The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-06-22
house upon an amount three times the an,

house upon an amount three times the an
nual rental of the house he occupies.
All property not embraced under one of
these three provisions to be entirely eX-
empt from taxation
The Commissioners admit that this
method Of assessing personal property
taxes is entirely arbitrary; but they claim
that it would work less injustice than an
attempt to assess personal property direct
ly. The house that a man lives in OF the
building he occupies for business purpos-
es is, they say, not an intallible sign, but
perhaps the best sign which can be had OF
the amount of his personal property, and
they point to the example of England and
other European countries, where long ex-
perience has led to the abandonment of
direct taxes upon personal property in ia
vor of taxes based upon rental
1t seems, however, that perhaps the
better way would be to abandon all at
tempt to tax personal property, and to
raise all revenue from a tax on corpora
tions, a tax on real estate, and a license
tax upon such business as it may be deem
ed good policy to discourage as the sale
of tobacco, liquors, &c. All the revenue
needed might easily be raised from these
sources, and personal property left to go
free, with saving of all the annoyance,
expense, perjury and injustice which at
tends any attempt to assess it.
This system is nearly approached in the
city of Philadelphia, where revenue OF
over eight millions of dollars per annunl
is collected with apparently less injustice
and offense than in any city in the Union
In Philadelphia the only personal proper.
| ty taxed is furniture, pleasure carriages
exemption of $1,000 worth of furniture to
each individual. The Philadelphia assess
ment of this kind Of personal property fol
the current year is 1892 s6, while the
real estate assessment is Sl91 ,S44 ,O96, ant
| the tax rate is 81 80 per 800. Though the
law always required the assessment Of
real property at its full value, under oath
the law was always evaded in Philadel
phia until 1868, when Board of Revision
Of Taxes, consisting of three competent
| Commissioners, was created The effect
of this supervision of the work of the as
SCISSORS was the immediate increase Of tho
assessment roll from Sl69, $50, 666 as tho
value of real estate, and 3,737 ,1S5 as thu
value Of assessable personal property il
1861 to S445, 5G3, 321 as the value OF rca
estate. and 1881 1863 as the assessablt
personal property in 1868, and Of q re-
| duction of the rate of taxation from 8
per 800 in 1867 to Sl.40 per 800 in 1868
and taxation lowered, a great stimuli
has been given to improvement, and the
number of houses now built is double the
number built in any year previous to 1868
This shows the benefit of an equitable as
scssment of property, while the rapi'
growth of Philadelphia, in comparison
with other cities, shows that the eXemp
ton from taxation of the greater part OF
personal property does not produce iniu
rious effects.
There are great many interesting fact
brought forward by the New York Com
missioners, which are well worthy o
careful consideration. The subject o
taxation is one that needs thorough i'll
vcstigation and serious thought.