National Republican., 1883-08-07
gregate assessment made and returned by the
assessor has been increased by about half
million dollars

gregate assessment made and returned by the
assessor has been increased by about half
million dollars
UNEQUAL TAXATION.
To the Editor.
see so much said about the injustice and
unfai rness of the personal property tax that
i cannot forbcar saying little on that sub
jeN.
In the first place, never could see the
fairness Of compelling real estate to bear all
the burdens Of local governments, rs IL prac-
tiCally does. For instance, | am n lnboring
man, and manage by industry and economy
TO save up enough to buy or build home for
my family. My home is taxed for every
thing-the general fund that supports the
entire local government, salaries of officials
fire, police, schools, street improvements, of
which get none wator mains and sewers, If
any are laid, but which under our beautiful
system / can get only by laying them ut my
own expense. Right along side of me lives
man of means, worth 100000. Instead of
investing his money in buildings, and thereby
building up and improving the CITY, hc in
vests it in street railway or gas stocks, or very
likely in mining or other speculative stocks
elsewhere, and he objects to paying any tax
on his investment. Where Is the justice in
that? notice that in the star director of
one of our street railways says he don't think
a personal tax ought to be imposed upon u
community like this" Again, the stock COM
panies, insurance, gas, and others object to
having their stocks assessed at their market
value. Why2 The law requires all property
to he assessed at its full cash value, and we
know that much of the real estate has been
assessed and made to pay tax on much moro
than il would sell for, while there are hun
drCds of homes which have been virtually
conflscated by the special improvement tax
standing against them, to say nothing of va
a. lnta In which n
day sell for the amount of the taxes on thcm.
In the last official report the commissioners
state the arrears of general taxes Nov. 2,
1882, at 1866, 5,65il9," and this is exclusive of
the uncollected special Improvement tax,
which amounts to S672,0Si95 or total of
Sl,537, ,7G9.1i. "And," tho commissioners add,
." it is believed that the above large amount
of arrears will not be paid unless under
transfers neccssitating clearances Of titles
from tax bills or through the passage of
proper legislation giving an indctonsible title
to the purchaser at tax sales Tho attention
of congress is earnestly invited to this mat
ter"
In other words, the homes of poor people,
laborers. mechanics, and persons of small
means have been so loaded down with special
and general taxes, under the system
of imposing all the burdens on real
estate that it is impossible for these
people to redeem their homes; and
therefore the commissioners ask congress TO
pass law by which the men OF means, these
owners of stocks, bonds, &c, who object to
being taxed, may pay the tax on these peo.
pies homes and turn them out into the
street! That's what it is in plain English.
And while this is being done, the owners OF
gas stock, which sells at auction ut from 90 to
so per cent premium, object to the stock
being taxed at its market value-and so OF
the street railways, banks, insurance CON-
panic1, and all SIMILAR concerns. | must con-
icss do not sec the justice or reason of their
plea.
Who is it that builds up and improves the
city, the men who erect buildings or the
owners and dealers in stocks? If there is 10
bo any favOrltlsm III the matter of taxes, 1t
ought in justice to be in favor of the former.
Indeed, there ought to be a distinction even
in real estate, for the man who builds and i'm
proves ought not to be taxed as much AS those
who invest in lots merely for speculation.
1t is the investment of the former that not
only builds up the city, but also gives in
creased value to the vacant lots. Every time
u spucuator buys o lot and adds to the price
he tends to prevent improvements. One has
only to imagine the whole or even the ouiE
of the real estate to be held by spectators TO
fully realize the effect, for in that case there
would be no city, nothing but vacant lots tc
| pay taxes and rs nobody would want them
of course they would soon be sold for taxes
| and never redeemed.
The only reason ever alleged for making
real estate pay all or nearly all the taxes is
| that il is tangible property, cannot be hid
and can be laid hold of, And one of the prin
cipal arguments urged by those who oppose
tho personal property tax is that it is intangi
| bic, can be secrcte |, and that tho owners of il
will commit perjury rather than comply with
the law, which is simply a confession that
they are Intentionally dishonest. cannot
| SEQ why my ncighbor should not pay the SAINT
| tax on what he owns, no matter what il is in
vested in as | do on my home. Why not
Can any one tell? If men are dishonest ant
won't comply with the law, then punish them
as the law provides, If those whose duty II
to enforce the law performed their dutio
faithfully and earnestly there would be far
| less attempt at evasion But no, only last
season we saw the commissioners publicly
| compromising with these rich mon, who, fol
several years, paid no attention to the law
did not even make any kind of return. How
different from their recommendation will
reference to the owners of real estate above
quoted! Why make flc III of one and fowl o
another? Why not treat all alike?
II the law in its present form bears un
equally, that is good reason why it should b.
amended but it is not reason for lottin
personal property go scott free and piling al
the burdens on real estate. If, ns the insurance
companies allege, the law as it is bears un
Justly on our home companies as compared
with the foreign companies then have it S
amended as to put all on the same footing
not by taking the tax Off of them, but b,
putting it on the others. If there is an
business in the district that has little risl
and pays well on the capital invested it
gas and insurance. There is not another cit
in America, if in the world, where the risk q
loss from fire is SO small as hcre and We
until recently land then only because of
temporary rivalry we have been made to pa
the same rate of insurance here rs in cite
where the risk is far greater. Says one o
them 1T was never the intention of congress
to tax cur surplus" Why not? Their surplu
funds are invested and draw interest; VIII
then shouldn't they be taxed the same as an
other investment or property? l can't Sc
any injustice in it. Their threat to leave tn
city will scare nobody. | think congress Cal
devise law that will make them pay, eve
if thoy do nominally locate in West Virgins
Just as they ought to ask it to do with thos
other outside companies which have agencie
} here.
} Tho very fact, as stated by one of thes
} parties in the Sunday Herald, that their stocl
on which only S5 per share has been paid in
commands S20in the market is reason enoug
why it should be taxed at its market value
! In this matter | think Commissioner West.
r right. Let all pay according to the yaluert
what they own; that is simply justice, an
nothing else is. There is no sense or reaso
in making real estate pay all the taxes an
;; bear all the burdens.
All agree that the double taxation of RET
estate and of the incumbrance on it ought I
be abolished. 1t is simply double tax o