The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-06
HOW TO LIGHTEN TAXATION.

from The NJ 4. IfnteS.
We referred the other day to the burdens
and inequalities of taxation in New York
State, and to their fatal effects on our pros
perity. The great question for the whole
people is, ''What shall be the remedies ?"
Shall we allow the present system to continue,
and finally thus drain the life-blood from our
community, seeing our capital and popula-
tion emigrate where there are no such bur-
dens and clogs, or shall we inaugurate new
and better system? These are the questions
which Mr.. Wells undertakes to answer in his
recent very able report to the Legislature,
and which the Legislature itself must soon
consider
Evidently the first thing in an efficient sys-
tenn of taxation should be equality and GER
tainty in assessments and collection. If this
be not secured, the burden of taxation falls
on few interests, and on the honest who do
not conceal or misrepresent their property.
No doubt the present universal under-valua-
tion of real estate might be checked by the
appointment of "Board of Assessment"
which should be required to enforce the laws
Such board in Philadelphia advanced the
valuation the first year from $160, 600, 900 to
$445, 900, 900, and reduced the rate of taxa
tion from $4 to $1'40
The matter of the valuation of personal
property is much more difficult Nearly all
nations have abandoned the effort in despair
deprivation of popular morals in reporting
property, or in the removal of personal effects
from the locality. Thus in Philadelphia an
annual tax was laid on watches, and the asses
sors could find only 1851 watches. In
Boston the decrease in personal valuation the
past year has been Sc, 452, 900; large num-
Der of wealthy citizens leaving to escape taxa
tion. The experience in the New York cities
is that rich man never pays tax on the full
valuation of his personal property but once;
he then sells his property and changes his
residence. The Scotch custom is to make
the rental of occupied premises an index of
law is based on this same principle, no effort
being made to get at precisely the personal
property of each citizen, but to fix the tax at
the twentieth part of the rent paid. This is
also the principle in Belgium and Holland.
and was the one substantially advocated by
the greatest financier of this country, Alex
ander Hamilton.
Mr.. Wells proposes to get over the Difficult
ties, both in the valuation of real estate
and personal property, by an ingenious de-
vice. Real estate shall be assessed by the
board of assessment at one-half It's market
value. Then, on the principle that the market
value of real estate is always proportional
to the personal or productive property upon
it, the buildings are to be taxed also on
fifty per cent. of their market value. Thus
taxatiocn would be highest where there is
the most capital In cities, and lowest in the
sparsely- y-settled agricultural districts. Thsn
the personal property of the owner or ten
ant, whether householder or manufacturer
is supposed to be three time3 his rental or
rental value, and is taxed accordingly. Thus
If the property is situated in Rochester, and
the full value is $4,000, the regular rate of