Feliciana sentinel., 1891-02-28
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
sosToN.s MAYOR ON TAXATION.

The mayor of Boston, in his inaugural |
message, discusses the problems OF local
and taxation. He declares
that the present condition of affairs Is
due mot only to defective administers.
tive methods but to the loose, hap-haz-
ard and unsystematic way in which
public improvements have been under
taken, to q 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
ont compensation to the abuttors, either
rs individuals or as menbers OF the
municipal corporation. The result is'
he says, that the supposed business ne
ccssities Of one generation have become
= burden 10 another generation, and
that proper regard for public IN
forests 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 s., 600, 600
now collected from personal property
by q 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 a
public character now commonly in
trusted to private enterprise. He thinks
the city probably would not exercise
these powers, but its possession OF them
would enable it to make better terms
with 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 prl-
vate enterprises. We have not been in
the habit, in the past, of looking to the
the Mayors message for the elucidatlon
of politico-economic problems, but the
growing difficulties of municipal
management, and the increasing bur
aens Of taxation on urban populations
is forcing all intelligent men concerned
1nIO q SERIOUS COhSl0STdIioAl VI SaSA
problems.
There appears to be note of regret
in the anusion 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 oi
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 such lines? We doubt
If many instances of the kind could be
found. The real sufferers are the peo
pie of Boston, who rightfully own IT.
streets, and whose property has beer
taken from them by the State and givel
over to private individuals to be uset
for their personal profit. The result i
that the people thus robbed are nov
taxed on the products of their labor t
meet public expenses that ought to b
met out of public revenue Of whic
the city has been unjustl1 deprived