Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-13

are small home owners, with tax bur
den only little less than those Of De-
troit (S9. 677.57O and all Michigan ($5,-
9O9, 62D combined: about the same as
those of Cincinnati ts7.5s3,510 and all
Ohio Isl, 49S,59O combined: considerably
more than Minneapolis (s5, 692.24D, st.
Paul 81 154;12O and all Minnesota go
COG, os,D combined; considerably more than
Milwaukee (s6,s5a. 113). Wisconsin (s5,306,-
543). Charleston, s. G. &547,see and
south Carolina Isl. 4s1 $50 combined /:
more than New Orleans (s5,1s2, 42D, all
Louisiana @4.11s.242) and all Indiana
New Jersey Cs5.3S63 4S), Jersey City (SS,-
57Oq54) and Indianapolis (s3.466 $3.50, with
other cities or states amounting to two
and one-half millions thrown in for good
measure.
Imaginary BanHupting Riches.
Is not the proposition reduced to an alb
surdityo Prouty, johnson and Crisp Tor
taxation and confiscation purposes I'M
pute such vast imaginary values TO
Washington realty and personally as TO
threaten to deprive this property OF all
real value and to bankrupt these unnap-
weapon of their own alleged but non
existent wealth. The imputation OF rlcnes
which they have not is used to ROD them
in excessive taxes of the little which they
really have.
Does any one suppose that Washington.
If 1t could by any possibility bear the
tax burden of Baltimore and Minneapolis
combined, and could meet from It's own
resources the full expenses OF capltai
maintenance and upbuilding. would en-
dure for moment the government OF an
anti-District House District committee
exercising unsympathetically, unfairly.
despotically and even cruelty the power
of exclusive legislation over 1t intrusted
to Congress by the Constitution?
If these imaginary taxable resources
mand and secure the American priv
ilege of taxing itself for municipal
purposes, and the American right OF
representation ON the same basis as
other Americans in the Congress and
the electoral college.
The imaginary wealth OF Washington
consists of: First. realty assessed on
the single-tax basis up to point where
through excessive and uncomfortable taxa
ton private ownership may be destroyed.
and by virtuous robbery of the individual
on the single-tax principle the state may
come into possession Of Its own. The I'M
putatfon OF vast wealth is not designed to
enrich in fact, the Washingtonian, but
to destroy him as a property owner. to de-
prive his land of all value and to take 1t
away from him. Being in fact self-sup-
porting individual Of small means, he Is
called, so far as private land ownership
is concerned. Dives in order to trans
form him into a Lazarus. The second
item of Washingtons imaginary wealth
is one or two or three hundred millions of
intangible personally which multi-mil-
lionaire tax dodgers are alleged to have
brought here from various states of the
Union. Assuming that any such money
has been brought here. 1t is not an avail
able tax resource of the capital. WASH
ington Is far from being the only juris-
diction where intangible personality is
not assessed for taxation and whatever
millions. If any. have been brought here
TO escape taxation would promptly go
elsewhere If taxed.
The exaggeration of riches in both as
poets tends to bankrupt and pauperize
1t fmputes too great riches in order to
destroy the small resources actually en-
joyed. The Washingtonian Is bloated YER
bally into the aspect of vast wealth in or
der that he may be financially destroyed
He is like the. pasta in Marryat's novel
who Is described as man whose head
Is elevated somewhat above those of his
fellows in order that he may be the more
conveniently decapitated
II Congress were convinced of the
accuracy of MIR. Prouty's figures and be-
lfeved Washington to possess the al
legged enormous taxable resources 1t
ought NOT to impose the taxation urO-
posed by this tax bill. 1t should with
draw the nation from financial particf-
patton In capital upbuilding and leave
this community, blessed >wfth such
taxable resources, to tax itself. If
WASHINGTON can raise easily an animal
tax levy Of S15.OOO,OOO the nation
should take NO part in financing the
municipality; and as a logical and
part In determining in what amount
and by what methods and for wbat
purposes the community shall he
faxed.