Evening star., 1920-03-29
NO TAX-RATE RAISE
|. Of TW0-TH|RDS TO
PAY TINY DEFICIT
Increase of Tax, if Any, Must
not Be Excessive, But
Exactly Meet Need.
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.l
THEODORE w. MOVES.

Whenever Congress appropriates
with such wise liberality to meet the
obvious and urgent needs of the Dis
trict that present tax laws do not
suffice to raise the Districts proper
tionate contribution toward capital
upbuilding, Washington will assent
cheerfully to change of it's tax laws
and to an increase up to the necessary
point Of its tax burden. 1t is assumed.
however, that there will be no per-
manent increase of tax rates to meet
merely temporary condition: no in
crease to meet tax deficit until ac-
cumulated tax surpluses of previous
years, constituting an equitable credit
OF the District, have been applied to
reduce or eliminate the deficit. and
no increase beyond the carefully-cal-
culated figure that Is found necessary
TO meet the exact requirement of the
situation
The tax Increase proposed tente-
lively by the House appropriations
committee Onends from every con-
cefvable viewpoint. 1t permanently
increases our tax burden to meet the
temporary demand for larger apprO-
printfons to sntisfy municipal needs
neglected In the wartime. 1t ignores
the unexpended surpluses Of local
taxes accumulated In the wartime,
and collected under the law for the
very purpose OF meeting these neg
iected municipal needs. 1t adds far
more heavily to the Distrfct's tax
burden than is necessary to meet the
or likely to occur in the Immediately
succeeding years Of reconstruction
after war.
Nearly Double-Taxing District.
The proposed increase of our tax
rate from $3.50 to $3.50 is an increase
OF % 2-3 per cent. the assessment
standard remaining the same. Every
one of Washington's $4,000 realty
taxpayers. including the $4,000 small
taxpayers and every payer of a tax
on tangible personally among Wash
fngton's $4,000 personally taxpayers.
must pay hereafter, II the House COM
mittee's proposition becomes law.
two-thirds more tax than he paid last
year or the year before. Those who
would double-tax the alleged half
taxed Washingtonian in order to kill
the half-and-haif law, and to render
tfon whatever for capital mainte-
nance and development, will at once
have nearly attained success in their
scheme. One short step farther and
the death blow can be administered
Let US try to get a clear. accurate
idea OF what our alien. taxing body
eaifen IN the sense that we are not
ffepresented In ~ proposes@to to exact
f1oh~ uS~ anu TO 90 "a u0~4-z GUpp9Ge
Washington had been taxed $3.50 in
4tead of $1s59 in 1915 fthes latest year
Tor which census hEures. are avaiIa-
BILE Tor intercfty ,comparisons). what
difference would it have made in the
total property taxes paid and how
would these totals have compared
with the totals of, other cities? -.
The Items to be INCREASED are the
taxes on realty and tGngible person
atty. the personal taxes on intangible
and on the gross earnings of certain
corporations remaining the same
Grossly Excessive. Realty Tax-Burden
The total realty tax levy of WASH
ington in 1918 was $6.152,604. Increas-
ing that amount by 66 2-3 per cent
gives as the total realty tax levy at
the $3.50 rate, $10,254.S40. Applying
the $3.50 rate to the total realty as
sessment of $410.173,609 gives, of
course. the same result (Washing-
toms per capital realty tax levy at
$3.50 rate is 27.57).
If Washington's realty tax levy had
been $10.254.340 in 1918 its levy would
have been nearly as much as that of
st. Louis. Cleveland and San Fran
cisco. and more than that of Balti-
more. Milwaukee. Newark. Cincin-
natl, New Orleans and Minneapolis.
which are larger In population, and
more by far than any smaller city
whatsoever.