Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-01
o.DonnelI,s Memorx in San Francisco
4 Strong Protest.

Editor Morning NeCS. Thanks are due
to Merchant" who, in your issue of De
cember %, started the ball in motion,
which should be kept rolling until it as
sumes such proportions as to force Coun-
ell to give it the respectful consideration
which the Importance of the subject de-
mands. | believe that not a city in the
United States taxes its real estate, capital
and industries in such unfair and unjust
proportions as this city. We are certainly
burdened with a very heavy debt, tor
which we are perfectly willing to assume
the responsibility, but it should be borne
by all classes IN the same proportion. ac-
cOrding to their actual wealth. Do not
lay it on too heavy on one class,
to the relief of more IA
Yored class. Why should the poor man
or widow, who own small homestead,
pay far more in proportion to the man of
wealth, who receives the largest incomes
from his property?
Cannot Council ascertain the actual
cdIue of real estate by the amount of its
income? Take, for instance, as a basis 10
per cent. gross income; property, then,
bringing a rental of $4,000 would be val
ued at $4,000, and pay a tax on that
amount. On inquiry why the city does
not value real estate by its actual value,
l receive the reply that the county and
State officers take the city returns in
making up their tax digest, and therefore
we make the large discount on the State
and county. Ii this is the reason, is it
not deception, or even worse practice,
countenanced by the city? Does the city
expect us to be honest in making up our
returns, when it teaches us how to avoid
the proper payment of county and State
taxes? Why not abolish that obnoxious
tax on stock in trade which humiiates
and lowers the standard of its citizens by
compelling them to make oath to that
which few believe to be correct? / viii
here illustrate the beautiful working Of
vOur license law: Mrs. NJ. a poor widow.
supporting herself aud family by her
trade as milhner, carries a small stock
worth. perhaps, 5000; her annual sales
amount to $500; she comes under the
''retair' license ordinance, paying for the
year 1884, $50: an additional $40 is re
qulred of her for privilege to make
bonnets and hats. She pays in all sixty
dollars. or two per cent. on sales and
eighteen per cent. on her little stock.
Now look at this picture. Messrs. +. Il
Co. carry a stock in their retail depart
ment of about seyenty-ive thousand dol
+ lars, pay only fifty dollars license, they
sell annually about one hundred and
TWENTY-FIVE thousand dollars, or ---
per cent. on stock and -- per cent.
on sales.
MeSSrS. T.. X 20. also sell dJ WnOleSale-
which brings them under the ordinance of
wholesale and retail, which requires an
additional fifty dollars. or in all they pay
one hundred dollars. Now their wholesale
and retail business amount to perhaps
$3.50. zoo, on which they pay one hundred
dollars, while the small merchant, supply
inga small city trade on a stock of perhaps
So. 600, doing a yearly business of say at
most $50. 600, he is required to pay S2OO
because he sells at lCHOleSdIe only. These
are facts, and only an instance is here
given of unjust legislation. Let our citi-
zens protest, and again protest, until JUS
tice is done to poor and rich alike, that
the rich should not become richer at the
expense of the pOoE IA.