout
the city afford opportunities for COM
| parison on a large scale.
The second method Is that employed
in ST. Paul, MINI. Large maps are
drawn of each assessment section, with
names OF owners and the valuation indi-
Gated. and these are posted for ten days
at some convenient point for examina-
ton. On a stated evening one of the
assistant assessors holds a public meet
ing, to which are invited the taxpayers
of that section and others who may care
to attend. At the meeting the values
are gone over and discussed BY those
present Objections, If any. are made
and are recorded by the assessors sec
Rotary. The objections or other obser-
vatlons made are afterward considered
by the full board.
BY either OF these methods the neces-
sary publicity of the assessment list is
| ob+efped ot pOmDarativeIv small cOst
Personal Tax Lists.
There should be a publication of the
personal tax list. as those OF real
estate. and for this the block sys-
TEN" is possibly the better. In Chi
cago the assessment of personal prop
erty has been increased by this method
from $2l ,OO0, coo TO SIS, 900 600. No man