The Colfax chronicle., 1891-04-25
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
eosToN.s MAYOR ON TAXATION.

The mayor of Boston, in his inaugural
message. discusses the problems of local
government and taxation. He declares
that tbs present condition of affairs is
due mot only to defective administra-
tive methods but to the loose, hap-haz-
ard and unsystematic way in which
public improvements have been under
taken, to radically bad system of tax
alton, and to the dependence of the city
government on the State Legislature.
He complains that since the common
law rights of abuttors in the soil of the
highways has been taken away, and
vested in the State, that successive leg
islatures have granted the use of these
highways to private corporations with
out compensation to the abuttors, either
as individuals or as members OF the
municipal corporation. The result is,
he says, that the supposed business ne
cessities of one generation have become
burden to another generation, and
that a proper regard for public in
terests demands that the abuse shall
cease.
He further says that if the city has the
power to raise its taxes in such manner
as it sees fit, it would certainly be
profitable for Boston to levy its taxes
less on credits and other forms of per-
sonal property than is done at pres
ent. The city might prefer, he thinks,
to raise some portion of the $1,000, 900
now collected from personal property
by tax on legacies and successions,
but it would unquestionably decrease
taxation on other forms of personal
property. The Mayor further suggests
that the city should have the right to
undertake for itself all functions of q
public character now commonly in
trusted to private enterprise. He thinks
the city probably would not exercise
these powers, but it's possession of them
would enable it to make better terms
will, individuals and corporations seek
ing municipal privileges. Here again,
we have the clear discrimination made
by Mayor Sargent, of New Haven,
between the resumption by government
of public functions and duties and the
assumption of the management of pri-
Edtt tntcIpTlSeS. we nave uOt DCCn Ia
the habit, in the past, of looking to the
the Mayors message for the elucidation
of politico-economic problems, but the
growing difficulties of municipal
management, and the increasing bur-
dens of taxation on urban populations
is forcing all intelligent men concerned
into serious consideration of such
problems.
There appears to be note of regret
in the allusion in the message to the
taking away by the State of the COM
mon law rights, once possessed by
abuttors, in the soil of the highways of
the city. Does the mayor imagine that
there are many owners of land lying
along the street railways of Boston
who have suffered pecuniarily by the
construction of snch lines? We doubt
if many instances of the kind could be
found. The real sufferers are the peo-
pie of Boston, who rightfully own its
streets, and whose property has been
taken from them by the State and given
over to private individuals to be used
for their personal profit. The result is
that the people thus robbed are now
taxed on the products of their labor to
meet public expenses that ought to be
met out of public revenue of which
the city has been unjustly deprived.