, 1876-02-06

TAXES.
MUNICIPAL R1TnAvAaANoE AND HEAL ESTATE.
TEE TRIBUNE has earnestly called the atten-
ton OF tho owners Of real estate and all 9TH
ers interested to the disastrous effect on the
value OF real e5tate Of the contin uance OF any
such municipal misTule and extravaganza as has
recent]y characterized Chicago in common with
other cities. The
BURDEN FALLS UPON REAL ESTATE,
Personal property escanes taxes to great ex~
tent. One corporation in New York Ssate-the
New York Central l. Hudson River Railroad
is charged With having evaded $15,o00,000 Of
personal property taxes. The New York Times
pursuing the came subject, says:
There not mercantile house, brokers' oce, bank,
insurance company, railroad corporation, uanntac-
turing establishment in the country that could besr
tho percentage Of waste incurred by many Of our
cities r. II any q sqeh ans9nees' utter b1ns1aptsy
back Of the business and disconnected with It.
majority OF our ties avoid that catastrophe only by
practically
moRraAa1Sd THE PRIVATE REAL ESTATE
within their1imits, by inordnate taxation. How
much longer they will be able to avoid 1t is inquiry
which these people cAunot too Eoou take into most
sesious consideration. The waste Of which have
been speaking, bad al 1t is now, appears In many
to be rapidly growing worse and wo1ss. There is lin
it to the neans Of even wealthy cities. Some of
them afford great deal, but they cannot afford
everything It uoud be exceedingly instructive
ATjttIuetC&l exercise people CT very
them to calculate how long, 1t the rate OF increase
which has for aeEies Of years prevailed in their mu
uicps expenditures 1t would tAke for these e1pendt
tures including the interest On the accumulated debt
to become 80 gre1t as to
SECTnALlzB TILE FSTHE ANNUAL WORTH OF TIE
REAL ESTATE
have mentioned. "e greatiy fear that for the pnr-
pose expressing the number Of years indicated By
the solution, there aro exceedingly few instances in
which mora thsu two figures would ba required. and
several in which not more than one would be needed
At the questions in regard to mupp3l waste
that demand earnest attention relate not merely to
what It is 1t present but also to what IT s progrssa
be unchecked, It may, and in many caBes inevitably
will, soon become.
An interesting experiment In keeping down
municipal debts is being tried by the City OF
Atlsnta Georgia, and it is worth being adopted
more extensively. II there is any balance
against the city on the expense account at the
end Of the year the members Of rhe City Govern
meut are made
PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOE TIE AMOUNT.
Tho result has beeh that the debt has been
largely reduced, and all bills ire paid on presen-
tation.
The quickest way to cure Colvin Of his pas
sion for holding over as Mayor would be to
make him responsible for all the outstanding
city certificates III April, 1877.
On this subject OF taxes the Land Gunner OF
this city SAYS:
It il the bounden duty Of every man owning . foot
Of real estate to fight these destroyers. The man Who
fights taxes now By every means IN his power, keep
ing his money out Of the control Of TIE thieves in high
place, occupies the position Of patriot. Ta1aton
must be reduced to what the land bear. To this
end let every real estate join the nob,e army Of
ta1-dghte1s.
There is no longer redress at tho batlot-box. Re-
dress will come only through starving out the grand
army Of taxdevourers. When the people will long
put up for the Official thteyes, they will desert
the puhic oddcea they Disgrace When the cupboard
is empty the veri1 will leave. Tbs cry that
mept Of taxes is repudiaou ia old and STALE Better
pubic credit kuIer = huo than the American peo-
pie be ruadn paupers by Oppressive taxation. Let tho
watch-word be % Of DID, Millions for defen1e but
not one cent for tribua to the t2xhiesea who hsve
bumned themselves into power.