The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-03
DEMAND NJ AD I.
FOR TAX
GUT
National Industrial Conference
Would Have Number Of job
holders Reduced.


Almost upon the. eve Of the re-
converting Of Congress and with
Government officials and leaders
Of both parties bending every ef-
fort toward reduction Of Federal
taxation, the national industrial
conference board came out today
with the assertion that the tax bur-
den Of the American people Is now
three and one-half times as high as
it was ten years ago.
No Recommendation Made.
No specific recommendations were
made for covering taxes. but the
board declared the rising cost Of
government during the past decade
was due largely to the growing
army Of job holders" and the tire.
lnendous increase In the amount OF
property exempt from taxation, thus
putting the problem, after all. d.
rectly up to Congress.
The board estimates the amount
Of property which has been render
ed by. various means exempt from
taxation as fifty-four billion dollars
in 1929. This stupendous sum,
says the report, @s'represents slight.
" less than one-fifth Of our ma
tional wealth, and Ii equal roughly
to one-third OF all property assessed
under the general property tax
which forms the bulwark OF State
and local government finance.
Farmers Burden Heavy.
Another aspect OF the report is
the statement that the board finds
the American farmer paying more
than his share OF the nations tax
bill, az related to his income. The
figures, says the report, demon
strate very clearly that as related
to income the farmers burden of
taxation has been before the war
and still is heavier than that resi-
ing on the remaining economic
classes"
Summarizing the growth Of the
country's tax bill, the report shows
that the nation paid last year in
taxes $7,061, 900 900 compared with
Ss,383, 600, 900 in 1921, $2,194.0OO, 900
in 1918 and 1882, 900, 900 in 1908.
In 1922 the taxes collected by the
Federal Government showed a de-
cline Of $1,52e,OOO.0 900 as compared
with 1921. This is ascribed to the
reduction of income taxes due to the
low ebb OF business in 1921.
On the other hand, taxes Of State
and local governments continued to
mount. State taxes increased from
1907 zoo. 900 in 1913 to $S46, 900, 600
in 1922. Likewise local taxes rose
from $1,219, 000, 900 in 1913 to $780,
100000 last year. This rising ratio
Of taxation to the national income
is also shown by the statement that
it was ga per cent In 1913, 12.1 per
and 12.1 per cent in 1922.
$64.63 Per Capita Tax.
The tax burden, figured in terms
Of each persons income, is also cited
to bear out the boards conclusions.
The total tax bill last year was $64.63
per capita, as compared with $17.07
per capita in 1918. This represents,
as gagged by income, the result OF
six and one-quarter weeks work In
1922 for taxes as compared with
three and third weeks work before
the war.
I'm nutshell" says the board.
''all taxes stated in dollars were in
1870 dROUL IAAISS dIlO OIlC-1dlL IAuASH
as high as they were In 1913 and
twice as butdensome."
The assessed value of all property
subject to taxation under the gen.
eral property tax in 1921 was $685.
667, 100000, and the real value $17S,-
306,000,00O. This does not represent
the total wealth inasmuch as per-
sonal property largely escapes taxa
ton. The report cites the, value of
all exempt real property in 1921 as
$18,398. geo 900, compared with twelve
and third billion in 1912, an in
crease OF 49.4 per cent in the nine
year period.
students of fiscal science" says
the report, ''are fully familiar with
the fact that the general property
tax has suffered complete break
down. New York, the richest COM
monwealth in the Union, may be
studied with profit. The ratio OF
the value of personal property to
total property has steadily declined
from 25.5 per cent in 1866 to is
per scent in 1921"