Evening star., 1914-02-09

figures. and the lessons taught by the
1910 figures are confirmed ana empnasizeu
by the figures of 1912.
In order to justify the repeal OF the
half-and-half provision OF the orSanic
act, Representative Crisp pictures
Washington. i'll imagination as most
extraordinary and incongruous para
dox. On the one hand, 1t has. he says.
very few wholesale houses, practlcaIiy
no manufacturing industries or enter
prises" and lis maintained and sup
ported almost entirely" by the money
paid out to government employees ON
the other hand. this community. with
out independent resources. one.third
colored. composed almost entirety OF
supply the latter's needs, owns more
taxable real estate than Is owned, &C
cording to the 1912 census figures, by
Baltimore and Minneapolis comb ned; /;
sl!O,000.000 more than is owned by New
Orleans. Louisville and St Paul COM
bined; owns nearly as great total
valuation of real and personal property
as Chicago. and only about sixty mil
lions less than Buffalo. Newark and
New Orleans combined; and is so
rich and strong in the posses
sion of these fabulous riches that
It can, without hardship. much more
than double it's present tax bur-
den under which it pretends to be stag
levy greater by far than Is paid in any
other city of the United States, and
twice the per capita tax levy paid by
other cities Of its class. like New Or
leans, Milwaukee and Detroit.
In preceding letter / have given the
figures of 1912 to show that relatively to
the other cities with which tax compari-
sons are made the Washington assess
ment is already excessively high; and
that to double this assessment, as by add
ing $414.00O.00O to an assessment Of $780,
0OO.OOO as suggested in the George report.
would mean quick and complete bank
ruptcy.
This bankruptcy is not Of the wealthy
tax-dodging winter residents, whom
our constitutional legislators make
verbal pretence Of pursuing These men
can afford to lose their confiscated
Washington real estate. If they have
selves from the city's tax list and fit
elsewhere. If their interest suggests
this course. This bankruptcy will be
sunered by the $4,000 snail property
owners and homebuilders in this city,
on our SO 600 tax list, whose little all
IS invested here in supreme confidence
in the good faith of Uncle Sam, and
who cannot escape or esist his heavy
confiScating hand.
Piling Tax Ossa on Pelion.
Representative Crisp assesses Wash
ington realty for taxation at $744OOO, 600
the single tax figures, and then goes the
single takers one better" by adding per-
sonalty assessment which values Wash
ington's realty and personally combined
at a total valuation of s933, 900, 600, from
which tax revenue of ST.. 5.211 ,925 should,
he says, without hardship be derived; and
on the basis of these vast imaginary tax
able resources he pronounces the local
community capable, unaided, of perform
ing the nations task of maintaining and
developing the nations city on the grand
national scale and plan designed by its
founders and now in operation.
washington is no more able today, rea-
lively. to bear this burden than it was
In 1888. and in the seventies. when In
patriotic and public-spirited effort to per-
form the nations task it worked itself
into bankruptcy. The city is more popu-
lous. more prosperous and has more tax
able resources than in the last century
but the burden of capital-making and
capital-maintenance has grown heavier
In vastly greater proportion than its own
increase in strength.
The tax revenue which the local tax
payers could reasonably contribute
would be entirely Inadequate to sus-
tain the capital as it now exists, or
TO keep 1t in line of natural develop
ment. A reputation of national obli-
satlons IN respect to the nations city
would result either in discreditable
capital poorly sustained by reasonab BILE
taxation upon local resources or in the
virtual confiscation Of local property
through excessive taxation
10 assert that Washington realty on
the average basis OF American assess
ment for taxation is to be valued and
taxed at s.i4.OOO.OOO. and that its total
tax assessment should be s933, ,OOO, 900. and
TO base serious scheme Of national capi-
tai maintenance and development on this
wildly preposterous assertion, is to build
on founda ton that crumbles the mo-
ment pressure is applied to it
Let US compare Mr.. Crisp's total ilnagi-
nary assessment valuation of Washing
ton with those Of other American cities,
as shown in terms of actual assessment
in the census OF 1912: