Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-12

when Congress through its agents began
the execution of the George Washington
plans on a large scale but at the ex-
pense of the local people, had staggered
till they fell under the intolerable burden.
Seventh. That thereupon Congress first
guaranteed the debt that had been in
Cured for National Capital making and
promised to pay its proportionate share.
and then spent four years in fnvestiga-
tons by five committees including two
joint select committees. and in negotia-
tons with representative citizens Of the
District. resulting in the compact of
1878" embodied in the organic act of
June II, 1878. which the United States
Supreme Court has also called the Con-
stitution Of the District and which Con-
gress said was to provide "a permanent
form of government
Eighth. That under it's permanent form
of government and especially the half
and-halr arrangement as to expense the
capital has made the progress in the
execution of George Washington's plans,
try is so proud.
Ninth. That the people of the District
have continued. like their predecessors
from the beginning, to do more than
their share of the common work of all
Americans. Just as they have sent more
than their quota of troops to all national
wars and have paid more than a num-
Der of states in national taxes.
Tenth. That they have consented to
taxation by Congress higher. per capita
than that imposed in a majority of the
cities of similar population and higher
per capita than in the great majority OF
all cities of the United States of over
thirty thousand population. as shown
in the United States census reports.
Eleventh. They cite in particular cen
sus bulletin 11S. published 1913. giving
the financial statistics of the 1875 cities
of over thirty thousand population in
1912.
Twelfth-As was said in the latest
pamphlet on the subject:
ANY one who reads it (bulletin 11s), be-
ginning at page is, will see that the per
capita OF the total assessed valuation of
property in Washington in 1912 was
S1.OJ0. and that this was more than the
similar per capita in 1875 out OF 1876 cities
having over thirty thousand population
and that only thirty mine cities had q
higher similar per capita"
Per Capita Tax Is Heavy.
More important. however is the per
capita of the tax levy, the combination
of the assessment and the rate, indi-
eating the amount of taxes paid. For
Washington. the per capita tax levy for
1912 is given at s15.7b. This is shown
to be more than the per capita tax levy
in 149 out of 1876 cities. Only forty
FIVE cities have a higher per capita tax
levy than Washington.
These figures cover school tax and all
similar levies. Procured, compiled and
published by the national, not the Dis
trict government. they give the lie to
all charges of inadequate taxation, in
the District. They ought to end all
talk of increased taxation here, either
by increasing the assessment or the
rate or by adding new forms of taxa
ton. Consider that among the 149
cities having lower per capita levy
than Washington are Philadelphia
Baltimore New Orleans, Jersey City,
Seattle, Kansas City (Mo.), Indianap-
oils. Louisville, st. Paul. Columbus,
Toledo. Atlanta, Worcester, Birming-
ham, Memphis, Scranton and many
other great manufacturing and COM
mercial cities of vastly greater wealth
than the National Capital.
A number of them have a. larger popu-
lation. also. A striking example is that
of our nearest neighbor. Baltimore,
with population in 1912 Of 569.560. as
against population in Washington of
342.776. The total assessed value of
the real property in Baltimore in 1912
is given by bulletin lis at 1872 651. 500,
while the same table gives the total
Washington. in 1912. at s330322,4 S7,
and this although the Baltimore as
sessment is nominally 100 per cent and
the Washington assessment only Sc per
cent
Incidentally this shows that 100 per
cent assessments may be made, doubt
less with entire honesty, which are less
proportionately than the two-thirds as
sessment here.
Comparison With Baltimore.
Remember that Baltimore is one of the
richest commercial and financial railroad
centers in the east controlling much Of
the trade in the south and east and the