Evening star., 1927-10-08
WASHINGTON 14TH
| IN PER CAPITA TAX
N
Board of Trade Officials Get
!. Report on Countrywide
4 Fiscal Survey.

4 Adding new force to the movemen
here for an equitable readJustmen
of the fiscal relations. under Whlcl
The Federal Government would assume
4 larger and fairer share Of the cos
.nf the upbuilding Of the National Capi
ral figures produced by comprehen
sive tax survey of the country yester
Hav were presented at q meeting o.
pfIicials of the Board of Trade. SHOW
ing washington's per capita assess
fnent TO be second III the list OF eo o'
the largest cities. exceeded only b9
that of New York.
J This data, gathered in the survey
conducted by the municipal hnance
Committee of the trade body and pre-
isented Yesterday for the first time &c
the officers and directors OF the asso
citation, also showed that out OF the
80 cities studied in the tax survey
without any adjustment for dliIereh
tiation Of assessment basis or ueduc
ton for State and county taxes, Wnlcn
are assessed in many other locantles
Washington stands fourteenth III Tue
list for per capita tax.
Four Months Survey.
These facts, which were the result
of a four-month tax survey, substan'
tiated the belief of Washington tax
tayers that the tax rate for the Dis
trict of Columbia should not be higher
than S1.70 per 800 assessment, mem
hers Of the finance committee declared
The results OF the survey were seen
as q direct answer to the belief voiced
nv some members Of Congresa in the
past that Washington was not taxed
"A heavily as some other communities,
and Il is expected this material. to-
rether with other data being collected.
will be presented to Congress when
che matter Of fiscal relations again
comes before that body.
While the outstanding findings or
the tax survey We're revealed, the de-
failed charts and voluminous figures
gathered in the survey were NOT mace
nublic and will be announced after
Hnal collation. and analysis have oeen
made of all data obtained.
1t also developed at the meeting
fhat several supplementary surveys are
being made to further corroborate the
position Of Washington taxpayers ana
70 provide a means OF checking the
data already available. Questlon'
kaires. it was announced, have peen
cent to bankers and to real estate
6oards Of many Of the larger cities OF
he country, asking for specific data
Gncerning the assessed valuation and
he actual sale price paid for specific
rieces of residential and business
properties.
Sneakers Are Enthusiastic.
Sneakers at the session, enthusiastic
&er the results of the data thus far
fhtained. urged that the study be
Gontinued until all available inforn1a-
don is collected which bears on the
meal tax problem. They declared that
,Tot especial treatment" but only the
fnding of an equitable and reasonable
hx burden was the objective OF wash
Ggton's taxpayers.
Theodore w. Noyes, chairman OF
the citizens joint committee on hscaI
relations and a member OF the boards
Snance committee, made the sugges-
Sion that the Board of Trade add TO
is present tax data the latest Census
Bureau comparative figures on tax
burdens. which have been used IN
former presentations of the Districts .
base. He declared that the municipal
&nance committee was proceding
Along the right lines by seeking actual
facts to substantiate the conviction
kf Washingtonians that the present
hump sum fiscal plan, which now has
&egenerated into plan whereby the
District pays rs per. cent and the
Federal Government but 25 per cent
ef the cost Of the National Capital Is
nequitable. III
Another member Of the committee
nroposed that the tax survey, which
has been compiled by Robert j. Cot
frell. assistant secretary of the Board
6f Trade, in cooperation with mem.
ters Of the municipal finance commit.
Zee and the office Of the board. be
extended to include data showing the
Actual number Of tax.paying bona
fide citizens Of the District OF Column
bia, exclusive Of the many others here
who maintain residence In other com.
inunities although they ordinarily are
counted among the local population
ind hence reduce the showing as to
per capita tax.
/ Joshua Evans Presides.
! Joshua Evans, jr., chairman OF the
fnunicipal finance committee, presided
1t the session and explained the pur.
bose of the tax survey and then called
On Mr.. Cottrell to present the data.
{ Carefully prepared charts showed
that other cities Of much larger size
and of greater commercial importance
than Washington do not have any
where near the assessment of 81 $780,
600, 900 which prevails here. San Fran
disco, it was shown, is assessed at only
Sne.fourth Of the local assessment, al
though the West Coast city has pop
0lation of 100000 more than the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
Z Without any deductions for differ.
ences in assessment basis or for State
and county taxes, the survey showed,
Washington is fourteenth in the list
In per capital tax. When adjustments
are made for the amount Of money
raised by these cities to pay interest
and amortization on their bonded in.
debtedness, Of which Washington has
none, and to pay State and county
taxes, Washington's position was held
TO be even more favorable.
{ What was considered one OF the
most important items is that in regard
TO the actual assessment basis in other
cities. Many of the questionnaires
were returned indicating that assess
ments were based on the full 100 per
cent basis. Later correspondence,
however. it was reported. showed that
n number Of these cities actually made
Assessments ranging from 65 to IS
per cent of the real value. In Wash.
tngton the assessment has been con.
Eervatively estimated to be as high as
pc per cent, the trade body officials
were told.
I. Gathering Data for Congress.
( The vital point in the tax problem
study, Mr.. Noyes said in brief talk
TO the officials Of the board is not that
ahe District should make plea for
"a reduction Of it's taxes. but that ac
fual facts should be gathered and pre-
Eented to Congress to show that the