Year: 1879

The Hon. George II. Andrews. in his address
10 the West Side Association on the subject oi
Taxation, which we published yesterday, used
the following emphatic language;


But while you are discussing the problem of how
10 relieve Your property from taxation. the true So
luton of the question stares you IN the face. The
true plan is 10 manifest such "a spirit of enterprise
and wise Judgment that the tax will cease 10 he a
consideration. owing to the improvements made on
your property"


This is view of the subject which, tor the
present, owners of downtown property will
chiefly indorse. Bnt in the upper part of the
city there are many individual real estate
owners of enterprise and vig0r, who will cry
" How true" Ia fact, every individual owner
of realty who is receiving good income from
his improved property is generally a satisfied
# not willing taxpayer. To make our taxes
lighter it is necessary to enhance the value of
real estate. No proposition is plainer than that.
And how to enhance it is the problem.


We were alluding only yesterday to the city
property in markets and the same may be
made an illustration of the principle. particu-
arly applicable in this city, that the solution
of the problem Is to be found in the dstrib
uting Of trade where trade belongs. For
twenty years the chief markets of the city,
under political management, have been kept
in an ovcrcrowded part of the city, almost in
accessible to the cousumcrs. and remote from
the centre of demand. They have been so
grossly mlsmanaged that from the fact of
their wretched condition they do absolute
harm to adjacent property, and depreciate
their own as well as nelghboring values. The
real property of Washington land Fulton Mar
kets, if once in the hands of private persons.
would. for commercial purposes. pay into the
city treasury larger sum in taxes than the
present rentals amount to. besides greatly en-
hancing. instead of deprccating as now, the
taxable valuation of surrounding private prop
erty.


Take the other view Of it. Suppose the city
should sell its unremuneratve market prop
erty downtown naturally the wholesale
markctmen would move uptown. They would
seek to be near their sources of supply. This
would save the double transportation of ani-
mails slaughtered uptown to Washington Mar
ket and back again to the consumers, who all.
or practically all, live uptown. Not only that,
but the establishment OF markets as extensive
rs those of Fulton and Washington, but let us
hope more cleauly and decent, would inevitably
lead to the Improvement of adjacent property.
And with ample space, buildings suitable for
the business aud better facilities for reaching
the comsumers-cOnditIons which are absent at
present while the downtown markets femain
the depOts of supply-the marketmen would
increase their own business.


The sale of Washington and Fulton Markets
would result IN three things: l. The city debt
would he decreased about $j,000,000; 2, the





taxable property near the present markets
would be increased by the improvements
which would follow the sale; and 3. the tax
able property in and about any new uptown
markets would also be increased by thcremoval
of business. These considerations, aside from
those we have previously urged, of a saving in
transportation and commissions to middemen.
and the advantages of clean markets, seem to
give emphasis to the argument so frequently
advanced in favor of the sale or recOnstruc
ton of the disgraceful downtown markets.