INCREASE OF AMERICAN LAND VALUES 505 



City of Dallas'^ City of Iloustoii'^ Seattle^ 



1907 $16,477,000 1904 $19,787,000 1905 $ 70,038,000 



1908 21,300,000 1905 20,588,000 1906 125,735,000 



1909 21,356,000 1906 23,682,000 1907 155,751,000 



1910 38,530,000 1907 30,353,000 1908 178,427,000 



1911 44,468,000 1908 30,486,000 1909 184,737,000 



1912 44,605,000 1909 36,533,000 1910 205,309,000 



1910 36,627,000 1911 212,014,000 



1911 46,916,000 1912 212,929,000 



1912 61,389,000 



There lias been no considerable increase in the acreage of Dallas or 

 Houston during the period under consideration. The acreage of Seattle, 

 however, has increased from 29 to 60 thousand acres, between 1905 and 

 1912. The table is therefore worthless for comparison. 



Many Canadian cities make separate assessments of land and im- 

 provements. Though they are outside the strictest limits of the discus- 

 sion, they are probably typical of the rapidly growing towns in the west- 

 ern states. It is at least worth noting that the land values in Van- 

 couver more than trebled between 1895 and 1909, that the increase in 

 Victoria is approximately the same, while in the newer cities like 

 Winnipeg the increase in valuation is even more rapid. 



City land values are increasing — slowly in the east, more rapidly in 

 the west. Each decade sees from twenty per cent, to one or two hundred 

 per cent, added to the value. Still the rate of increase does not compare 

 with that for forest or agricultural lands. 



The increase in the land values throughout the entire United States 

 has been immense during recent years. Particularly since 1896, timber 

 and farm land values have advanced rapidly in price. City land values, 

 though less rapidly, have risen none the less surely. What the future 

 may hold in store for a nation whose timber lands treble, and whose 

 farm lands double, in value during a single decade, the student of sta- 

 tistics may not venture to prophesy. The matter is at least worthy of 

 serious consideration. 



"■ Letter from the Commissioner of Finance and Kevenue, April 8, 1913. 

 ^ Letter from the chairman of the Board of Appraisement, December 20, 

 1912. 



^ Letter from the County Treasurer, April 1, 1913. 



