Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-07

In calculating the actual tax burden
the assessment alone Is of no value.
the tax,rate alone Is Of no value. ana
the application to the tax rate Of the I'M
reliable reported relations Of assessed TO
true value to measure comparative tax
burdens gives results that are confessed
ly erroneous.
The only reliable standards of meas
uring the tax burdens of the various
cities are the tax levies. the dollars
actually raised by taxation. and the per
capita tax levy which distributes the
total tax burden among the persons con-
shutting the taxed community.
Much space in this editorial corr
respondence has been given to the dis
cussion OF assessments, because OF the
determined effort to increase the local
compared with those Of other cities,
| with NO prospect whatever OF . cor
responding reduction of the tax rnte.
| The reorganization Of the figures In not
that W0shingtOn'S assessment IL more
! than two-fhirds Of the true value OF Its
PesIty. hut that the assessments Of
most other American cities are less
than tW0-thirds. even In cases where
that the reports from the cities of the
relation of assessed to true value are
+, 20 inaccurate and tainted with error
that fantas4ically misleading results
follow any attempt to apply these false
reports to modify the actual tax.rate
| an . measure Of comparative tax.
/ burdens.
The tables Of figures upon which Mr.
Crisp, Mr.. Pr0uty and other speakers
relied In the House dehate to demon
f, strate the comparative Iikhtness Of the
Washingt0nian'S tax-burden are rem.
dered valueles.fby the use of and re-
! lance upon tbs discredited and mis-
leading factor i'm their calculations.
| The gross undeRaaseSsments OF Other
American cities I'm comparison with thu
assessment Of Warrington furnish ths
fouadatiOn upon which IL built the
claim that Washtngton fs per capits
the wealthiest city In the United States
Every ono who has studied conditions
knows that I'm money-earning opp0r-
tunifies and available taxable resources
| It is among the poorest. The figures
establish not that IT 1S Over-rfch, but
that compared with other cities 1t is
overwhelmed. ItA realty, already COM
| parativcIy OveF-assessed. Is threatened
with such excessive absoiute Over-as-
sessment for taxation as to result in
it's confiscation.
| Examination shows that Its realty Ia
the treasure which I'm the figures OF
hostile calculat0rA makes Warrington
| rich, and the average Washingtonaan
| q Croesus. But by cOndscatory over
assessment and excessive taxation Con-
xress 10 urged to deprive Washington
| realty not only Of any imitation OF
| value, but Of all values and thus. while
largely Increasing the local taxes, to
take from private ewnership the only
substantial taxable resource from
which the taxes may be met.
Congress has by its legislation made
| realty the only great tax resource of the
capital, and II now invited to rob the
| private owners Of their ground values
In like fashion Congress has by lcEssln-
ton deprived Warrington of most of its
occupations and trades which mean
self-suppert. and has driven many
Washin Rtonians into the business OF
| buying and selling realty and the oc-
cupation of building h0uses. And now
the building trades and the real estate
| business, thus fostered, are through
the action and appreciated action OF
| Congress- at a standstiil, PaRalyzed
Thousands of houses are empty; hun