Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-03-17
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT
Practical Application of Single Tax.

Practical Application of Single Tax.
| The following extract from an edi-
torial of the Detroit News, one of the
leading papers of the West, shows at
once the forward drift of single tax
sentiment in Detroit, and the effect of
practically applying single tax meth
DDS as far as existing laws permit:
ITO watch the gradual shifting of
taxes on land values in Detroit in
spite of the law demanding the equal
taxation of all kinds of property
though property in land is very diff
ferent from property in what results
in human exertion--is an interesting
study. Not long ago the assessors here
held to the notion that 'unproductive
property" which was generally land
held out of use, should be more nomi-
nally assessed, from the mistaken idea
that the owner would be imposed upon
if made to pay on its true value. But
to-day the assessors hold the con-
trary view. Now if improved and un-
improved land in the same vicinity are
assessed the same amount per foot and
though the city's burden are yet far
from being equalized, still there is
seen in the assessors's books many an
attempt in this direction"
| Take the assessment rolls in this city
! for the past four years. The tax on
| land values independent of all improve
ments have been:
| ASSESSED LAND VALUES.
1883, SGS, 1873, $50; 1889. SO, orr, O60; 1890,
| S75 154, $50; 1891, $50, O74, $50.
| From 1855 to 1891 the increase is ST.
| 800, $50. From 1883 to 1889 the increase
was So 493 $50; from 1889 to 1890 it was
81, 4s7, $50: and from 1890 to 1891 it was
| 1O,9O9 400 And all this is land value
| alone. No labor Of any kind enters
into it. 1t arises from increase in popu-
| lation, from increase in business
through increased ease in finding a
| market
Now take look at the building valu-
ations for the same years, keeping in
mind that during that period there has
| been not less than $50, 900, 900 expended
| on new ediices and the repairing of
others sufficiently, probably, to replace
| the natural decay that comes to all the
| products of man, and that commences
! from the moment they are completed.
! That is the law of nature from which
| there is no escape The building valua-
| tons for 1883, 1889, 1890 and 1891 are as
! follows:
ASSESSED BUILDING VALUATION.
! 1883, S44, $50. $50: 1889, SAG, 675, $40; 1890,
, S4S. 2O6. $50; 1891, $40, 952. $50.
While land values were advancing ST.
! 800. 430, building valuations advanced
| from 1855 to 1891 S., 395, 91O-less than
+; 81 - %1,.% io1, ,{&,
| to land because of location. 1t paid bet
ter to buy a piece of land and hold it
out OF USE than to take the same
| amount of money and put it into bust
ness that would give employment to la
Dor.
OF course it is understood that this
increased assessment of buildings is not
the full value of this kind of property
erected. The assessors know, now, if
they never knew it before, that they can
lie deceived as to the value of buildings
A gaudy one may be assessed too high, a
more modest looking one may be as
sessed too low, or vice versa. So they
have taken to low assessments for
buildings, and to knocking off figures
where heretofore the custom was to
treat the building as approaching in
value as well as the land-a manifestly
absurd practice An alderman in the
Sixth ward complained. a few years
ago, of the increased assessment on his
house. The assessors excused them
selves on the plea that he had removed
the fence in front and that made the
house look better!
In a growing community personal prop
erty keeps pace with the increase of
land values. Thos. g. Shearman puts
it down as an axiom. almost, that the
value of the land reflects the value of
what is on the land. That is, on valu-
able land will be found equally valu-
able things. the product of human Ia
Dor. For example, on Woodward aven-
ue, where the frontage is worth $4,000
a foot, will he seen stately buildings
and in these buildings will be found the
most costly products In the first and
second wards the assessed value of
merchandise is 50. 341, OSO, and of ma
chinery, stocks, money and other per-
sonal property S12, 467, 1877 The assess
ed building values in those wards are
SIS, $50, $50. This makes a total of $780,.
SAT, $50, which is little more than the
assessed land value. Taking the value
of Detroit. the assessed values of per-
sonal property is less this year than in
1883. The figures are:
ASSESSED PERSONAL PROPERTY VALUES.
1888 1885, 1890 1891
s3s, SIS $40 $685., $50 ss7 800 s3s,sOs,6 $40
The loss on personal property in four
years is $3.50, 10. How this personal
property is represented on the assess
ors' books is interesting. Were the &C
counts differentiated more if they told
just how much diamonds were as
sessed, how much household furniture
was figured at, how much pictures
were valued at, how much jewelry was
guessed on, they would be still more
interesting. Here are all the accounts
as shown in the official assessment
rolls:
ITEMS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY.
Sattle-- --.---S o"fo
Horses 464 40
Carriages 426 100
Household furniture, watches. dia-
monds and jewelry ................-. 1,5lo520
Merchandise 1900 100
Machinery, stocks money and other
property ........ 21,311, 010
s1ss, 424, 100