HOW TO DO IT.

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will be added to it. It is cheaper for consumers to paythe tax upon one than upon six articles. In cities, everyperson, either as tenant, owner, or boarder, must con-tribute his or her portion in the taxation of real estate.While absolute equality can never be obtained, in rating itaccording to value, the occupant of a dwelling valued at$60,000 pays sixty times the tax that is received from a$1,000 house, and business contributes directly by theoccupancy of stores, warehouses, and factory buildings.”

At present our tax law is carried out in this way: ANew York builder buys six lots, say at Ninety-thirdStreet West, for $10,000 each, assessed for the purposeof taxation at 40 per cent, (the average for vacant lots), or$4,000 each; the tax of 2 per cent, equals $80 each. Hebuilds flats on them, costing for material and labor $17,000apiece; total, $27,000 per house. On this he puts a profitof 10 per cent., which makes the selling price in roundnumbers, $30,000. Now, our benign assessor values thewhole for taxation at 55 per cent., the usual rate for im-proved property—that is, $16,500 each house; and wetax each house 2 per cent.—that is, $330. The result isa fine, for furnishing homes to a dozen families, of $250 ahouse, or $1,500 for the six—nearly 10 per cent, of hislonged-for profit. Even if he is lucky and sells beforethe tax becomes a lien, it is considered in and practicallydeducted from the price he can get ; but generally hetrades it off, and, having succeeded in that quarter, hewants to buy the next lots. He offers to take those two