Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-08-30

CfFN TAAEs.
Tho question Of local taxes, general
and special, is becoming a serious one all
over the country. Most of the communi
ties as corporate bodies are living far be-
yond their means and are piling up debts
that must be met by coming generations.
10 an eXtont this practice of ~discounting
the future may be all right, but there is
Il point at which the line should be
drawn. We of today have no right to
mortgage our successors beyond their
reasonable capacity to pay, The Goa
slderation we insist on for ourselves we
should bequeatn to them. The bnne Of
municipal government is party politics.
The epoiIs system prevails all over the
land and the spokesman in the name Of
his party robs the taxpayer. In the ex.
element of a campaign the prop
oTfy owner, the business man and
the renter of houees and purchaser
Of goods all become enthused and
battle like Irojane for party success, IN
mindful OF the fact that in the end they
must all, in due proportion, foot the
bills, This rule of proportion is some
thing that has never yet been fully I'M
deretood by the average man when he
goes to the polls and votes the ticket
blind, He does not appreciate that the
t;ab a a hos on ,lrartar, >,on t;., =,
far as the assessor and collector are con
cernad; that the rich man can dodge,
while tie poor man muet stand and de-
liver. That this discrimination obtains
in all the large cities IS well known, but
the most glazing example Of it is TO be
found III tlT greatest OF all cities, New
York, From Il recent article in the
World il is learned that the tax levy in
that city viii be 5l92 on every
300 Of assessed valuation, and
that the assessment has been
reduced and the rents raised. This is
had enough, but there is still a worse
feature in the rolls. It is the statement
regarding the personal property of the
rich. % this subject the World says:
Tho assessment on personal estate was
decreased by the depression in trade.
For 1891 The total taxation valuation in
all kinds of personal estate was $390,274,.
3O2; this year it IL only S310,9l90O7, a
decrease Of 3l0,355,295 Some Of the
most notable among the decreases in the
personality assessments are as follows:
insurance companies, S1Jl.8 800, trust
companies, S1,9Sl, 500; shareholders OF
banks, $3.50, 800; railroad companies.
SILL A 1913; resident corporations Of every
kind, tl8,Gl0,G43. Richard Croker, in
spite OF his extensive holdings in real
estate, Was ready to ewear that bis debts
exceeded the amount Of his personal
property. The money which II mar may
owe IN the shape of mortgages in rea
estate offsets the valuation on his per
sonHl property. No ono would suppose
that either John D. Cfimming, Hugh j
Grant. Thomas e. GilFoy and other light.
Of Tammany are destitute Of persona
property. Yet, for the reason given il
ilr, Cr2hor's case. they Escape aeseRe
ment, and do not appear in the preeen'
tax roll" This statement carries III
own argument. Tho aifairs Of New
YORK city are supposed to be con
Quoted by an administration pledged t.
economy and raiorm. That such is no
the fact is apparent. The rich men an
the bosaes are still in power and laugh
al the law and the poor men who arr
fools enough to vote them into office. J.
is hard TO dethrone such an elemen
after it nee gets control, but growing
cities in the west can il they will prof
by the example Of New York and soloc
municipal officers for their honesty an
fitness rather than for their politics
complexion. Politics should have moth
ing to do with the administration {
local affairs. 4 city government is
business proposition in which every ma
, and woman has an interest, regardless {
, silver or tariff or any other coneideratiol