Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-16

from the slightest inspection of the fig
ures. Take Baltimore. for instance. the
one large southern city and the only
southern city except Wheeling. W. Va,
which has nominal 100 per cent valua-
ton. The Baltimore assessors Q31O) re-
port the full value of all the real prop
erty in great, prosperous and wealthy Bal
assessors report that two-thirds of the
full value of the assessed and taxed frac-
ton of Washington 5 real property Is
s2so. 153.111, which makes its full valua-
ton on the 100 Per cent basis TIN. 6oG.
or siXty-tive millions more than wealthy.
busy. industrial Baltimore. with .227. 41G
greater population. The same lesson is
taught by comparison of Washington 5
two-thirds valuation of $2S5153, I'll with
the lull 100 per cent valuat ons of, De-
troit, 1888. 1880: Newark so7l, ss4, go.
and Jersey City. S1Si.4S1, 100 OF course
1t is absurd to suggest that the full
valuation of rea! property in such cities
as Detroit. Newark and Jersey City is in
reality less by millions than the twO-tnird
assessed valuation Of real property in
the taxed fraction Of Washington.
Thus in comparatively few states of
the Union is there even pretenSe of full
figures and the statements OF the census
authorities slur the accuracy of state
ments of full valua ton where that stand
ard nominally prevails.
The census report of 1910 suggests
unreliability in these reported relat ons
certain cities in the states of Mime
sofa, Washington and Wisconsin.
whose figures Of assessment are OBJ
tanned from the state tax commission
and determined by critical investigation
and are reported and commended by
the census authorities as especially ac-
curate and reliable. The census report
FINANCIAL Statistics of Cities" says
no
sessment in practice is for most cities
an estimate, furnished by city officials,
OF the percentage which the assessed
valuation OF property forms of it's true
value. For certain of the cities Of
minnesota Washington and Wiscon-
sin the figures were obtained from the
state tax commissions and represent
approximately the proportion that the
assessed value bears to the selling
value, the figures given having been
determined by critical investigation,
involving comparison between the
assessed valuations of property sold
and the considerations received at such
sales. The figures for both real and
personal property for most cities out
side of those three states are far from
correct. although those for real prop
erty arc the more trust worthy.
The cities in Washingtons class
whose bases are thus approved are
Minneapolis, Mimi. real estate standard
Seattle, Wash, -45 and - per cent. and
Milwaukee. Wis, 60 and SO. Washing
ton city: Real estate, 663s and 100 per-
sonalty.
The standards of real estate assess
rhelt in all the Washington cities are
Seattle. 40 per cent; Spokane, Al per
cent; Tacoma. A per cent. In Wiscon-
sin, Milwaukee. GO per cent: Superior
90 per cent; Racine, so per cent: Osh-
kosh. 80 PEI cent: La Crosse. sc per
cent. In Minnesota, Minneapolis, 81
per cent; st. Paul, GO per cent. and Du-
iuth. so per cent. Il is, OF course. i'm
material what relation the assessed
value bears to real value provided the
basis is applied uniformly to all tax
payers affected by ii. In all cases
there is SO much money to be raised
by taxation and If the assessment is
high the rate may be low, or If the
assessment Is low the rate must be
high. In the case of the District the
money 10 be raised is fixed by the
organic act as one-half the amount OF