Evening star., 1913-12-04
REALTY VALUATION
MILLIONS LARGER
Increase for Last Fiscal Year,
s8.866,5O Assessor
Richards Shows.
REPORT AGAIN URGES
ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS
Difficulties Encountered in Levying
Personal Taxes in the
District.

lars in the total assessed valuation OF
real estate in the District of Columbia
for the fiscal year that ended June 30
SCISSOR William r. Richards. which was
made public by the Commissioners to-
day.
The valuation for the fiscal year that
ended June 30. 1872. was given as $3.50
So, 4S7. whereas during the succeeding
twelve months the assessment jumped to
$3.50. 19s.@9o recording an increase of
s.. S6:;, Ja2
The real estate tax last year was
O5.0ST, ,9Sis-, as compared with a tax of
s4.?d, ,9sI3I. levied during the preced-
| ing year an increase OF s132, ,931..4.
Personal Tax Levy Larger.
The report also shows an increase of
sS3.109.67 in the personal tax levy.
which for the fiscal year ending June
80. 1917. was s1.131. 1868, and for the
year ending June 80 last, s1.195,055.30.
Referring 10 the personal tax levy.
which, il is asserted, fell about $4,000
under the amount estimated, Assessor
Richards states that the appraisers ex-
perienced considerable difficulty in plac-
ing proper values on automobiles for
purposes of taxation. The most fire.
quent causes of trouble, he says, is the
practice of transferring numbers from
old cars to new ones.
This office again strongly urges the
necessity for all machines to be reg
istered and have new tags issued an
nually or else that a law be passed re-
quiring an annual fee to be paid, based
<,yx $l1a he So t~s~ -
fee to be in lieu of personal tax and
seat or wheel tax states the report
THE amount of tax would remain the
same each year as long the machine
was in use. and this office is of the
opinion that it would result in an in
creased revenue TO the District and do
away entirely with the question of de-
probation of the value of the car for
assessment purposes and also the
added wheel or seat tax SO much op-
posed by owners.
Would Relieve Board.
1t would also relieve the board OF
appeals of the most annoying form of
appeal from personal tax assessments.
The appeals from assessments on a,i-
tomobiles now take very large part
OF the time Of the board in its hear
iEgs
In connection with the idea OF reliev-.
ing the automobile from a personal tax
ana having an annual fee only it is
urged In the interest of fairness that all
tangible personal property below a thou
sand dollars be exempt from taxation
rms would relieve owners of small stores
and shops and those persons having
limited number of horses and carriages
wagons or tools and Instruments of va
rious kinds 1t would place the small
shopkeeper on a par with the small
! householder, who now has an exemption
of a thousand dollars.
= nder the present requirements Of law
a great deal OF time and considerable
force is required to levy these small as
sessements, and the tax is not in the in
terest OF economy. as its assessment and
collection require expense almost
equal to the amount of the tax"
Wants Annual Assessments.
Assessor Richards renews the recon-
mendation. which has been feature Of
his annual reports for several years,
that provision be made for the assess
| ment of real estate in the District an
nually instead of trienniaIIy. When
/ property values double in three years
| in certain sections and remain sta
| tionery in others the need of an annual l
assessment is apparent. he points out.
/ Declaring that to view ali real estat g
/ parcels triennially and to determine
| the worth OF each new structure an
/ nua1y is beyond the powers of any
| three assistant assessors Mr. Richard :
/ urges that provisions be made for a
/ field force Of ten or twelve men to act
/ as aids TO the assistant assessors in
| supplying inform2 ton.
/ The assessment should be, then, as
1 now, he asserts, the united Judgment of
/ an entire board. and if this board could
1 have the cooperation of twelve field men
and could sit continuously in review
/ there is every means for fair and
| equitable assessment
/ The report shows that receipts from all
/ licenses. not including liquor licenses.
during the fiscal year that ended June 3O
! last amounted TO s122Ol6.21 Gross re-
ceipts from barroom and wholesale
| liquor licenses amounted to S446.63 90