Evening star., 1927-09-26
D. c. ASSESSMENTS
ESTABLISH RECORD;
REACH S946,S7,442
New Tax List Exceeds That
Submitted Last Year.
by $45,617,60O.
LAND VALUATION REACHES
s4OO,882, ,739-RATE, S1.90
Chart Compiled With Assessors
Report Shows Steady Gain
in District Property.

The assessed value of land and inn
provements in the District reached an
unprecedented total of s946, ,367 .442 dur
ing the last fiscal year ending June
80, according to the annual report of
Tax Assessor William p. Richards.
submitted today to Commissioner Sid
ney +. Taliaferro. Compared with the
preceding twelvemonth period, this
new high level represents an increase
of $45, ,617 500.
The assessment on the land alone,
the report showed, amounted to $400.-
8S2, ,T39. The total assessed value of
the improvements was $545 ,4S4, 703.
With a tax rate of $3.50 on 800 of as.
sessed valuation, it pointed out, the
revenue yielded by the total assess
ment was $17.034,614, compared with
S15,312,747 in the previous fiscal year
when the tax levy was $1.7O.
New Values During Year.
Mr.. Richards reports also showed
that the value of new buildings and
additions added during the year
amounted to SAT ,476,300 located as fol
lows: Northwest city, $8,542 800; north
east and southeast city, 1896 500;
southwest city, $205,900; northwest
county and Georgetown, $32 ,427 900;
northeast and southeast county, S3,-
9O3 200. The amount of assessment
for improvements removed was S62S,-
$50.
Mr.. Richards featured his report
with statistical chart showing the
steady increase in the value of prop
IN, f,.in eli
the total assessment on land and i'm
provements was $345, 1874 .144. The
figure passed the $400, 900 mark IN
1911, and in 1923 it jumped to $123,-
1926. The total for 1926 was $780,
! 749,842.
The personal tax levy for the last
| fiscal year, according to the report,
| had a grand total of $6,29O, ,134.12, de-
rived from three different classes OF
assessment. First, an amount derived
from a levy on household furniture
above $1,000 in value, merchandise,
| jewelry, boats, vehicles or what is
commonly known as tangible personal
property; second from a tax on the
| gross earnings of banks, trust COM
panies and public service corporations.
and third, from the tax on moneys and
credits, including money loaned and in
vested, bonds and shares of stock, or
what is generally known as intangible
personal property. The tax on tan
gible personal property produced
| 1888, ,220.G6; on public service corpo-
rations and banks and trust COM
| panies, 81. .043, ,923.63, and on intangible
| personal property, 1852 ,984.43.
Gasoline Tax Increases
During the year Mr.. Richards re-
4 foI fIa{ III nff nYafo I1n dot
relating to the transfer of 17,4S3
pieces of property as compared with
| 13, ,433 the preceding year. He also re-
ported that "a oil companies and four
Government agencies acknowledged
the sale of 54,560,613 gallons of gaso-
line on which they paid the tax of 2
cents a gallon. which produced $1,091,-
212.26. This indicates an increase in
the number of gallons reported. over
1926 of 6,506,569 gallons and an in
crease in tax of $50, 1919. The num-
Der of gallons reported. Mr.. Richards
said, would indicate that the average
tax per car on motor vehicle fuel for
the 12-month period was 1921.
Mr.. Richards outstanding recon-
mendation to the Commissioners was
that every effort be made to have Con-
gress enact the bill introduced in the
Senate two years ago which would
permit the District to enforce overdue
liens through a court sale. He pointed
out that there is a long accumulation
of taxes, which will not be paid until
there happens to be change in owner.
ship of the property involved.
1T has been suggested that one di.
vision of this office should function
with the combined care of current
taxes, back taxes and tax certificates.
in other words, there should be no
arrears division" the report said.
This is perfectly feasible if there can
be general cleaning of the back
taxes covering many thousands OF
pieces OF property and extending over
many years. During the tax sale of
last year nearly one-half of the lots
offered were bought in by the District
and this thing has happened for many
years. so that there is a long accumula-
tion of taxes, most of them small in
amount, but with a large aggregate,
which will not get paid until there
happens to be change in ownership.
Court Sale Bill.
"A bill was introduced in the Sen.
ate about two years ago with the idea
of clearing up the situation by allow.
ing a court sale of these encum-
bered parcels. There is every reason
to believe that the District should have
the same opportunity of enforcing
overdue ieins as the trustee or the
holder of mortgage has and if ac-
ton can be obtained along these lines
it will greatly curtail the work of the
arrears division and make possible
the amalgamation of accounts, therS-
by enabling the Office by the examlnu-
ton of card to at once give a certi-
ned statement as to the status of the
tax
Mr.. Richards also asked that Con-
sress be urged to appropriate funds
to provide for the installation of a
ledger system recommended by the
Federal Bureau of Efficiency which
would ultimately enable his Office to
mail out all bills both personal and
real and would further show at a
glance the axact status of an account
against each individual. holding or
lOf narnol NJ 1a1