The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-09-29
LONDON TAXATION.


HOW THE MUNICIPAL REVENUE Is OBTAIN
ED.-wHAT LoNDoNERs GET FOR THEIR
TAXES.
Correspondence Philadelphia edGsr.
The general impression in America
seems to be that the taxation in England |
is very heavy, and, fully impressed with |
this idea, l made an examination into the |
matter, and was astonished to find that |
London real estate is not taxed at any thing |
like the rate that Philadelphia pays. To
all outward appearance the service London
gets for it's taxes is good-that ia, the
police and fire service, the street pave
ments, lighting, sewerage, cleaning, and
every thing of that kind are of the best
character. We are accustomed to good
police and fire service in Philadelphia to
street cleaning that is good in some parts
! and bad in others and to street pave
ments that, except In few OF our princi-
pal streets, London would not tolerate.
Public municipal taxation In London pro-
vides for about the same things that it
does with us, but a very much larger pro-
! portion of the taxes collected are poor
rates. A gentleman here was kind enough
to show nae all his tax bills, and his case
am about to quote. He occupies in the
heart of London, not very far from the
Bank of England, large building, recent
| ly erected in substantial style, which
| fronts about thirty-eight feet on st. Bar
| tholomew's close, and ID about forty feet
! in depth. In London the tenant and not
the landlord pays the taxes, but they are
assessed, as with US, on the real estate.
This building has a rental value OF E35O,
or 81 $50, and if IL could be bought at all
which it could not-he said he would be
willing to give $45 600 or $50, 900 for it.
The rentals, he said, were usually estima-
ted at from three to three and one-h half
per cent. of the freehold value of the prop
erty, the tenant, in addition, paying the
taxes. Were this property located in
Philadelphia, and valued, as most build
ings now are, at an approximation to their
value at public sale, the tax on it would
f be $500 to 5000 for municipal purposes.
This gentleman paid for his entire murici-
pal tax SI25, of which about 500 was the
poor rate, and the remainder, of about $50
supplied every municipal charge, including
about everything for which we pay taxes
in Philadelphia. This sum was the aggre-
, gate of all his real estate taxes for every
? purpose. He paid, in addition, the income
tax due the general government on the
profits of his business, bot that was the
only other tax he paid. Now, itimpressed
J me 80 strongly that this London merchant
got 80 much better return for 80 much less
money invested in municipal taxes that it
, would do good to tell the story. 1t Ger
tainly disabused my mind of the impress
> sion that Londoa was taxed more heavily
than Philadelphia He, paid his taxes at
Q different periods, and not all in one annual
q bill as is customary with ua. The poor
g rate, which was more than half the total
v tax, was collected quarterly; some of the
a | others half yearly. Tie valuation on
!, which the tax was based was not the val
9 uation of the property, but a valuation
d based upon the rental, from which various
8 deductions we're allowed. Thus he, being
$ the holder of long lease, had recently
put Up d Fl fiBe- new building on the land
and, instead of increasing the valuation
fer this reaeon, q deduction bad been
allowed cn account of the improvement
N in other words, the municipality oneFeo
this pre- MUM for public improvements.
1t would, of course, be impossible foI
London to support its costly city and
Q metropolitan government upon sueh taS
a as this if the real estate were solely taxed
d But it, on tho contrary, looks elsewhere
b for portion of the buIden, and the taxes
= on real estate are, therefore, hghtened
: 1t gets magnificent revenue, IN ADDITION
It to paying for the cleansing from the etree'
v dirt, from the cabs and omnibuseP, the
a railways and steamers. Every thing that
:, here enjoys q corporate privilege from
{ which money can be made in the city
? pays tribute proportioned to the income
4 derived. The markets yield handsome
q revenue. The franchises that with us are
It given away, in London pay large portion
q of the taxes and men of property impose
= the taxes, collect them and see that they
# are properly spent. They do not delegate
q these important functions to politicians
Il The mi!lionaires of London conduct the
. Boards O, Works and Municipal Govern
t meut, aud they do it on sound business
v | principles / asked how much of the pup
2 lie money was squandered here. The reply
was that some may be, but if they suspect
J, that as much as shilling in tho pound II
o wrongfully spent there is an outcry made
d about it. How happy Philadelphia Wonlc
l be were she sure that only five Per cent
O of her taxation is squaudered.
t Brother Jerome Bernard, an agent Of 1ht