Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-16
Against Campaign of Repudia-
tion, Confiscation and
ViIification.
POINTED LESSONS OF
1910 CENSUS FIGURES
Already Excessively Tax-Assessed,
Grossly Unfair to Raise Stand
ard of Assessment.
No. I.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.

From the Washingtonian's view
point the anti-District policy prac-
tioally proclaimed by the House
District committee discloses as
Its dominant factors reputation,
confiscation and vilihcation. Ii
required four years of investiga-
ton and thoughtful consideration
by the statesmen OF the seventies
tand there were giants in those
days to establish the equitable
basis OF financial relationship be-
tween nation and capital. The
bill 10 eliminate half million dol
lars OF District revenue from
duplication under this agreement,
which was passed recently by the
House. at the instance of the Dis
tr1ct committee, without a word
OF debate, disrupted in a day this
so-called permanent settlement of
1873. and as a precedent spells
reputation. The bill to treat an
ancient claim of the United States
against the District prior to 1873
as undischarged by the bank
ruPtcy settlement OF that year and
to collect it as living. valid OBJ
lIgatlon from the taxpayers of to-
day IS conhscation, the threatened
or boasted forerunner of series
of similar spoliations. The attempt
to shift the responsibility, blame
and punishment for alleged blum
ders by Uncle Sans agents in
handling the District finances
from these agents and Uncle Sam
himself to the impotent local COM
n'unity as scapegoat, berated III
the same time with verbal abuse
irnputing moral obliquity, is the
basest of baseless vi1ifcation.
At the foundation of all these
assaults lies the mistaken thought
that the composite average Wash
ingtonian is malefactor of
wealth, tax-dodger or debt
dodger, underasssessed and un-
dertaxed, enriching himself un-
morally at the nations expense.
deserving 10 have his present
iorms Of taxation made more
unerous. and 10 be blistered with
every new tax and every resur-
reoted debt that ingenuity can de-
wise.
Analysis OF the city's tax list
and of the conditions of residence
and property ownership here dem
onstrates conclusively that the
average Washington taxpayer. the
composite Washingtonian, thus
essailed, IS poor i'll this worlds
Goods. crippled BY the policy OF
on2ress not only i'll taxable re
sources. but i'll the means of self
support. overassessed. not under
taxed. and deserving instead OF
relentless persecution at least
American fair play from his con-
stitutional protectors and guard
ians on Capitol Hill. Fair play is
apparently the one great Ameri-
can privilege not denied to the
Washingtonian by the Constitu-
tion: surely Congress will not
wantonly deny him this privilege
also.
y. Ought Congress or individual con-
gressmen TO influence the assesSorx Ia
swell largely the aggregate assessment
of District Of Columbia property NV
heavy increase Of comparative under
assessments and by failure to decrease
comparative Oyerassessmenfss
= Ought Congress by IegisIatiou ar
by pressure outside the law of fndi-
Vidual members upon the assessors
raise the basis of assessment valuation
from So :-3 per cent 10 100 per cent Of
real valuef
q. Ought Congress to con6se.te Dis
sr1et money In its hands as trustee ia
pay an alleged debt to the United
states In connection with advances In
tic seventies the interest of 3s;
bonds. an obligation settled I'm the CON,
promise of 1878 or neglected or for.
given n debt at that time, and nov,
resurrected after tkirty-hve years q,
bvvfals
.. Ought Congress ON the theory tba,
the Washingtonian's tax burden is tos
small double his taxes by destruction
Of the hnIf-and-half principle of the or.
ganic act, either Mt q single stroke n
by piecemeal mutfIation through sue.
cessive vital anne ndmenfs, execution
and exemptions:
Three years ago on the basis of tn.
census statistics of 1905. 1906 and 1907
I answered the first, second and fourth
OF these questions in the negative rh,
census statistics of 1910 now at han,
give the same answer.
The teaching OF all the figures ane
all the facts in all the different Years
is that the WashinGtonian tax assess
ment Is excessively high. that his TT.
rate * comparatively low and that hi,
resultant per capita tax levy impose.
= reasonably heavy tax burden. heavier
CONTINUED on Ninth Page.)