The native American., 1840-05-23

The suGect.lEater OF this report beng interesting t.
She Citizens we publish along With this days proceet
jngs OF the Board
The committee OF Ways and Means. TO whom was re-
t.red the resolution Of the 25th Of November 1899
directing an inquiry INTO the proprety OF reducing the
,ate Of taxation on real and personal property, &c.
and also, the Mayors communication OF tie llth of
this month, responding to a resolution 0! this Board
passed the 27th January last requesting information
the subject, beg lave TO report:
That they have carefully examined the statements
submitted by the Mayor from the books of the Registers
office and find, therein stated, the encouraging fact
That the revenue OF the s'y T.. aIsns nom taxaon on
assessment upon the preceding one to the amount Of
sl0,Ei7 10.
Iappeags to the committee that this suspicious result
presents to the Board three highly interesting que.os
all ering to the beet application OF this increase Of
revcAuc, which may be clased first, aductlo IN the
rate of taxation second, reduction Of the ward debts
and, third, gradual extension Of the lepalrs and iu-
provemeug OF Streets &c The fist of these three very
important questions involves the immediate object Of
the passage 0. the two resolutions and the communca-
ton under consideration. 1T would be an extremely
grateful task % the committee, if the exercise OF
prudent discretion, they could feel
ing to the Board its adoption by "ich constituents
might be relieved OF portion OF the burden Of
taxation by which they have long been heavily Cypress
cd but the committee think this could not be safely
done at present for several reasons Of which they
will proceed to state.
In the first place the increase in the assessed property
ItLe city il very unequal in the different wards that
u scale OF reduction say 10 or il cents in the $780, to
"
applicable TO all aud tue effect would be to reduce the
means OF al least three Of the wards below what they
we're under ths Old assessment and would not only pre-
vent them from coTrylDE the most essential improve
Gents but would be likely to derange their relations
with the general sinking tGRd t. winch are based
upon that assessment. Again, the actual collections of
taxes during the year 1922 lie by neary sg 900
than 1885, and the receipts oriicene all dea1nina.
t!aa3 were also less in the comparison by SOoS
Beth the latter results ascribabe, roubtess 10 the
euba.! assusats OF the times. And, lastly If the bill
for long past before this Board !or the rrgua.
ton of tlveTns and o-di4r!es should pass a!y r
ike It's present shape, tie committee apprehenG would
sill further reduce The receipts for licenses, unless some
coordinate acncleasng the price those Licenses should
also pass.
Upon the whole, the committee incline 10 the opinion
:hatthe true interest Of the Corpo aon the pay
crs themselves vi be best consulted by abstoIn!ng IRON
any innovation tie established rate u taxation at The
present e
The amount Of real ana personal property now under
assessment IL the city Is little short OF zine million one
Hundred thousand do lars.
With regard 10 the second and third questions alverted
TO- the coluG.ltIee thin Gncc' sSa 10 dwell on either
OF heu i4ttIe action =! tt h. J4!d u.t rpcss
- " pend the d!stn*Iton i say st 81 70 a: Of
ne nsti anu tfey atsIle' sted G5, cts WORTHY
,,t Attention htreaI u, Jo4,4 str,uu cCucur
WIN the We 81 the cv.Il; relation ~ ius uues.
lion u frtlcing tie rate y! taxation.