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


population and consequently the county
tax is figured by the census in the tax
levies. Minneapolis thus gets the bene-
fit of this special addition to her tax
levy, while Washington suffers from
the non-inclusion in the census calcu-
lation of the tax on the gross incomes
of public service corporations in lieu
of personal taxes. This revenue in
Washington's case is especially heavy,
the tax derived from this source being
greater than that derived from the
personal tax on individuals. Yet it
does not figure at all in the total and
per capita tax levy.
The revenue from this source is for
Washington, s1,336.590: for Mime
apolis. s4s5.929, and for New Orleans,
$9O0492
In neither New Orleans, Minneapolis
nor any other American city Is so small
fraction of the city'S area assessed
and taxed. in no other city Is so large
a percentage of citys area and of the
city's realty improvements. great build
ings and industrial plants, exempt from
taxation.
In view of all the conditions affecting
Washington's comparative tax burden
| (and they have been extensively dis
cussed in editorial correspondence of
| The Star of March IA, 1910, the
present per capita and total tax levies
| of Washington represent the full rea-
sonable tax burden imposed upon
themselves by American cities approx
mating w aSnlHSL III populdtlOn ana
other municipal conditions.
Delusion of Vast Wealth.
| Messrs Prouty. Johnson, Crisp and II.
]. Browne affirm that Washington's rea-
sonahle tax burden, instead of being five
six or seven millions, like that of Mime
| apolis, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Newark,
etc is fifteen millions. much greater than
| st. Louis (S12 354. 91S. Cleveland (S1OO19,-
SOD Buffalo $50 429 73D or Baltimore (Ss,-
$4,000. The small taxed fraction of
| Proutys Washington. fabulously wealthy,
| though comparatively destitute of visible
| taxable resources, can, he says, bear a
| rich and populous Baltimore and Mime
apolis combined; or Buffalo and New Or
| leans combined: or ST. Louis and st. Paul
combined.
which gives the figures of expenditure of
the states of the Union. 1.-The entire ex-
| penses of the state, including the pay of
| all state officers, its legislature and the
maintenance of its universities. eieemoSy-
nary institutions, penitentiaries and state
| departments" These figures may De com
bined with the census figures concerning
city S tax burdens to put III an even more
striking light the excessive and bank
rupting tax burden proposed by Mr.
| Prouty for Washington.
/ Washington's tax burden at 100000
would be only Il little less than that of
! st. Louis tSl2.3J4 91S) and OF Missouri
| (SS S61, 94S) combined: about the same as
Baltimore (SS. S43 .OO5). Maryland tS2.IJ1.-
9ot) and Georgia (s3, 79s 622l combined, or
| Baltimore, Maryland and Louisville (S3,-
4ii.22e) combined. or Baltimore Mary
land and two cities of Des Moines (S3.-
OIL. 47S combined. Washington's tax bur
den would be equal to that of Louisville
(s3 444 ,226) and all Kentucky (s49o5. SOD,
Des Moines Isl, 535. 1870 and all Iowa &3.-
| l21 $3.50. and Atlanta, Ga. tS1 .935,34D,
| combined Is 1t reasonable for johnson.
| Prouty and Crisp to impose upon the re-
sourceless small owners Of the tiny taxed
fraction of Washington a burden as great
in dollars as the combined burdens of
| Louisville and of Kentucky and of Des
Moines and of Iowa and of Atlanta?
4 Mr.. Prouty proposes to crush the 5O,0OO
taxpayers of Washington, only about 500
of whom. including corporations pay over
Isl 900 in annual taxes, and 10000 of whom