Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-14
TmE TAXATION QUESTION.
HeRsOns Pro aud Con for she suC-
Ecsfer IneraRsa


The Finance Commitfee oi The City Coun.
ci a-e not "blufllng" when they suggest
That taxes nav have 10 be incressed from
| $40 20 sl.75 on the one hundred dollars.
Richmond "a growing 50 rapidly thst a
multitude ~ improvements are needed oil at
once 10 furo'-h iaem much money will he
required; no, - fUrnib them will be 70 dis
appoint putlc expectation.
For year, pq.t very parsm0nious pelicy
hls been q splaved in tbe matter OF street im-
prOvcmoris. au0 the consequence IA many OF
tho ola streets have 0ot been properly main
tslned md new onc4 have not been extended
/ 10 Keep pace with building oncrafloDs.
We seem tn be- on thc tbTe.ho'd ~ an m
cxqmuled development. aud tie city C0un-
/ ci. Will be- forced 10 decide whether they
will jog sl0ns ~ the Old rate or by voting
nm Increase Of taxation raise enough funds
10 allow " the Improvement, 20 streets and
plrts'i1 the linz. II not ~ thc tXteni, recon-
meudcl by he Street Committee.
The street Committee want 300 900 for
their department. and Cor public parks and
bul din.s goo. 900 more is needed; but even
II the rate sboud q he advanced from - 40 10
Gt.7J they wIl be able 70 get very little more
insn hslf they ak for, while II IT stay al ils
present figures they will not get as much as
they got l1st wear.
Now, what - TO be donei
Issue bon IS.
Raise taXesf
One or the other course viii have 10 he taken
or public enterprise viii fail very far short
of what IS by trusted officials pronounced lu-
dIspensablc. and 10 NAV be doubted II those
who have bought property In the extreme
/ eastern and westcf n sections viii consent 70
/ go ahead and build dwellings and wait an
/ indefinite time for The streets tO be opened
/ mp 20 them.
/ on the other hand. an increase ~ taxation
/ is siwavs thing 10 hc seriously pOndered
| ana ~ is very rarely popular.
/ The peOpic who live on Improved streets
/ o. q general thing Will not be- Cnihu,iashc
about incre isin9 taxation for the benefit OF
I other. less favored but Just here j. fact
| not known 10 eyervhodF dF--ihat tEe demand
for street Improvements does no' come alto
gefhcr from new scciiOus; on the contrary,
/ the " Gni.hed wards" are %, clamorous for
sppropriations as are the Oullying wards. II
the $500. .OO1 asked for Nv the street Commit.
tee were di.tribuicd according TO The ptti-
uons and resolutions OH tiie iu the city Engi-
ne,r's office the wards Of the city would
about share equally.
As % is>ulng bonds for the improvement
of streets and pars., tle ga.-works, &c., u
could hardly be dour Without imparng the
email margin now lct under the charter,
% o.i ~ which, m ali probability, Nill be
required for a continuance Of the City-ilali
WOiN.
How does taxation hore compare with 1t
in other cities ~ our p0pulInony
1hi, is question not easily answered.
A very prominent huaucier SAID Yesterday
that hc found it almost Impossible TO get
facts on this point Ii seems that tax tion
ta1lrs, Ike mOrtutrY tahles. require great
deal Of explanation. You have 10 know The
facts IN cseh parllcular igstsnce before you
can figure on it Here all depends upon the
Wav the apprascmout is made. lu Rich
nond i'm 1850 70 was very near the selling
p1cc. Since then most tots have vastly in-
creased in value, while ihe assessment on them
l. unchanged ana under the lnw VIII 80 re-
main uutii 1890. when there viii Pc gene
raj rtA.,essmcnt. In some localities here
perhaps property has not increased In value.
IN many cities 81 this country property l'
never asscsscd at its fuil value; an seme
others IL may be assessed at more. So It goes,
and 10 maze comparisous one must undet-
stand each particular case.