The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-26
Upon This Theory.

"Do not tax man in proportion to his
income but upon the ol portunitles he has
OF securing an income. We are all joint
owners In land owned by the state The
state leases land under The water Tor the
cultivation OF oysters, and when compe-
ttion in the raising OF oysters becomes
| sharp yon increase the rental
OF the oyster grounds. You
do not bass the rental upon the value oil
The opportunity for an income which the
state guarantees TO the oyster Iaisers.
Why not apply this principle to every
thin2? Why not Apply it to land covered
by trees. roe ks, ETC., AS well as to laud
covered by waterf
II pay tax on personal property in
this city-pay to the full value OF my
personal property. Can everybody say
that? The man who owns valuable pic
lures is not taxed t, the full value OF
said pictures. Your present system o,
taxing personal property gives the rich,
: he KIN We and the shyster an advantage
over the honest man.
"You want houses; don't tax them.
len cease to producs thinss upon which
they are taxed. Because 4 the tax upon
houses many men stop building houses;
thev live in poorer hous or In tenements.
Take II he tax on hou e.; put 1t on
land. That Is he way to encourage land
using instead OF land holdilg."
Tax on n Bay window.
Ex-Alderman McO,ker said:
'fhe tax on my property was increase l
this year, aud intended To call upon tie
assessors and ask for an explanation. /
put bay window on my house. That
81
ments cost me $3.50. That made
a big change in the appearance of the
b use, and when the assessors came
around they probably did not recogniz
the place, so they increased its valua.
ton s7ee. Now, if tho nssrssurs' vafua-
tion was right last year it surely must be
wrong this year.
rs the present system rig ti To illus
trate: Here are two men; each buys a
81, 900 LOT; one is poor. the other has money
enough TO build a house on his lot. Tne
man who builds the house needs fire and
police protection, etc. Is il favoring the
poor man il both los are taxed alikes
Taxes must come from some source; why
not from the man who is able to build the
hUuse4
The Tax on Mortgages.
Mr.. III. +. Horton-I consider the
present system of taxation detriment to
the city. There Is a double tax upon n
large portion OF the real estate in Provi-
de ce, and this makes 1t difficult to get
money on real estate. Here is n place
worth $1,000, and il is NOR gagged for
$1,000 The city not only taxes the place
for is full value. but 1t taxes
that 8, 900 mortgage. Even IL the place
is NOR, gagged for its full value,
the place and the mortgage are both
taxed just the same; that is, the city as.
srsses on $4,000 basis a place worth
only 5000. Do make my point clearf
A @ per cent mortgage only nets A. per
cent. Is II any wonder taat
meu who have money to loan send IL
Sour or West. where they can realize six
per .ceut. nett Is 1t any wonder that
they put their money In stocks or bonds
or try TO hide 1t, instead of investing it in
real estate mnrga res? People who build
stores aud h uses ought TO be protected.
Let us have single tax.
His Taxes Too High.
Mr. Doyle Of Langdon street said his
property was taxed too high, aud Chair
man Parkhurst said the committee would
look into the matter and endeavor TO lind
out the facts.
Mr.. Hawkins wanted TO know IL land
on an unimprovei street was taxed as
high "a land on an improved street,
DIR. Parker wanted the assessors to in
form him whether two n jacent lots. one
vacant and the other with q house on il.
were OF the same value.
Assessor Rhodes replied that the Gus
tom has always been not to increase the