Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-15
Washington's Tax System.

SP'IihS pHIpoSeS- III tIle way iflOSt easily
borne by them. with an accurate adjust
ment of rate and assessment to raise
nearly possible the exact amount re-
CURED. Here the necessary tax total
under the law is one-half of the amount
that Congress is willing to authorize to
be expended each year on the National
Capital Washington is accustomed TO
raise this amount by d heavy realty tax,
under an assessment much higher than
that of the average American city, and
by d comparatively light personal tax.
This method of taxation imposes, as we
have seen, "A net burden of tax levy upon
the Washingtonian heavier than that i'm
posed upon the vast majority Of Ameri
can cities containing over 10000 popula-
ton and at least as heavy as that of the
average American city approXimating
Washington in population and this tax
system raises the amount of revenue
which is and will be required from the
local taxpayers under the organic act.
Why NEEDLE with this system 70 which
taxpayers have become accustomed and
which raises the needed revenue? Why
discuss increase OF the comparatively
light personal tax burden for instance,
unless a corresponding reduction is pro-
posed in the excessively high real estate
tax burden? Why suggest that the per
sonal tax assessment be extended to
intangible personal property, If the local
taxpayers prefer that the revenues be
raised from realty and tangible personal
property taxes instead, on the theory
that these taxes are the fairest the most
uniform, the most easily and accurately
ascertained and the most readily collect
ed of any that could be imposed? Why
should not Congress, the constitutionally
chosen local legislature of Washington,
act as faithful and sympathetic repre-
sentatives OF these people. whose interests
are intrusted exclusively to their legts-
lative protection and devise and put in
operation or preserve and keep in opera
ton means of raising the needed local
tax revenue which will pinch the least.
which will be the most popular or the
least unpopular, and which will create
the minimum of friction and discomfort!
Why on the contrary, should congress
be tempted to play the oriental mot the
American) role of alien. despotlc tax
gatherer searching for in order to apply
to this defenSeleSS community every con-
ceivable form of general or special tax
that has ever been devised anywhere 10
eXtort money from helpless taxpayers
whose taxation is without representa-
ton?
VIII Congress decide that it is its func-
ton, unnecessarily. so far as the raising
of revenues for legitimate pubilc pur-
poses is concerned. to see that the WASH
ingtonian is blistered with every form Oh
tax eXaction from which any unfortu-
nate taxpayer suffers in all the world
Because this or that municipal taxpayer
here Or in Europe, under his own peculiar
| local conditions Involving perhaps eN-
| travagance, corruption, the reign OF the
grafter). pays poll tax a road tax, an
| inheritance tax, an income tax, or tax
| on everything he produces and on every
| thing he consumes, on every cent he
! takes in and every cent he pays out
| must all these taxes be levied upon and
! { elected from the Washington taxpayer
/ under entirely different conditions and
| with no compelling necessity in evidence?
| IT has been suggested that all possible
| taxes should be imposed by representa-
| District. in order to prevent any one from
| coming to live in the District to escape
| some especially Objectionable form of
| taxation in any of the states. The con-
| tention is that Congress. acting as the
| local legislature representing in theory
| the observation-disclosures in deciding for them
selves on American principles their own
| forms of taxation, should disregard the
wishes and welfare of its Washington