Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-13

the effect of my amendment. The eff
feet Of my amendment would be to levy
fifteen mills on the actual cash value
Of real estate. including stocks, bonds
and like assessments. and this without
any question would produce revenue
sufficient to run the purely local gov
eminent Of the district of Columbia 1t
would be an ocular demonstration of
the proposition that the District Of
Columbia is able to take care of its
purely local affairs without calling upon
the people OF the United States for con-
tributfon. And that is what Is arous-
ing Washington
The Iowa congressman then took up
his well known theory that the District
Of Columbia should be self-supporting
community. with its fiscal relations with
the United States severed-that the half
and-half plan should be abolished. On
this he laid down "a few fundamental
principles" These were:
4. 1t is wrong for a nation to Use
its sovereign taxing power to collect
money from one person or community
and spend 1t for the benefit OF another:
unless prompted by charity, humanity
or high equity.
. Taxation ought to be equally and
fairly distributed.
B.. Not dollar can be given to a COM
munlty that doesn't deserve it without
taking dollar from somebody else that
does deserve 1t.
= II Congress gives to the city of
" Washington out of the public Treasury
any money that 1t doesn't deserve it de-
pr1Ves the people of the United States of
money that belongs to them
Tax Rates in Other Cities.
Mr.. P-outy said that he believes all can
did men living in WASHINGTON and having
property IN Washington will agree that
tney should bear at least a. great bur-
den OF taxation as is borne by the citi-
zens OF like municipalities throughout
the United States before the citizens
here arc entitled I'd demand assistance
from the citizens OF other states" He
presented a LIST Of cities OF 100000 and
over. giving the rate Of taxation paid
upon the full actual cash value Of prop
CITY me average. he said. gave a rate
OF Is mills on the dollar, while the rate
In Washington is only 10 mills-practi-
cally one-half OF what is assessed for
elsewhere-and there is no city in the
United States" he said. that has as low
rate OF taxation as the city Of Wash
ington."
He said that il tax on the present
District real estate. estimated by him to
be worth $57O.OOOOOO, should be levied on
the average paid by citizens of similar
cities, revenue Of SO. $50 600 would be
raised. and that 81 25O, 900 would be added
If Intangible property shou be taxed
These sums added to the taxes now
levied on personal property. the license
and miscellaneous collections would make
a total revenue Of $13. 797. SOL .75-practical-
ly $14,OOO.OOO.
1.-THE report OF your Commissioners
shows that they expended last year lit
tie over $14.0O0.ooO but in this was ir-
cluded $3.50 that was paid on special
improvements, such as sidewalks and
pavements." he continued. These prac-
against abutting property. and without
doubt they should be here. If this sum
is deducted it would take only a little
over S13.OOO,OO to operate the District
of Columbia as it Is now operated In
other words. if the property in the Dis
property elsewhere 1t would produce
enough money to run its government and
have surplus.
IF that is true-and true it is-there is
no just reason why this people should not
bear the expenses Of their own local SELF
government.
No Basis for Comparison.
And how true it is there is no just
reason why this people should not bear
the expenses of their own local self
government
But my friend. Mr.. West. will doubt
ment here is lower than elsewhere. prop
erty is in fact assessed at a greater per
cent Of it's actual value. That Is to say.
that while the rate of taxation Is admit
teddy lower here than elsewhere. the
value is placed higher. There are no
available statistics either to establish or
contradict that proposition. I have writ
ten many letters to cities that have the
actual-value rule in force, and I would
say that the sum total of those answers
show that real estate Is assessed in such
cities at about IS cents on the dollar Of
its actual value. We have, however. some
available figures for the city OF WISH
ington. committee of Congress, head
ed by Mr.. George, reported: The assess
ment shows approximately but A per cen.
OF the true value Applying to this the
rule Of full assessment, it means that
even on that basis rea. estate in the
District Of Columbia would only be as
sessed at 66 % per cent OF its actual
cash value.
Lower Than the Average.
cit can be safely said that even though
full cash value requirements were put
into our laws, the local assessor would