Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-18
Rep. Crisp Sees an Imaginary
Washington of Fabulous
Values.
HEAVIER ASSESSMENT
THAN RICH CHICAGO
Poor Capitalize Would Be Taxed Far
Higher Than in the City
of Highest Rates.
No. III.
No. III.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.

In order to justify the repeal of
the half-and-half provision of the
organic act, Representative Crisp
pictures Washington, in magma
ton, as a most extraordinary and
incongruous paradox. On the one
hand. it has. he says, "very few
wholesale houses, practically no
manufacturing industries or en-
terprises" and is maintained and
supported almost entirely by the
money paid out to government
employees. On the other hand,
this community, without indie
pendent resources, one-third col
ored, composed almost entirely
OF government employees and
those who supply the latter's
needs. owns more taxable real es-
tate than is owned by Baltimore
and Cleveland combined, or by
New Orleans, Indianapolis,
l., ;isville and St. Paul COM
b:ncd; owns a greater total val,la-
lion OF real and personal prop
cTty than Chicago. and not very
much less than Cleveland. Mil
waukee, Cincinnati and New Or
leans combined: and is SO rich
and strong in the possession OF
these fabulous riches that it can,
without hardship, much more
more than double its present tax
burden under which it pretends to
be staggering, and can pay per
capita tax levy greater by far than
) paid in any other city of the
L United States, and twice the per
capita tax levy paid by other
cities of its class, like New Or
leans. Milwaukee and Detroit.
The fundamental error of the
George taxation report and the
Crisp assessment is the assump-
ton that in American compari-
sons OF assessment and taxation
the highest conceivable market
price, constituting full value in
the owners mind if he is to sell,
Is in America the taxable or as
sessment value OF real estate. The
figures and comments of the 1910
census show, as ! have already
pointed out, that III respect to
full valuation OF real estate Tor
taxation purposes nobody IS
doing it. In Massachusetts, and
New Jersey and in a very few
scattered cities in few other
states there is nominally a full
valuation, but analysis of the as
sessment figures shows conclu-
sively that full valuations are not
made even there in fact, and the
census slurs the accuracy of the
reports of full valuation. Hardly
anywhere else i'll the United
States do the assessors place IN
actual figures oi dollars and cents
- high an assessment valuation
oE taxable real estate as in Wash
1ngton. The census figures which
| have printed show, for instance.
that, assessing on the two-thirds
basis. they report greater real es-
tate values in Washington than
IN the whole of Baltimore: and
that their two-thirds assessment
OF the taxed fraction OF Washing
ton exceeds by MANY millions the
full 100 per cent valuations of
such cities as Detroit. Newark
and Jersey City.
Relatively TO the other cities
with which tax comparisons are
made, the Washington assess
ment is already excessively high.
To double this assessment, as by
adding S4I4,ooo,ooo to an assess
ment OF S33o,ooo,ooo, as suggest
ed, would mean quick and COM
plete bankruptcy.
This bankruptcy is not of the
wealthy tax-dodging winter resi-
dents, whom our constitutional
legislators make verbal pretense
ol pursuing. since they can afford
10 lose their conhscated Wash
ington real estate. if they have
any. and will promptly remove
themselves from the city's tax
list and fit elsewhere, If their in
terest suggests this course. This
bankruptcy will be suffered by
the 10000 small property owners
and homebuilders in this civ on
our $4,000 tax list, whose little all
j. invested here In supreme conf
dence i'll the good faith of Uncle
sam. and who cannot escape or
resist his heavy, con6scating
land
The tax revenue which the
local taxpayers could reasonably
contribute would be entirely mad
equate to sustain the capital as