Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-29
The Right Chord struck.

Editor Morning NelCs: You have struck
the right chord in your editorial headed
reform Needed in the Tax Assessment
System" Our City Council is composed
no doubt Of good and honorable men, yet
they do not appear to have used their best
discretion in the adoption Of the tax Ordi-
nance.
l do not claim to possess any knowledge
in the matter of taxation, yet as good
citizen 1 feel it to be duty to give ex-
preston to my views, and should but
grain Of wisdom be found in it, which
could aid ADLER men to work it up to adj
vantage, ! would feel that my labor was
not lost. ! have neither the time nor the
inclination to examine records, and what
| snail here state is merely 'sOffice or
street gossip" and therefore do not VOuch
for its accuracy. | refer to the inequality
Of taxation on real estate. 1t was in
stanced that the store property on the
northwest corner of Bull and BrOugh-
ton streets paid a yearly rental
Of $4,000, vet the property
is valued at $4,000. A certain lot
on Bull and Jones streets is valued at
about 81 600. vet the owner has refused to
sell it for $1,000, and ] wager that the ma
jOrity OF our COuncilmen are aware of this
fact. Again, there are cases where the
assessment is entirely too high. 1t is a
fact that real estate, especially lots, have
increased in value in certain localities to
four and five hundred per cent. yet in
some portions Of the city there has not
been any marked improvements, owing to
the undesirability of the location. To
illustrate this more fOrcibly will mention
two cases: 4 party who owns four dwell
ing houses paid fifteen per cent. city taxes
on the gross receipts OF rental, whilst an
other party who owns store property has
only paid five per cent. Does the increase
Of twenty per cent. on the valuation i'm
prove matters: Why will not our city
fathers try to learn from other prosperous
cities how to tax? The most prosperous
CITY in America is unquestiOnably New
York. Examine into the uniettered condl-
ton of commerce there. Follow their eX-
ample, levy taxes on real and personal
estate. either tax real estate upon its true
value. taking as basis its gross
income. or tax the gross income,
to which no one could reasonably
object. Landlords will take good care
that they should not be the losers, for the
tenants will have to pay indirectly this
tax. without it being so obnoxious. In
fact everybody viii pay thus his pro rata
share honestly. AS it now is, taxation
falls only upon the smallest class. All
classes are benefited by our police force,
fire department. etc, therefore all classes
should IN the city government; but in
stead of irving TO do this commerce is
driven out of Savannah, and the goose
that lays the golden egg Is killed. Enter
prise is taxed. not alone capital. That's
right, Just kill the business of Savannah,
Favor your rich and influential men at
the EXPENSE of Savannah's commerce.
Another most abOminable tax is that on
Northern drummers who sell to the legiti-
mate trade Council employs a special
detective force for the purpose only of
bounding them. What is the resulti
Very little money comes into the city
treasury from that source, as they
are too smart to be caught, and mer-
chants do all they can to assist them.
in avoiding the detective. Itkeeps great
many Of these drummers away from here
men who spend their money literally
among hotel keepers and others, and it in
cOnveniences the merchants, who are I'M
able to 20 North as often as their business
interests require. These drummers are
in most cases a blessing to the commerce
Of Savannah. But what do our city fathers
care for the commerce of Savannah or the
convenience of the merchants? Their
motto seems to be TO hound the drummer
and TO put detective on his heels.
How long, oh, how long will it be before
our city fathers and their auXiliaries Will
give an eve to the true interest OF the city,
whose main interest lies in equal and true
taxatiOns A MERCHANT.