Evening star., 1933-04-02
House Can Prevent Gripping Of Capital
By Wise Changes in Pending District Bill

| rate has been increased 20 cents.
Richmond-Tax rate reduced from
$2.35 to s22o, assessment not
changed
New Orleans-Tax rate remained
unchanged since 1880 Assessments
have been reduced as follows: 1880,
50,675,087; 1881, $444.491, 1927;
1882, $427, ,443,363. The assessments
are reported as being computed on a
basis Of IS per cent of true value.
Minneapolis-Taxr rate has dropped
from rs mills to 7469 mills since
1890. Realty assessments dropped
S25,000,000 last year and are ex-
pected to do the same this year.
st. Louis-Tax rate has been the
same since 1925. General reduction
Of 10 per cent was made on real
estate assessments last year and the
same general reduction will be made
this year.
Indianapolis-Real estate tax rate
reduced from $1.10 to $1.o9 in 1882,
but increased to SIPS in 1888 be-
cause the real estate valuation was
reduced 13 per cent. The taxpay-
ers, however, paid less. School tax
not included In the tax rate as
given
One significant showing from these
replies is in relation to the compari-
sons last year between the six cities
and Washington. That comparison,
made on the basis of 1880 figures, in
dicated that only Baltimore exceeded
Washington in the total real estate as
sessment. Now the realty assessment
OF Baltimore has shrunk, and Wash
ington's assessment is higher than that
Of any Of the six cities discussed.
On the basis Of 1880 figures, Wash
ington's realty assessment was greater
than that Of Minneapolis, New Or
leans and Indianapolis combined The
answers to The Stars queries, stated
above. show that in the case Of each
Of these three cities the assessments
have been reduced and that in each
of them the taxpayers have benefited
by the reduction.
A City Of Homes.
The reader may wonder why so much
Importance is attached to the fact that
Washington's realty assessment is
greater than that of cities of compara-
BILE size.
1t must be remembered that WASH
ington is primarily city Of homes and
residences; that its area is fixed by the
Constitution itself and cannot be ex-
tended, as other municipalities extend
their areas to take in additional tax
able subdivisions, and that this lin
tied area known as Washington is even
further limited, as to taxable property,
by the Federal Governments enormous
realty holdings, which represent more
tax-exempt property than in any other
city of the country.
1t should also be borne in mind that
larger industrial cities, such as Balti-
~AAOAS oAAo Ne.s 4JOAAo, WAt11 PORuldtlOllS
far greater than Washington, are richer
IN realty taxable resources than the
limited taxable area of Washington
which has no large industries, or fac
tories. Yet this limited portion of tax
able Washington is assessed for taxa
ton at a figure higher than all of
Baltimore or all Of St. Louis. The COM
bined population Of Minneapolis, New
Orleans and Indianapolis Is more than
twice, almost three times, as large as
Washington. The land area in acres
OF Minneapolis and New Orleans alone
Is more than four times that of the
District, Of which only q portion is
taxable. Yet Washington's realty as
sessment is greater than that of the
three cities combined.
The financial backbone of the city
is made up of small taxpayers in Gov
ernment employ. Real estate Is the
city's most important private industry,
or has been up to the present time.
Washington should rank low in the list
OF cities in the taxable valuation of its
real estate, and especially low in COM
parison with cities of approximately
the same size. But it ranks among
the highest. Compared with the GA
largest cities Of the United States on
the basis OF 1929 census figures, it
ranked ninth among them In size of
realty assessment, although it is four
teenth In population. It's per capita