The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-08
CHARLES=TO ON
FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 8, 1867.
CITY TAXES.

FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 8, 1857.
CITY TAXES.
We Yesterday spoke Of the burden OF Federal
and s, ate taxes, both of which have heretofore
been yery light, and are now for the first time
onerous. It is otherwise with the Municipal TAX
This has always formed considerable item IN
every town and city Of the United States' ana
conld not well be otherwise from the nature OF the
case. :r cities are 40 uniformly anxious to Walk
before they have learned to creep, that hu debss
out OF all proportion to their means, or aDlhty 70
nav either principal or interest," with ease, have
been The rule. Take, for instance, our OWN clts.
The great bulk Of the tax annually imposed ano
collected goes to meet the interest OF our DEBT;
and this debt. as is well known, was voluntarily
and uselessly incurred by the lavish
to railroads North, South, East and west. AL
now see the uselessness and the folly OF such d
policy: but it ia now too late. The money Is Que
and must be paid; and real estate is taxed Il per
cent. and all other articles pro Tata In order TO
meet these annually returning contingencies
Whether or not our City Fathers have devised
the wisest and most equitable tax bill for our CITY
this present year, we will not now stop to consider
confident, as we feel, that; they have done their
hest 10 produce such a result. They should prac-
tice the strictest economy, compatible with an Gu
lichtened policy. We do not advocate o coSgeu
and niggardly opposition to al improvements; tof
many Of these are necessary and yield more lhan a
ouid pro auo,-if not in cash money! in that which
is worth more than money. But our people Deane
poor, very poor, and our city largely IN deot, "
certainly becomes thoao who control the public
purse to keep tight hold on its strings, and sec
well, ere they relax their grasp, that on eSPerdl-
ture is absolutely necessary, and moreover, that
tbey in al cases receive fair equivalent for the
money expended.
For tie benefit Of those who would like TO sec
how our rate Of taxation compares with tha5 OF
other cities, we append the following comparative
statement from the Savannah Daily Nsaos end
Herald Of the 29th ult., which shows that fWhlo
the tax is heavier on some articles in Savannah,
as whole, the burden is less than ours
Real estate Charleston, 2 per cent; Savannah,
Gross sales-C Charleston, per cent; Savannah,
per cent. a. - = E..L -
nah, 1per cent
Express Company gross receipts harleston, $
per cent; Savannah, i Per cent. p, q. -.
Coach or four-wheel carrl age, drawn soy sWo
horses, exclusive Of horses Charleston So peg
month, or s3j per annum; Savanna S4o per an
num- inclusiveof horses.
Coact or four-wheel carriage, drawn by one
horse, exclusive Of -Charlestons 81 per
month, cor sM per :annum; Savannah, $40 s'er an
mum, inclusive Of horse.
Gross incornes-C Charleston, 8 per cent; sava1l-
- !. =
Onvalue OF bonds, mortgages, promissory notes,
DO, located in tho city or elsewhere, OF whether
interest is psid in the city or
ton, per cent; Savannah, per cent: ;an r,,.r,.s
ton, 8 per cent; Savannah, ! per cent - - -
Dogs-C Charleston, So each; Savannah, s. 81, ln-
oluding city collar. :. !, - :.
Commercial agencies, gross receipts -Charlea'
ton, 8 per cent; Savannah, i per cent.
On all commissions del;7eu from any source
Charleston, S per cent; Savannah. 4 per cent.
On all insurance companies gross premiums = :,
Charleston per cent; Savannah, 1per cent., and
license, s100. So - l.s.2. ..4z - =, =.
:. On all gas and other acturing companies;
Charleston, 8 per cent; Savannah, per cent, and
All horses and mules, except those used in Ii
censed carriages or other vehicle Charleston, u
per month. or s12 per sannun; Savannah, 81 per
CapitaEon taIz-C Charleston, 50; Savannah, 81 psr
sHuckstars- Charleston, $3.50 per month, or $50
per ann,1m; Savannah, SO per annum.
aBarbor shops Charleston, s2.J1. a,, 3 !.
Gross receipts Of all hotels, &c-Charleston !
per oent; Savanl ah, per cent, and 1cense Sloo;
Gross receipts Of oil livery stables
per cent; Savannah, license, $50. y, 10
Gross receipts Of all cotton presses-Clar!est
2per cent?: Savannah, per cent, and. Ecense,
Gross receipts OF an printing. Offices, &c
Charleston, 4 per cent; Savannah; license, Sa5
Gross sales by non residents, selling by samples
or otherwise Charleston, per cent; sayannab,
license, s100. -,
Gross sales on oil horses and mules brought to
city-Ch Charleston, 1.per$ cent; Savannah, per
cent. e s..::z5..s.,5#i
Grossr receipts Of Telegraph Companie dharles-
Ton. per cent; Savannah, no tax.
The above would seem to chow that we ara pay
ing higher tax than our friends at Savannah
Tlia for the following obvious reasons :5 We
have large city debt, and hence need q heavy tax
to provide for the regular payment of the interest
We have large number Of public institutions, al
requiring considerable money. Our cit7 was badly
damaged md calls for a large outlay for the pur-
poses There is moreover, very large
amount Of non-tax paying property in the city, be-
longing to sundry corporations, which again makes
The tax fall heavier upon the others who are not
thus exempt. -.....-....5s.=5zs. s.: