The Washington herald., 1915-12-12

sylvanla Avenue and II street were NOT
there? The free use of those strefts.
their public nature, makes possible the
great value Of the abutting property.
Suppose the Federal Government. exer-
cising it's taxing power, should decree
Pennsylvania Avenue and Street to
be toll roads and eharge high toll
for vehicles and foot passengers. would
not the value of Avenue and Street
property shrink heavily and immedi-
ately in consequence? Should NOT the
principal benefciaries. the abutting
land holders, pay for the upkeep OF
the streets? At that they have the
best of the bargain
Assessor Darneille in 1904. classify
ing the non-taxable real estate in the
District of Columbia, tSenate Docu-
ment No. 1S4, 5sth Cong. I'd Session,
page 22) puts down
Streets. avenues and alleys are
placed at nominal estimated val
uation of 5000. 900. while IL as
sessed as the abutting property
would probably reach $l00.0Oe,-
O0o"
What an arrant absurdity! The
streets are free. They cannot be de-
voted to private use and proht- They
have no assessable value. Their free
use creates value in the abutting land
This is the very rudiment and horn
book law of political and social eco
nomics. Why not try to assess the
value of air and sunshine. Of warmth
and rain? Air and sunshine and rain
are free and priceless. Without them
human life would be impossible.
withdrawal of Land for Public Use
Increases Value of Remainder.
The same law is true as to parks;
the opening of park area from pri-
Vate to public use adds to the value OF
all iDin
social value, second because the popu-
lation il dispiaces moves to another
area and takes its land values with II.
intensifying the remaining land value
in fact as all land values intensity by
the concentration of population. Even
il it be an unimproved and speculative
area taken for park use the remaining
unimproved speculative areas increase
in value because that element OF COM
petition has been removed, and com
petition for the remainder intensified
Does anyone even the strongest advo-
Gates of the half and half contention,
think for a moment, that the abolition
of the parks, their sale and return to pri-
vate use and to the taxable area. would
increase the taxable land values OF the
District? No All land values would
slump Srst, from the addition of new
areas competing for purchasers and occu-
pants, second. from the social injury to
the community. It is only too obvious
that the half and half advocates want
wide and splendid streets. want n park
system which they constantly insist shall
be extended to its completion at Federal
expense. TO the profit of the holders of
the areas to be condemned. and to the
increase in value of all the private lands
of the District, yet demand at the same
time that the Federal Government shall
be taxed annually for these local benefits.
They would not only have their cake and
cat it. but would have the people of the
entire country pay, first for the cost of
the cake and next and perpetually for
the privilege of feeding il to its con-
sumers.
The park areas and public holdings of
the Federal Government have not lessen
ed the taxable values of the private areas
of the District; on the contrary they have
increased those taxable values. Land is
perpetual man." runs an old Brehon pro-
verb. Land value is the inescapable
shadow of civilized man. 1t travels with
him and lives where he makes his habita-
ton.
Official Assessment. of Government
Areas.
Let US, however. analyze the half and |
half valuation fallacy from the presen- |
tation of its own advocates. The Asses |
sor's Office is and has always been a CEN
ter OF support for the contention that the |
Federal Government owns half the prop
erty in the District and therefore ought |
to pay half the taxes. shall confine this |
examination TO land values.
Three important official estimates have |
been furnished. the first by Assessor II. |
II. Darneille. under date of March .. 1904, |
published Senate Document No. Isl. |
bSth Congress ID session. the second and |
third. by Assessor W. P. Richards, the |
second i'm Annual Report for October l, |
1914. page II. and the third in his special /
report to Commissioner Brownlow under |
date of June rs. 1915. A fourth estimate. |
AT least semi-official in character, ap-
pears in the address of President Oliver |
p. Newman of the Board of Commission |
ers before the Commercial Club. April s. |
1914. which address was printed in full /
in the Evening Times of that date. Asses
sor Darneilles figures as published are.
he states. assessed at the same ratio as |
adjacent taxable property" i. e. at two
thirds valuation. / therefore raise his ,
figures to full valuation for purposes of
comparison. deducting his valuation of |
streets. avenues and alleys. Commission
er Newman's figures are at estimated full |
value based on the Assessment of 1913. !
and Assessor Richards figures are at full |
valuation.
Assessor Darnellle lncludeS IN fanO |
owned by the United States" an assess
ment for streets, avenues and alleys. |
uhe title to over half the mileage of !
which is in the District of Columbia). |
and all circles, small squares and trian-
giles though their character is strictly 4
municipal
Assessor Richards in his Annual Re-
port estimate excludes streets, alleys |
and small spaces" but in his special re-
port of June 2s. 1915. includes the small |
spaces, triangles and circles. Commits
sioner Newman excluded Rock Creek |
Park and Potomac Park as representing |
the maximum area that a city the size |
of Washington could be expected to
have as parks:
The tabulation follows:
Full Value of U. =. Land In the
District of Columbia.
Assessor Darneille. 1904. .S21I ,594, 225
Assessor Richards. 1914. 100, 000, 600
Assessor Richards. 1875. 200, Al, ,565
Commissioner Newman. .l9l4...... aO,O0o,Oo0
Assessor Darneille's Balloon In 1904