LAND VALUES TAXATION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1 SIR,—Some little confusion of mind exists upon this subject, and, owing perhaps to the wild talk occasionally indulged in about the taxation of ground landlords, not a few people imagine that, in some mysterious way, freeholds escape the charges they ought to bear. A simple illustration may be useful. A man buys or becomes possessed of a piece of free- hold land worth, say, £2,000, upon which be puts up buildings to the value of £8,000. When the rating authority comes along, it does not make its assessment upon £8,000 only, which the buildings have cost, but upon the total value of £10,000. Legislation may of course shift the burden from one pair of shoulders to another, but there will be no increase of reveirne unless freeholders are to be saddled with some special. tax which no other form of property bears.—I am, Sir, &c., W. J. LANCASTER.
Previous page
