Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-09
THE TAX PROBLEM.
Plan - Why Non-Property Owners
Should Take an Interest in Municipal

A Rental Value Basis Endorsed-The Paris
Plan - Why Non-Property Owners
Should Take an Interest in Municipal
Elections.
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
With its usual quick-sightedness when the
public veal is concerned, The DISPATCH mas
discerned the only remedy for the present
unjust,methods of assessment, namely: A
system of taxation based upon rental
values.
The prosperity of Paris is founded upon
just such system. If we are to bef1eve
close observer, who has recently given to the
public the result of his studies of the Parls
municipality, the tax per individual in that
city is 10 per cent of the rental value or the
property he owns or occupies. That includes
everything.
Our city government would deem itself al
most paraly zed if it were allowed TO spend
annually but 10 per cent of the rental value
OF the property of the city, and yet the
municipality of Paris is maintained upon
that rate, its various officials paid, its boule-
wards kept in repair, its every street and
alley kept immediately clean, it's magnifi-
cent parks constantly beautified and
adorned.
Revenue Thrown Away.
To be sure Paris exacts a tax from corpor-
ations. The tax from the street car and
omnibus lines is more than sufficient to keep
the streets clean and in good condition, and
the revenue derived from the gas and cleo
trio light companies reaches such goodly
total that there is no fear that the individual
tax need ever climb above the 10 per cent
rate.
How much did the city of Pittsburg re-
ceive for the privilege of laying the miles
beneath
streets? How much for the artificial gas
pipes? How much for the privilege of dis
figuring her highways with telegraph and
electric light poles and wires? Nothing!
How much is paid by the traction companies
tor their priceless franchises? So little that
it is laughahle, while in Paris 10 per cent
OF their gross receipts go to lessen
the tax on real estate. We can look
for no improvement until we have
thoroughly reformed civil service.
Under our present methods the temptations
are not to efficient service but the opposite.
as Office holders know that no amount of
faithfulness and zeal will allow them to retain
their pla lace~when political power changes.
Neither can we have any radical municipal
reform so long as our Councils are composed
largely of non-property holders. 1t is all
very well and democratic to say that one
man is as good as another, and so he is, yet
we can plant ourselves firmly upon the
Declaration of Independence while we de-
has right to legislate on property matters
for property owners.
What Property Owners Would Do.
If even one branch of Councils could be
composed of real estate owners there would
be speedy end to the wasterul dealing with
the public money. A Council composed of
real estate owners would see that corpora
tions as well as real estate bear fair share
of the burden of taxation; that street i'm
11rII
costs three times as much as good. They
would see that when sanitary science points
to the prevention of smoke and the crema-
ton OF garbage as means to promote the
public health, sanitary laws in accord
ance be enacted and rigidly enforced, for all
that affects the public health affects
property.
There are three stepping stones to muni-
cipal prosperity: reformed civil service,
ia axation based upon rental values, and a
Council of real estate owners. THE DISPATCH
is sound upon the first two how about the
third? MRS. JOHN NJ OAKLEY.
PITTsBURG, February s, 1892.
In respect to the suggestion of Councils
to be composed exclusively of property
owners, THE DISPATCH does not agree with
its valued correspondent. All classes are
interested alike in police and fire pro-
lection, in proper water supply, in good
streets, and in the other incidentals of city
service. All should have a chance to help
In legislation. The more important thing to
do as to the class of voters who do not own
property is to have them fully understand
that the taxes eventually fall in largest
measure upon them. While collected from
property-owners in the first instance they
are soon added to rents and to the cost of
living in its various forms, and must be
borne in the end chiefly by non-property-
owners. When non-property-owners un-
derstand this fully, they will be as care
full as real estate owners about their votes.
Ed DISPATCH