Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-03-31
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
The Single Tax In Detroit

lions OF the famous ScrlppS league OF
daily papers, the most influential news.
paper enterprise in the United States,
has made a careful examination into
the probable effect in Detroit of the
single tax on land values. It was for
merely the custom in that city, and it
is still in most communities, to dis
criminate for taxing purposes in favor
of the owners of vacant land, upon the
theory that as they received no income
from their property they ought to pay
less taxes than the owners of property
yielding incomes But recently new
custom has been esta blished in Detroit,
under which land values are fully APP
praised for taxation regardless of inn
provements This is in the direction of
single tax, though it falls very far short
of it, since improvements and personal
property are still subject to taxation.
1t was to ascertain the effect on in
dividuals and classes, by a consideration
of actual instead of suggestions cases,
that the Detroit News made the exami-
nation referred to above. Its plan, as
stated editorially, was to take average
examples from the assessors books in
sufficient number to enable almost any
taxpayer to exhume his tax receipts and
figure out for himself the effect of the
single tax upon his own interests. Fol-
lowing is an account of the result:
The manner of estimating the rate of
taxation on land values, if buildings
and other improvements were exempt,
is very simple. The present valuation
of the city of Detroit is:
Land. ......................s S6,074, $50
Buildings. 4sSo2,2oO
personality. .........-...... 3SSOS,b9O
Total. Sf74, S35, 80
The city taxes in 1891, assessed on the
above property, were 81, 934. 500, which
is at the rate of SIG rs per $1,000. Now,
to get rate on land values alone suffi-
cient to raise the above amount, it is
necessary to raise the rate to $34 on each
$1,000 of valuation. In other words, it
increases the rate on land values suffi-
Gent to compensate for the loss on
buildings and personally.
How would the present taxpayers
fare under the single tax system?
Let the reader examine these illus
trations and consider the one that fits
his own case.
COTTAGE PROPERTY. Thomas S. Jor-
dan, of Beaufait avenue, is assessed
S700 on his lot aud $3.50 on his build.
ings. total, ST, $50: present tax, S24 81.
Under the single tax he would pay
$3.50, a decrease of fifty-four cents
David B. Cadotte, who lives two.
doors away. has a $3.50 lot and $3.50
house, total, 5000; taxes, SIS. sim
gle tax, $l5. 80; an increase of twenty
cents.
Albert McColgan owns house and
lot on National avenue, near Kirby
avenue. The lot is assessed at $42O, the
house at $1,000; total, 81 400. He pays
S23. SO in taxes. Single tax S14.2S.
d. c. Spaulding, on National avenue.
near Kirby avenue, is assessed $3.50 on
his lot and $500 on his house, total,
1,16o. He has to pay Sl9.4z at present.
Under the single tax he would pay
S1I.24
VACANT LAND.-Walter Crane owns
part of private claim 80, between the
River road and the Detroit river and
which is assessed at $50, $50. There are
no buildings or improvements on it. At
present he pays SS45 IL Under the
single tax law he would have to pay
$1,71119
The Moses w. Field state, owns
among other vacant lands, 1,172 feet
frontage on Mack avenue, which is as
sessed at $3.50, 900. The tax paid on this
is So, 47O. 4s. Under the single tax it
would be S13, O52. CO.
Walter Crane owns all that tract of
land lying north of Fort street west be-
tween Cavalry and Campbell avenues,
land is assessed at $780, 600, and the
buildings at $3.50. At present he pays
81. 711.2l. Under the single tax he
would pay So, 400.
BUSINESS BLoCKs.-The Hammond
estate owns among other parcels of
taxable property, the tall 1O-story block
on the southeast corner of Griswold
and Fort streets, known as the Ham,
mond block. The land is assessed at
Sl53,6O the building at $500, ZOO. and
the personality. which consists of the
furniture of one Office, at S3O0-total.
500, 900. The present taxation, $685.
50; the single tax would be S. 222 40, a
decrease of So, 396.19.
The New berry and Mcmillan build
ing on Griswold street is assessed at
S146, 600, of which SIC. 900 is for the land
and $40. 900 is for the building. The
taxes are S2,45057. The single tax
would be 50, 5S4, an increase Of $l34.
The Campau building on Griswold
street is assessed, on the land. $50, 900;
building, Ss5, 900; personal. $500; total,
S165 300 Present taxation, So, 772. So;
single tax. 50, 72O. decrease of $50.
The McGraw block on Griswold street
is assessed for $155, 900, of which $780,
900 is on the land and S55, 900 on the
building. The present tax is s., sol g.
Under the single tax it would be So, 400,
an increase of S79S.37.
MANUFACTURING PLANTS The Mich
igan Car Co., the Detroit Car Wheel
Co., and the Detroit Pipe and Foundry
Co. are located on the same property on
Clark avenue. The three companies
are practically owned by the same per-
sons, James Mcmillan and his associ-
ates. The lands of the companies are |
assessed at sos, 400, and the buildings |
and personal property at st,2, $50; total |
assessed valuation, S4SS, 15o. on which |
the city tax is S., 2O1. 95. Under the sim |
gle tax the three companies would pay
only So. 223. 60, decrease of So 97S.3 5.
Pingree & Smith, shoe manufacture
ers, are assessed $780, 300 on land; S45.
$50 on buildings; S145, 900 on personal |
property; total 1921. $50. On this the
firm now pays 81. $3.50. Under the
sngle tax it would pay 81, 664 80. de-
crease of s., $50 81.
Hammond. Standish g. Co., the big
neat packers and dealers, are assessed
s55. 600 on land. S6S. 500 on.buildinps and