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

additions ON this account in the case
Of the great cities. And where the
city is n mere minority fraction ut the
county. 50 that the contributors to the
county fund outside of the city are nu-
mcrous and the aren Of dist ributtOn OF
county fund much greater tha0 tne arfs
of the city. the same considerations
opcratc to render unsuitable and mis-
leading the injection OF county neures
into rho comparison. ms apply to bar
injection of state taxes into the eaua-
tion. ,cp There Il NO good reason
whatever Vhy state taxes should be
considered In this calculation any more
than national taxes.
County Taxes in 1912 Census.
When Washington is shown to he
heavily taxed by a comparison of its CEN
s,Is figures with those of the other cities
of its class the attempt is made TO slur
this showing by the claim that only city
taxes are compared in the census hulle-
tins. and that county taxes, which Wash
ington does not have to bear. must he
added to the per capita tax levy of the
other cities. in order that there may be
fair comparison of tax burdens. In the
House debates on the subject it has been
asserted. in the face of the showing made
by the census. that Washington is the
on account of this alleged ignoring of
county taxation in the census compari-
sons.
Rut in the census bulletin recently pub
lished. giving the figures of 1912. county
ia Ration enters into the calculation in the
cities of Washington class. The theory
that county taxation mus: he added to
the census figures of all other cities than
Washington to render fair intercity com
PARSONS fails to the ground. In eight of
these eighteen cities washington and
seven others the county and city or
PLANTATIONS are merged In the ten 9TH
er cities a proper percentage of county
receipts and payments Is added to the
city figures by the census compilers In
figuring the comparative taN-burdens of
the respective cities.
tics of 1912. explains the inclusion of the
county tax figures as follows: 'Of the
independent local governmental units or
divisions other than the city corpora
tons whose receipts and payments are
included in this bulletin the school dis
tricts are the most important and most
numerous For ten of the eighteen
cities having over 10000" inhabitants a
percentage OF the receipts and payments
of the counties in which the respective
cities are located. based on the ratio
between the assessed valuation of the
city and that of the county. has been m
cluded. with those for other divisions of
city government. This treatment is de-
sirabie because in the remaining cites
of groups ! and II the original county
orsa nization has been merged with that
Of the city. The addition of the county.
figures places the cities of groups | and
II on a more nearly romparabl" basis
than would otherwise be the case The
cities of groups and II for which per
centage of the county receipts and pay
ments has thus been added to the city
figures are Chicago. Cleveland. Pitts
burgh. Detroit Buffalo Milw aukee. Gin
cinnati. Newark. Los Angeles and Mime
apolis.
The eight other cities in which the city
and county taxes are merged are New
York, Phila delphia. St Louis, Boston,