The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-07-22

A recent article I'm mornins
newspaper was 40 misleading an q
have a tendency 10 create unwar
rnnfed pfeindlcss against the WHO'S
city government and those who ad
minister Il. The article sought q
make a comparison between ths
costs Of city government for 1871;
and that anticipated for is1s. show
tins an increase In dollar cost Of >,
tper cent IN the intervening Il
years. Tho natural impression mad.
~ theso figures upon people whit
do not atop 10 reason out what fhs
figures really mean is thar the clsj
government u extravsgansly con
Quoted. a fair statement Of faes'
VIII show the reverse.
The census reports for 1910 AMI
1890 show that tka Increase In popu
istion for that period WINS - per cent
This would naturally account for az
Increase Of - per cent In tho cost ol
city government Tho same ratio ol
increase would properly apply to ths
10 years between 1919 and 1874. II
ws add this ~ per cent 20 the cost o.
government In 1913. which according
TO this article was -. $40. ses. we have
a total Of fs.sps.< AL "a tho normal
COS, Of government for isz1 without
considering any increase In tho costs
~ labor and materials.
According 20 the figures issued by
tbs 7. y. department Of labor ana BY
the college Of business administration
OF the Unisefriiy OF Washington. the
coat q commodities Increased dur.
ing 10 years from 81 20 ti.7o. This
would make the value OF the 1919 Dol.
lar only SIS cents ~ the present
time 10 ne divide that ss.s dollar
into sAsss.<si 40 have sT.ssz.i<s ~
the normal cost OF government In
isss. The budget asked for for 1894
IL but ss.2os.sfs. or si.sis.iss iess
than might naturally b. expscscd.
hssed on the increase In population
and prices IN general
when ne Krt right down 20 the
actual facts. tho cost o. government
has not been ex'ravagnnt. and. on
the contrary. Il has been held down
TO q cost far below what conditions
would naturally lead one 10 expect.
all things considered.
Instead o. an Increase ~ 20 per
cent. an claimed b. this newspaper
article. there has been n saving Of
90 per cent over what conditions
would secm TO justify. The charge
Of exfravaganec II without basls. but
u r. tho frequent weapon used BY
those who desire TO create that Inn.
preston and thus dsscredit. n pos.
sibic. thone who administer the city
government from the mayor 90 this
least % tho city employees.
Seattle In suffering from an over.
population OF tax dodgers rather than
OF taxpayers. and until full and
complete valuation ~ made possible
the tax rate will seem high. For
taxation purposes last year Seattle
had a valuation OF t2t$.sss.as7, as
compared with yaoo .oss.7is for tho
city Of Portland. sss7.si4.ooo for the
city and county OF san Francisco
and tf.40s. ies.0ss for the city and
county Of Los Angeles.
Seattle raised by taxation last year
ss,sfs.sss.$s as compared with 50.
ssi .s6o.as IN Los Angeles. where
81. s&s. sst.ss was collected as a busi.
ness tar In addition 20 the amount
levied. san Francisco and Portland
also impose a business tax. and this
has 10 be paid by every man and
woman engaged In business or In q
profession.
Seattle has been maiigned 20 an
enormous extent by those who have
annually exploited high taxess'
without single effort 70 show taxa
ton in other cities or to prove that
In all California cities more IL cob
lected In licenses. fees and business