Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-04-14

natural when you come to think about
it. The small owner who has only =
small amount of property has not ths
| time to go to the board of equalization.
and have his assessment cut down. My
attack is on the fundamental principle
Of the scheme. Taxing improvements Is
in favor of the rich and against the
poor; it operates to prevent improve
ments, and puts premium on the
miserable shanty which stands next to
fine building. And it is the man who
will put up the fine buildings, and who
will make other improvements in the
city that we would like to have. We
would like to get rid of the shanties-
This plan makes it every mans incen-
tive to do the thing we want done. We
charge him no more tax whether he has
building on the land or whether it IS
vacant. Under the present system we
tax him in proportion as he improves"
Mr.. johnson then handed around
some cards containing the following
tabulations:
Present revenues from land ......s 1,l3i,dp sos
Present revenues from improve
mentS- ---..-.--...--.---.. l,VOoo-
Present revenues from person
aEty. iSlooo
Total. .. - 2,3la,943
Official assessment of % typical
blocks = 3,SJO.OUS
True value of % typical blocks. 15,a94,36
Assessed value is, therefore, % pen
cent. of true value.
Oeicial assessed value of all land
in the district. ..........-...s &c, 45l.G3
Estimated true value of all land in
the district. SOo,9Ol,ll2
Revenue from true value of land:
At on each 800 - 8, $40 94s
At LOO. on each 100...... 3,059,04l
At 1,Oo & s1.50.on each 100... 100000
Mr.. johnson then pointed out that if
true valuation of the land were made
by the assessor sum far in excess of
the present revenue would be raised
without increasing the rate of taxation.
The present revenue obtained from tax
ing both land and improvements
amounts to 81, 342, 943, and the present
tax is $3.50 in 800 on residential and
business land, and 81 on farming land
in the district. On true valuation of
the land, 81 SOC, 900 could be raised at
the present rate of $3.50 and 81 in the
800, So, O59, O41 could be raised by tax
of 81, and the present revenue of S2,34
943 by tax of rs cents. Mr.. johnson
said, in conclusion, that he had taken
great care in making his estimates, and
thought that if there was anything
wrong with them it was that they were
too conservative. He then announced
that if the commissioners had any ques-
tons to ask he would be glad to try and
answer. But the commissioners had
nothing whatever to say. They denied
nothing; they affirmed nothing. They
did not open their lips.
But a lady, the only lady present,
Mrs. E. E. Briggs, a large land
owner, wanted to say something. She
put in vehement protest against trans
ferring taxation from improvements
and concentrating it on land. II own
square" she said. st is open, save
for one house. which 1 occupy. 1t is
practically an open park and improves
the value of the houses facing it. don't
get penny for it. 1 have already to pay
| money out in the taxes"
Commissioner Douglass: "She Is one
| of the persons whom the bill would
hurt. She is one of the large owners OF
unimproved property
Mr.. Johnson: 1T is net possible to
devise scheme that does not hurt
somebody. 1t would not hurt her if she
| improved her land. 1t offers an induce
ment to improve land. The present
plan offers an inducement to keep land
| unimproved."
A man in the back got up at this
point. 1t was our good single tax
friend Monahan, who couldn't keep still
any longer. Addressing the lady he
said: Il would like to ask what would
be the condition of Washington if every
body used their land as this lady does
with only one house on a square?
Mr.. johnson answered that 1.-THE eff
feet would be that Washington would
soon be without population" and
there was loud laughter.
FRO RE CONTINJvED1