Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-26
T.. S. PROPERTY
TAX PER CAPITAL
REACHES 1891
TOTAL PROPERTY TAX LEVY IN
AMERICA REACHES GREAT SUM
OF 81 $50, OOO. 900.
REPRESENTS LARGE INCREASES
OVER TOTAL AND PER CAPITA
IN 1902.
ISInciaI.l

Washington - e. April n. \ spc
cial bulletin on ASSESSED valuation of
property and amounts aud rates of levy
recently issued bN director Sam l.. Isog
cr-. ct the bureau eft the census. depart
mcnt of commerce. AMI compiled under
the direction II Starkc VI. Grogan.
chief >tati>tiCiaH ~ charge ui the iupni
~. shows ~ total property tax levy ~
nearly ~ .1Ju.UUu.Ouu throughout the Uni
trd States ia 1917. amounting a. ~l3W
per capita. These amounts represent
increases ~ ~ per cent anil III per cent
respectively. over the total and per cap
it, leyicS in 1917.
This bulletin. which T. one ~ 4 series
nf seven. al dealing with the general
subject Of wealth. debt. aud taxation.
relates 10 the year 1912 aud contains
comparative figures for l>,h. 1870. l>>O,
l>'h. and l9U2.
The aSSc>Scd valuation Of real estate.
personal property. AMI other property
subject To ad ,alorrm taxation in l9l3
was. IN round figures. -. -; .0UnnO0
an amount almost twice ~ great ~ the
assessed valuation IN 1907. aud nearly
>iN times a. great ~ that III l>Gn. The
ASSESSED value "a real property and i'm
prnNrmrnt> subject ~ such taxation in
1912 WAS ~ NJ .unn.Hm nearly double
the real estate assessment IA 1907 and
more than seven times r. great - that
~ l>ih The per capita ASSESSED valua
tinn "t all property subject a. al valo
rem taxation Increased from SSH; IL
1850 10 SII>taE ia l9n3 and 10 >7l5.lS ia
iel2. while the corresponding per capi
"a figures for real property and improve
mcntS increased from S23l - IN l>ta Ia
H'";G.12 in 1907 and to >.rlL.l> ia 1872
All Of these figures are of little real
significance. however. since. the bases
assessment vary ia different states from
- per ccni 10 lnn per cent of the true
value aud also actuair in some Of the
individual states from decade ~ decade.
Furthermore. the fidelity with which the
established basis If assessment H. M
hrrrtl ~ varies greatly III different
tatr> aud ~ different localities in the
same state. The only valid measure ~
the tax burden. therefore. j. the per
capita levy. aud even this does not inhi.
cate precisely the relative weight If tax
alton in one state a. compared with
another or in one year ~ compared with
another. since in different states. aud
IN different years. varying proportions
oi the total revenues are derived from
corporation taxes and license fees. The
per capita %levic>. however. give a fair
idca 81 the general trend in respect To-
Taxation.
The lew ~ Faxes on real estate. per
l>nnal property. and other property sub
Iirrt a. al valorcm taxation. ~ states.
counties. municipalities. school districts
and other civil divisions in lal. amount
ed 10 "A total ~ ~l.5i9.>Il. DDn. or ~i3g1
per capita. The per capita levy in l9n1
WAS SD aud in l>sD was ONLY -. Ii
should be- kept III mind that these fie
urc> do not cover the federal revenues.
most OF which are derived from various
forms OF indirect taxation. and also OK.
iciude revenues derived by municipalities