New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-28

,h,-e has been an enormous outlay n the large
.ov-ns Cor street improvements. without any ap-
,,,ration 81 the principles OF bettermeuts and
,,eoisl assessments Tie taxation OF unoccu-
,.s lands and site values IS now favored ay a
majority o. the mUniclal councils as a necessary
resource for local government. ard there is an
.-,-easing agitation on the subject ~ the un-
.~--ed increment from vacant urban and sub
,-ban land which derives substantial c5van-
,sre from local improvements and municipal
r-ov-th last year there was an academic debate
,,,er q proposal that the owners OF such land
ssould Ne forced 20 contribute 70 The burdens
., local taxation. Instead % holding thcir prop
o-+v without expense when there was Ger
.sirtv thai they would ultimately be enriched
- rs rise IN value. Tr.s year thc-e has been
, second reading or land Values bin providing
hat the real selling value shan be the basis o:
-axatioa for local purposes. Alr. Trevelyan, who
!, making rapid progress on the liberal side,
.-a- not succeed Ga carrying the measure
.A-ourh the Commons. ard she Lords i1 any
event VII throw Il out. on tle ground that the
dominating influence o. privileged land owners
must never he challenged. bat the support which
10 measure received from -seTrbe- on both
,5ss o. the House o. an indication that the
municipalities VIII ultimately gain their point
end obtain an equitable constitution o. al kinds
~ property toward the rates.
The municipalities are he!3 responsible by
0-snolers fo- the high rates % interest. which
are now affecting not only .corsols and railway
ss-u-faes. but ali classes of Industrial and rner-
camille business For "a lonr period there was
osssp money market, with % per cent as the
-slnc rate. but now there is practically
rsr cent rate OF interest. and there Is no proba-
hfitv o. change Tor the better business and
speculative Interests arc suffering from the
high rate which Is n heavy charge upon capital
invested On Industries. and tho London County
council ard the municipal bodies throughout
England and Scotland are also embarrassed. be-
cause they have much borrowing n hand and
cannot finance their undertakings for local I'm
provements and electric. +ramway and gas
work as economically as formerly On this
account there e g persistent and systematic e.
fort 20 secure an enlargement Of resources Tor
taxation The argument FOR a revision OF the
system OF local taxation IS certainly So strong
as 10 be irresistible. While The method Of rating
md assessing land values has not been changed
since the reign OF Queen Elizabeth. the burdens
q local taxation have increased 135 Per cent
curing the last twenty years and the trend IS
stu upward. The rates are raid not on land.
hut exclusively on buildings. now IS IN the
olden time, and :he cost OF administrative out
lay Is steadily levied upon occupiers. in pro
portion 20 the rental value % their premises.
The occupiers pay for the permanent improve
nents. the cost OF local government and the
municipal investments in tramways and other
public works; and the Unbuilt areas held by
large landowners are not taxed Tor any purpose.
enriched as they must ultimately be by the un-
earned Increment So conservative country IS
old England INF.