Evening star., 1935-01-03

Boston and Pittsburgh.
When Senator Thomas asked the
assessor to state his conclusions as to
the taxes being paid by citizens of the
District, Mr.. Richards replied that
they are paying a fair amount on
their real estate, at $l.50." Asked
hagain by the Senator if the tabula-
tions indicated any favoritism to the
| District, the assessor replied: mo.
! Fair Treatment" (See Star broadside,
! February, 1882, ID. c. Not Under
7 taxed.'O
Extensive Comparisons in the Past.
Extensive comparisons were made in
! 1881 by the Citizens Joint Committee
ons Fiscal Relations using the census
| figures for 1880, the latest then avail
| able. The nature of some of these
/ comparisons (using 1892 figures, is
! indicated in the discussion above, illus
| trated with Tables A and B. The 1892
figures produce results similar to those
that were shown with 1880 figures,
demonstrating that Washington today
| is not undertaxed
! One of the most interesting COM
parsons made by the Citizens Joint
Committee (using 1929 figures. the
latest then available for all the cities) :,
| included the "a cities of the United
States above 125.000 in population
That table compared population, total
and per capita realty assessments
total property assessments and per
capitaS, total and per capita real
estate levy. total and per capita tax
levy, total and per capita interest pay
ments, total and per capita State
taxes. total tax levy per capita less
State tax. less interest payments, and
less these two items combined.
! A reproduction of this table on a
a smaller scale is shown in Table C.
Instead of Ga cities, it includes the
IA cities nearest Washington in popu-
lation, seven larger. seven smaller
And Instead of making all the COM
parsons, it reduces them to compari-
sons of real estate levy per capita,
total tax levy per capita, total tax
levy per capita less interest, less State
taxes and less these two items COM
bined.
In real estate tax levy per capita
there are Of the IA cities with less
realty tax burdens per capita than
Wash1ngton-St. Louis. Baltimore, New
Orleans, Cincinnati, Kansas City and
Indianapolis. (See Table c, second
column
In total tax levy per capita there
are also cities with total tax bur-
dens less than Westinghouse. Louis,
| Baltimore, San Francisco New Orleans,
Cincinnati and Kansas City. (See
| Table c, third column
When interest payments are de-
| Quoted from total tax levy per capita.
we find 10 of the IA cities with a
smaller tax levy per capita than Wash
ington-Cleveland, st. Louis. Balti-
more. San Francisco, Milwaukee.
Minneapolis, New Orleans, Cincin-
natl, Kansas City and Indianapolis
| (Table c, fourth column
When State taxes are deducted from
total tax levy per capita we find 8 of
the IA cities with smaller total tax
levy per capita than Washington
st. Louis, Baltimore. San Francisco.
Minneapolis, New Orleans, Cincinnati,
Kansas City and Indianapolis. (Table
c, fifth column.)
| When State taxes and interest pay
ments are deducted from the total
tax levy per capita, we find 10 of the
IA cities with less total tax per capita
than WESTINGHOUSE. Louis, BaIti-
more. San Francisco, Milwaukee, Min
neapolis, New Orleans. Cincinnati
Kansas City. Seattle and Indianapolis
liable c, sixth and last column.l
Comparisons Extended.
If we extend the comparison to the
lS cities next larger than Washington
and the 13 cities next in size, the re-
suits of the comparison of total tax
levy per capita, with interest and State
taxes deducted, show that 19 of the
rs cities have a smaller total tax bur-
den per capita-New York, PhiIadel-
phia. Detroit, Cleveland, st. Louis,
Baltimore. San Francisco, Milwaukee,
Minneapolis, New Orleans, Cincinnati,
Kansas City, Seattle, Indiana polls,
Jersey City, Louisville, Portland, Oreg.;
Toledo and Columbus.
When the similar comparison was
made with the 81 cities, the result was
to show that only exceeded Wash
ington in per capita tax burden, 81
cities having smaller per capitas.
Washington Not Undertaxed.
Can Washington be undertaxed
when, compared with the two cities
which most nearly approximate it in
size, its total real estate tax levy and
its total tax levy is so greatly in ex-
cess? Remember that the total tax
levy does not include the Government
lump sum payment, and that the total
tax levy of Minneapolis includes
100000 annually as interest pay
ment on debt, while that of New
Orleans includes about s4,50O,0OO-
which should be excluded from the
comparison.
Is 1t not convincing showing that
Washington is not undertaxed when,
compared with group of 6 cities
lchosen for reasons stated above)
Washington's total tax levy exceeds
them all?
Can Washington's tax burden be
unduly light when its total tax levy
per capita, compared with those of the
seven next larger and seven next
smaller cities Interest and State
taxes properly deducted), exceeds
that of 10 of them; that when the
comparison is extended to the 26
cities nearest Washington in popula-
tion, its total tax levy per capita, with
interest and State taxes deducted, ex-
ceeds 19 Of them; that when the COM
parison is extended to the "a largest
cities Of the country, its total tax levy
per capita, with interest and State
taxes deducted, exceeds that of 54
of them-all but g?
1t is not necessary to show that
WashingtOn's tax burden Is as high
as the highest, nor would it be fair
to compare it with the lowest, but when
the comparisons are narrowed and
broadened and in both cases indicate
the same result, the conclusion is
inescapable that Washington Is not
uEdertaxed.
In Equity, Increase the Federal Pay
ment to the District.