Evening Star Newspaper, December 29, 1923, Page 14

14— REAL TAX DSTRBUTION | DECLARED UNFAR Exempt Securities and Eva- sion of Personal Property “Assessment Cited. What effect does it have on the pocketbook of the average man gain- fully ‘employed, when such an In- vestor a§ the late Willlam Rockefel- ler puts away something like 60 per cent_of his total wealth In federal, state or local securities so issued as to make their income -entirely out of the reach of the tax collector? says a statement of the National As- soclation of Real Estate Boards. ‘What does it mean to the man who has saved to own his home when the tax rolls of the state of New York reyeal that, on the showing of as- sefsment returns, New York citizens 1n #1822 had apparently only one-six- tednth the proportion of personal pr§verty to total property that citl- Ze8s of New York state had in 18 Rese are some of the questions tax distribution s it now exists | brought into focus by a study of of: fielal statistics on taxation and tax cxemption made this week 'by the National Association of Real Estate Boards. Heavy Tax Imecrease. Increase of 217 per cent in the ni tlon's tux total in the past ten yea teady and general increase in state #nd local tax levies, withdrawal be- yond the reach of taxation of bil- lons dollars through investment in tax-exempt securities, and escape of intangible personal property from taxation througn ihe working of what Is termed “the farce that mas- Guerades as personal property taxa- tion" ate some of the matters,taken up in the association’s analy is. To begin with, the association points out, the-t«x bill of the United States, fedéval, siace and jocal, wnich back in 1913 wus $2,194,000,000, by 1922 had reiched ‘a total of $7,061,000,000, ac- cording to the most reliable es- timates.. This as an average of $64.63 for evemy man, woman and child in | the poifilation, and an average of 5170 for-every person over ten years age tgainfully employed In the United Scates. Extimated in Work. i On the basis of the average income in the -United States tax payment claims & share out of national in- come total representing one day's work in.about every eight for every person i the country gainfully em- vioyed. - But ngt less significant than totals | is the r¥te at which taxes have in- | creased..~Comparison of the 1923 total | with thg=1913 tota: of $2,194,000,0vv | slows @i increase in ten years of nove thg“ 217 per cent, or an aver- inciease of 217 per cent per year, = ¥ It.is [ the state and local levies thil e tax curve has shot upward without exception every year since assuciallon 8 study points out.’ ‘Ihe increase here over the last ten-year period, accérding to the inost accurate available accounts of Tevenue collections, is 260 per cent. The greatest exemption from a just shgre of tax payment comes in intan- sible personal property, the assocla- tion” in gation discioses. No ac- urate esimiates can be made of the mount of this property, but the de- cline in the proportion of revenue recelved from peisonal property in any state in the Union indicates the farce that masquerades as personal praperty taxa In the state of New York, for mple, in 1866 per- sonal on the tax rolls ) per cent of the to- property of the state. In 1921 cnough of the personal property suc- ceeded in eluding the assessor to re- duce the percentage to L6. Hit Tax Exempt Stock: Withdrawal of the assets of large holders of weaith from reach of tax. ation through the practice on the | part of governmental bodies of is- suing tax-exempt securities is re- fle¢ted in reports of the bureau of the internal revenue on insdme tax returns, the assoclation holds. In | 1916 there were 1,742 income returns | made _indicating ' incomes of more | than $500,000, and aggregating in- | taxes of nearly $1,000,000,000. “his number has steadily declined, ith the exception of one year, until | 1921, -when only 246 returns were re- | cived, aggregating a revenue of only §153.000,000, a decline ol nearly 90 per cent. Corporations received interest from tax oxempt sccurities of 000,000 in 1918, $1(9,000,000 in 1919, and_$220,000,000 in 1920. At & return of 5 per cent, a very high rate of capitalizatton, these receipts from ex- empt securities represent an Inve ment of $4,400,000,000 beyond the reach of the tax collector. The filing of the report on the final settlement of the estate of Wililam Rockefeller during the past year brought out the faet at of the $67,649,660 which was given as the net vaiue of the estate $43,633,065 was In the form of tax-exempt se- curities. That is to say, about 60 per cent of the income was tax free. Of the total wealth of the nation in 1922 the most careful estimates indicate that 19.6 per cent was ex- empt from taxation. Of this 6.7 per cent, $15,400,000,000, was exempt real property, and 12.9 per cent, $35,600,- 000,000, 'was other exempt ' property, of which,a large part was outstand- :{12 government tax exempt securi- ies. ADVANTAGES OF TILE { BUILDING OUTLINED | : | Manufacturers Explain Methods of Use Which Give Best Re- sults to Builder. Tile manufacturers do not offer their products as & universal substitute for all other materials in the construction of all parts of a house. They urge it primarily for use in exterior wails be. cause here its advantages are greatest. Ihe destrable features of hollow bufiding tile should be considered from the. standpoint of the finished wall pro- duced from them, rather than from that of the individual unit itself, as this is the“uitimate standard by which material should be judged. ollowing. is a brief summary of the desirable features of a hollowtile wall : Durability—The oldest buildings 'in | the world® are constructed of * burned clay. ‘Weather protection—When' properly | used the wall is impenetrable to wind | or moisture. Heat is transferred ! slewly and in small guantities, because | hollow tiles contain dead air spaces | which resist the transfer of heat! through the wall. This allows one & | high degree of interior comfort at all | times of the year. { the process of = re tiles are heated to & higher temperafure than is ordinarily gen- erdled iz a Larning bullding. It has bevn saic thai they have been burned ust] all fear of fire (s gone. igidity. and strength—House walle bullt of tile should hsve a minimum thickness of eight inches. Mortar bonds the tile together in a stiff and rifm ‘wall that is not affected by any wind short of a tornado, and these walls often withstand such storms even when the roof is torn off. |lar has ito hard | == ESTATE {BABSON SURE KEEN BUSINESS MEN WILL MAKE GOOD PROFITS IN 1924 (Continued from Thirteenth Page.) take & part of the money which here- tofore was spent for other things. Competition for the consumer’s dol- grown exceedingly keen and has, caused distribution costs to in- crease unreasonably. Finally, we are still suffering from a serious maladjustment between the prizes of varlous groups of commo itles. The price that the farmer gets for his product ls in most cases low. The prices that be Ia asked to pay for the things he must purchase, how- over. have' s no such reduction. It is obvious that we can't ha ‘e healthy trade when the farmer can get thousand dollara for his erop, but ul:‘:\d t6 pay $2,000 for what he wants uy. In this connestlon it Is also nece: sary to remember that the farmer an original producer. The dollar that works through our commercial ma- chinery starts with him, and we can not have any degree ‘business boom® unl the farmer in the market and is buying freely. Has i accurred to you that the greater part of the activity of the past year has been in the distribution of our good: Traflic has been heavy. The whee! are going around, busy in carrying the goods from place to place, but raw materials like wheat and copper have been practically a drug on the market. There has not been a fair living for the original producers of the great staples of our country. Mind you, we do not need high prices for a brisk increase in trade. All we need a fair adjustment between prices. Coming Year Will Be Spotty. The coming y ke 1923, will be spotty. Some Industries will do very well, others will prove a disappoint- ment. t year the building indus try was one of the leaders. see no reason for much activity In facto ©ol uction. On the other hand, residentlal bullding will continue, al- though T shall be surprised if it & on at the 1923 rate. The automobil industry was very active last vea: Of course, the extreme activity in this industry cannot continue forever. The automoblle is performing, how- aver, a distinct function. The diffi- culty with this situation is not that there are too m-.ne automobiles, but rather that this business is out of line with other thin, It would be a good thing for the country If other lines showed the same courage and initiative which the motor busine: has_exhibited. I have referred to factory building. Certainly 1924 should not be ‘a y-ar in which many new plants should be constructed. Neither is it a year when one should stock up with a large quantity of commodities for forward business. There will'be ups and downs in the different items of the commodity list, but outside of seasonal rallles, 1 do not see why the average of commodity prices should advance. If there is any marked tendency, the average for the first half of the year should be down~ ward rather than ypward. ituation is one of th s The improvement i in Texas and other parts of the cot-|A to a forward that some wage decreases have lately been n, siocks are at a low point, but the fact remains that the tendency of the unions to Increase wages and to limit the number of apprentices s a serious brake on industry. The im- migration situation is also not very favorable. If some liguidation in the labor “situation would take place. I would be much encouraged. No on can say there today. If an attempt is made to in- flate biisiness the effect will be bad. If, however, we can work downward a little, and thus give the consumer @ chance to stock up with goods, this will help the readjustment along. Good Bomd Year Predicted. Last year the outstanding oppor- tunities were found in the big indus- trial centers of the north and the east. The agricultural regions were relatively depressed. There Is now developing a better balance between these two types of territory. Though no boom is in sight, the farming sec- tions are gradually Improving. Th total value of crops should be at least 10 per cent greater than & year ago. eclally marked ton belt, the south are still Dus though some localities in Lin r..n‘:{“n.;{o‘nr 1924, o es alvo be found in Paris of th t. The vhtal.hr Oh'l will robably remain somewhat uafavor- 2ble. 'l'yhero ure indjcations that 1924 will witness publlc construction program of considerable magnitude and variety. ! One thing is sure, money is dis: tinctly easy and should continue so during the coming months. This means that bonds are in & fine post tion. 1 id 0 & year ago, and con- ditions st!ll remain the asme, You should buy. good bonds with confl- dence. As to stock, the situation is different. There is no use in buying stocks an the minor moves which we | occasionally hay | ‘Whkere Business Makes Profits. 1 repeat, then, that central conditions are healthiest for u that boom times are not necessary je for good profits and steady business, ! rogress. nlf.\'\‘a examine this matter of profi for Instance, we American business man is an “enter- priver.” The history of any one year in his activity may be summed up at the result of half a dosen plans that he put into operation or project which he undertook. Again, we find that these plans themaselv. almost Iways have to do with the future. The business man makes his decision, lays out a course of action, after & period of time apsed and the project has boen ~comp t to tell whether or not he right in his reasoning. Profits Assured in 1924, The purchase of commoditie: hy ettlement of wage disputes, the de. cision as to advertising policy, th planning of a sales. campalgn, the determination of credit and the inancing of a busin factors which call for an anticip: tion of coming conditions and a bu n man's profits are det: very largely by th his judgment in et SLonts summed up in tion: Add togeth rc‘t.h J/INDOW SHADES One Shade or o fhou.fl;n@, this factory is best equipped for exccuting your Shade _orders at Factory Prices. Proprietor ' | Main 4874) | 830 13th St. N.W. I | Phone | % — ] — i R Jil] L TIME IS lF I M.‘Mn!u il it you had better start now. AR PASSING! you are EVER going to live in that “Home of Your Owx” . DON"I' PAY RENT ALL YOUR LIFE. Don't compromise on a ready-made house. Let my architect, who is an artist also, design your home accord to your own cherished plans so it will meet your own individual needs and requirements and fittingly express your individuality, ; : THIS HOME IN THE RIGHT LOCATIO] best UILD E CATION—the best is not too goo the character of the tected by proper restrictions, lTW] being sold will assure a = developments = I'I' CAN BE DONE IF YOU and | will assist accomplished day Ilcu!oll. 3 alues d—where merlyv are in established ‘and pro- LL -COST NO MORE—in fact, you can have a better for less money, as the speculative Mwng'&mfi be nated, and the low openin e will ind prices at which HAVE THE WILL TO DO IT, and to see it an when you and your family move in and take po: MAKE THE START NOW _ By Selecting a Buflding Sits In IXTEENTH - WJTREET PARK Fronting on 16th and 14th Streets Northwest s IN THE CHOSEN LINE OF HIONQ,ASS' DEVEI-OPMWI‘ shortage of goods ' from this the loss on mistaken de- clslons and you have nét profit No matter whv ay the wind 1s blowing it can be ship It you will but the wind. Likewlse every c business conditions offers op) tiea of the business man. hundred und twenty-four will be no exception. I say confidently that any ! man in any business who will take the trouble to attune his plans to | conditlons as they are—instead of | he might wish them—can make prof- its during these next twelve months. ! Nineteen hundred and twenty-four | will reward the foresighted. Gt the facts and go ahead. | Summary of rometer Readings. Rullish factors may be summed up |as_toliows: { | ,,New building permits are running | {32 per cent above last year. This activity spells business for the build- 1ing lndullr{‘ and the thirty allied in- dustries. ertain government con- tracts, which were postponed, will be | brought forward during the coming | i \ abo\ e Lus. ¥ large factor in our economic prob- | lems. Bank statements—Most recent T ports for both federal reserve syste and national banks indicate a i | position. Plenty of | for legitimate enterpr ~—Ample gold reserves nued easing of money The level of intei charges should work downward and bend prices profit thereby, Railroad earning: ‘The rallroads, with gome exceptions, are in better shape. Gross earnings per mlle a running 17 per cent above last yea: jWhile the net s more than 27 p. |cent better. This is the best show- ing Iin more than ten years. The raflroads should continue to buy {equipment, though on a smaller scale than in 1928, ' Bearish factors include the follow- | ng: Failures—white faitures ‘for 1923 n below those of 1922, they in- idly. during the'last quar- of §76,865,758 in Oc- | instance, are compared | 7,293,474 for the same month January will be rath both in number of failures d.llabilities. A retarding factor. | —Foreign competition is b coming an increasing menace. ducing costs abroad are mucl wer than our: nd we must expect in- en:;ln( competition from foreign goods. Labor.—Labor costs are not yet re- NEW SPURT SEEN INBUILDING BOOM Population Trend of Country to Cities and Cities to » Suburbs Is Reason. In connection with the large amount of construction which will be demanded within the next few Years it ia to be borne in mind that s not only an extenaive build- he but there are certain 1 Chingsa taking piace which r bullding pro- eeded tflnun in pop on. ow. ent of rural population suburban movement in most a8 & result of the develop- he automoblle and good country en most roads. The dis! three ds movement from the ve during the years, nmnoufh durln' the en- tire de from 1811 to 1930 it wa in progress. While such a movement does not represent any incre n the population of the nation it doe meap an abnormal increase in th o i Tra\uh of the citied and & correspond- ngly abnormal demand for bulld- all ki inga of all kin ?ho growth of the suburban mo ment has béen gol on Intensively and has meant an ab: for houses of the In a vecent it was found citiea In the country are foeling the effect of « heavy movement to the suburban dis. ults of such large migra- opulation from more or to u‘m n for dwellings, stores, garages, schools and-other accoutrements of civiliza- tion. It also Involves at least the alteration of bulldings from which removal has taken place, and In many cases the demolition of them and their replacement by structures of another type. S —— adjusted. War-time 'l{ are atill the rule in many lines. Immigration restrictions and the power of the unions account for much of these conditions. Business profits.—In spite of in- ing activity, high ing dls ribu- p Iinto indus trial profits, Profits are a more curate barometer of true conditions — Agricultural industrial com: been quite thor- n modity prices have A of 108 oughly deflated. materials at indicate that forty are in fairl ble p s tions, forty-five are obviously too | high and should sell lower and about | {twenty-three are well liquidated and may work higher. Cost of manufac- tured products, however, has seen no such readjustment. The farmer has seen the price of his products drop 45 per cent from the high of 1920 As a result, the farmer's real pur- chasing power s materially reduced and he cannot be expected to buy freely until the! a more equitable n wha h w! he pays. A distinctively bearish factor until some readjust- ment s made. Babeon, the noted statisticlan and will' contnue his s rtiles Bnanclal conditions in next )mt. 1923.) Best Home Values Offered in Washington Today Inspettion at Any T Orn Fros A o 8 PM. Jameson-Built Homes Potomac Ave. at 17th and E S.E. Sample House: 1728 Potomac Ave. S.E. 8ix large rooms and bath, hot- water heat, electric lights; kitch- en, built-in ice box, one-piece sink and many other extra fea- tures; double rear porches. Second floor fitted as separate apartment. Ask the Man Who Owns One 906 New York Ave. N.W. Main 5526 See This Home _ Before Buying in Mt. Pleasant 10 rooms, 2 baths - ‘Hot-water heat CEMENT 99 YEARS ~ ! " | material called clinker, which isagain ing light and theraby increasing the illumination in a hom It is surprising to investigate one of the color charts supplied by manu- factur and note the difference in the reflective value of paints. For example, a wall painted pure white, in a flat tone, gives you 79 per cent reflection, whereas the same wall OLD IN CONSTRUCTION Production Begun in U. 8. in 1872 Now Has Annual Output of 115,000,000 Barrels. painted in a bright sage gives only 43 per cent reflection, Suppose for example in the paint- Ing of your kitchen you seleeted a . |color known as forest green. Your reflective value would be only 21 per cent, whereas if you had chosen Ivory you would get 72 per cent re flection Not only would the- ap- parent size of the room be affected, but it might make all the difference in the world in the cheery bright ap- pearance so desirable In kitchens, and by the use of a dark color there ls the possibility that the work in the kitchen would be done with less speed and more fatigue. Portland cement was discovered and patented in England ninety-nine years ago, Its manufacture was car- ried on. principally In ¥rance and Germany unti] about 3 when its production was begun in a small way in the United States. The average annual production in the United States in the sevent! S .- was aboyt 9.000 barreis. 1t had | EXPLAINS WHY PLUMBER GOES BACK FOR TOOLS grown to a little over half a million Larrels in 1892; to about 17,000,000 ear] In discussing the question of why barrels | and to 116,001 ° 1 mates the plumber goes back after his tools, William J. Mott, secretary of United the estimated productive eapacity of the Master Plumbers’ Assoclation of Sacramento, Callf., say! the United Sta 46,500,000 bar- r-g;h nuwul);. " > e manufacture of cemgnt is an ¥ - $xnct chemical-mechanica| process in s R L O ‘matarials Sraong mearal raw maleriale are ing and heating dealor are both at lte heat to form a néw artificial ground to finished product. The Pro¢ xactly contrelled tech- large quantities of fuel large plant inves capital turnover. Manufacturers may rely upon a large volume of business to make profits 9B tEls heavy commodity, which 1s of limited shipping radius and which A pound price lower than any highly manufactured article. Wider production ‘of nt has been made ible by eliminating unnecessary tatfons on raw ma- terials. In 1922 cement was produced in 118 plants in twenty-seven states, compared with sixty-five plants In nineteen states in 1902. F COLOR OF WALLS CAUSE OF POOR HOME LIGHTING Dark Papers and Paints Absorb Much of Illumination and Make Rooms Seem Small. There is & moat Interesting angle to the question of proper illumina- tion of homes that is frequently not given sufficient consideration, Sometimes the lights are blamed | for not giving enough filumination | when in truth the fault lies wuh | the colors ?l the walls. Dark walls | absorb light and make rooms appear | smaller, while light walls reflect light | and make the roome T larger. Scigntific experiments made by paint manufacturers have proved that | the varlous shades and tones of col- ors are important factors in reflect- has ment and ' slow Main 4884 LUMBER a/l.y{z'c//'ogf FTER all it is well worth your time to investigate your lumber. You want years of satis- faction and you will get it if you order from us. Hot-Water Heat “Better lumber here” Galliher & Huguely Sherman Ave.&W St. N.W. & disadvantage because the owner cannot tell him what really is the matter, He cannot take the plumb- Ing to the repair shop as he would his shoes or his'watch. The plumb- ing and heating deale; clnnnlpbfll\l: his entire shop to the home, yet any one of the scores of tools or thous. ands of articles may be required. { Unless the householder accurately describes what Is wrong the plumber must actually gee the job before he can be certain what can be done. Not being gifted with clairvoyant plumber tries, and tries at what he needs to : him. In view of the many ‘abyuses that plumbing ts put to, it is a real wonder that he ever guesses right. “A way out of the diMculty is for every householder to know at least as much about plumbing as about the cook stove or the lawn mower. to learn the few Any reputable pi ing and heating dealer will gladly and freely help you to that knowi- edge. Contrary to the general im. pression, the ){Iumb(n' and heating dealer usuaily loses money on ming: repair jobs. he ‘greatest wonder of all is thiat plumbing does not break down oftener than it does. Usually every member of the household will caire- fully throw anything from hairpins to rubber boots into the plumbing and blame the plumbing and heal.i dealer for the re Office Space For Rent In the Dent Building 1409 L St. N.W. Very attractive, well ventilated and cheerful rooms, suitable for professional or business. Reasonable rent, which will include heat, electric light and janitor service, Gardiner & Dent, Inc. 717 14th St. N.W. Only 3 Left Open for Inspection Daily and Sunday 2t 9 PM. $6,950 Many have been looking for- ward to an opportunity of buying a home at this price in convenient northeast location, A brief description is given be- low. Six Rooms and Bath Electricity Built-In Garage—Paved Alley in Rear Many Other Features ' No. 625 Orleans St. N.E. (Between 6th & 7th—L & M—N.E.) C. H. SMALL Owner and Builder Phone North 486 Tel. Main 6861 1515 M Street N.W. If You Believe In the United States—You Believe In Washington! Special Home Offerings An unusually interesting list of houses in desirable sections of city and suburbs, featuring low prices and moderate cash requirements and terms. The careful buyer will not overlook the opportunities here presented. Northwest Suburban Jocelyn St—$14,250—7 rooms and bath de- tached, h.w.h., elec, built-in garage, hardwood floors, screens, lot 60x100 ft. g Ingomar 3,800—8 rooms and 2 baths, detached, with servant’s room in attic, h.w.h., elec., sleeping and living porches, hardwood floors, garage. Ideal location, close to Conn. ve. Near 4ist and Jenifer—$18,250—Delightful 7-room detached house, with tile bath and shower, first floor tile lavatory, hardwood floors throughout, stone fireplace, large living porch, spacious closets with lights, h.w.h, elec., and many other exceptional appoint- ments. Moderate terms. Near 4lst and Jeoifer—$9530.—Well built 6-room-and bath brick with hardwood floors, h.w.h,, elec., sleeping porch, built-in garage. Moderate terms. Brandywine St~$11500—Brick Bungalow, detached, h.w.h, .elec, porches, harawood floors, screens on lot 50x150 ft. This is a real bargain. * Northwest Park—S$10,250—Delightful 6 rooms and bath detached house with hardwood floors, h.w.h., large closets with lights, con- .crete porches, large lot and other unusual features. * % Mass. Ave. Heights—$21,000—8 rooms and bath detached (5 bedrooms and sleeping orch), h.w.h., elec, front and. rear porches, Rardwaod floors, 5-car garage, Can be sold on small cash payment. Near 14th and Decatur—$24,750—11 rooms and 2 complete baths, center hall plan, de- tached brick with h.w.h., elec, (6 bedrooms and sleeping porch). Complete in every de- tail Mt. Pleasant- park, 10 rooms 2-car garage. proposition in sleeping and 20 ft. wide. bath brick, cash—7 rooms h.w.h. age. Near 16th and Irvin; bath brick. 3 stories, on lot over 18 ft. wide by 106 ft. deep. Near 16th and Upshur—$14,500—8 rooms and 2 baths brick, h.w.h., elec., front, rear and sleeping porches. Webster St.—$9,850—6 brick, with Nokol h.w.h, elec., hardwood floors, screens, garage, - ft. to alley. See this unusual offering at once. features. garage. Near 5th and B N.E.—$67. Northwest Section —$13500—Fine section, close to and 2 baths, brick, h.w.h., elec.,, This is a bargain. g—$9,000—9 rooms and Immediate possession. An especially attractive most desirable location. rooms and tiled bath, front, rear, fireplace, breakfast porches, lot 20x120 Northeast Section East Cap. St.—$10250—Only $1500 cash.— 10 rooms and bath, 3-story brick (6 bedrooms) with h.w.h,, and other modern features, Full Near . 7th and L N.E—$9,000—6 rooms and h.w.h, elec, porches, other Immediate occupancy. $6,750—O1 $1,000 and bath brick (4 bedrooms), w.h., Pittsburg water heater, concrete cellar with toilet and laundry. Newly papered and ~ painted throughout and in fine condition. Mass. Ave. N.E—$9,000—$500 cash—8 rooms and bath brick, 2 story and basement dwelling. Located just off Stanton Square. ‘ 12th St. N.E—$8,000—$1,000 cash—6 rooms and bath, 2-stor; awnings. Lot 100 ft. deep to alley, with gar- brick with porches, screens, Experienced representatives WHO KNOW WASHINGTON will take you to see any of these properties or will select others from our listings which will be sure to meet with your requirements. fci Main 2690 for Appointment - WABER !uhol'ufinmlodmm