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

basis $40 millions of taxable realty.
The grossness of the advertisement
of Washington realty as compared
with that of other cities in 1912 is
thus acCentuated.
Larger Assessment on Smaller Area.
Washington's steady increase in
realty assessments for many years is
the more notable in that there has
been a constant decrease in its as
sessed and taxed area. While other
American cities are steadily charging
their boundaries and by direct anneXa-
ton increasing from year to year by
millions their assessed valuation, in the
case of the District of Columbia there
is a steady reduction in the absolute
amount of taxable real estate from
year to year. corresponding to the con-
formations made by the national gov
eminent III the federal district and
the nat!on's city for pubic purposes
For instance. III creating Rock Creek
Park ana the Geological Park the gov
ernmeut took nearly 1000 acres of
land from The Districts tax list and
put them in the exempted column. A
smila! effect was produced, for fur
the example, when Naluabl blocks of
land We're condemned as the sites for
the Congressional Library building
and the o-called city post Office. So
in The condemnation of land south of
I'enusi lNania avenue resulting in the
withdrawal Of I'VE city squares from
the Districts tan revenue-p producing
property. in which case the plstrir;
taXpa ers Were required to pay "'ie-
hali Inc cost of proceedings which de-
cree sed by several million dollars the
assessed real estate which bears the
bulk of WaShingtons tax burden. SO
in the recent condemnation of valua bic
constituting the (-aDltOl-l mon
station plaza. Clearly where an IN
creasing aggregate valuation is placed
upon decreasing property INST the
burden of assessment upon that prop
erty grows heavier and heavier with
abnormal rapidly.
The increase in Washington's as
sessed valuation is also notable. be
cause it lacks the great factors of III :
crease in manufacturing plants ana
commercial industries which make up
the bulk of growth of assessment in
the ordinary American city. The great
plants and industries of Washington
are governmental and while they have
expanded normally they are exempt
from taxation, and this growth does
not figure in the tax assessment.
Therefore in comparing the GROWTH
of assessment valuations in Washing
ton with that of the commercial and
manufacturing cities like Baltimore,
Cincinnati Milwaukee. New Orleans
and Detroit. for instance. it must never
be forgotten that Washington largely
lacks the millions of taxable property
which are found in the American bust
ness city in the twentystory sky
scrapers in the solid blocks of bust
ness establishments, and in the ware
houses and factories. Washington
greatest and almost only conspicuous
and notable factories are the govern
ment workshops, such as the bureau
of engraving and printing and the
gov eminent printing office Washing
tons greatest business establishments
are the government departments, with
their thousands of employees lhese
factories and these business estaollsn
meuts cut no figure in Washington 3
assessed valuation. for they are within
the exempted fraction of. the capital
which belongs to the nation.
How ridiculously low would be the as
sessed valuation Of any of these CONNER
c;al and manufacturing cities II its ilst
of taxable property were similarly treat
cd. and there were stricken therefrom It's
principal factories and business estahilsn.
mepts How quickly would the people oi
any of these cities perceive and complain
that their assessment valuation was eN-
cessiye il after such EXAMINATIONS Their
citv-s tax valuation was greater thah that
of some equally populous nelshoof' " nose
tax list had rot been thus cuFtaiieo.
Washington's popU alton Is less than that
of any of the cities above enuineIateu,
Ito assessed fraction lacks the indicated
important factors of a business ei.s
VALUATION. which car SO large fSure III
the assessments g. hese other cities yer
the valuation of Ia. assessed fraction OIL
washington Was il. 1877. on the oasis OIL
the actual Valuations. 1u3 per cent OIL tAae
If RuffaIo. 1874 per cent of that OF Ne"