252 TAXATION IN NEW YOKK COMPARED 



With us, deducting the 20,000,000 of customs, there 

 remain of 



Imperial taxes, . . 30,000,000 



Poor-rates, . . . 5,000,000 



Church, county, and highway rates,* 2,500,000 



37,500,000 



This, upon the 30,000,000, amounts to 25s., or nearly 

 six dollars a-head also three times greater than in the 

 State of New York. 



These considerations appear to show that the taxation 

 is in this country three times heavier than it is in the 

 State of New York. 



But there is another side to the picture. 



First, The State and local taxes in New York are 

 levied on property, and amount to four-fifths of a per 

 cent on the whole valued property of individuals in the 

 State. But we have reason to believe that a similar 

 valuation and rating of all property, real and personal, 

 in Great Britain and Ireland, would yield a revenue of 

 about 50,000,000 sterling would equal, that is, all 

 our imperial taxes. 



Second, The national taxes paid in New York State, 

 at a dollar a-head, amount to 3,000,000 of dollars, which 

 is equal to a property-tax, on the 666,000,000, of one 

 dollar on every 222 dollars, or something less than half 

 (nine-twentieths) a per cent. Such a tax with us if 

 four-fifths of a per cent yield ^50,000,000 would give 

 an income of 28,000,000 sterling. 



But, our imperial taxes being already provided for, we 

 have 28,000,000 to pay the 8,000,000 of poor, county, 

 and highway rates that is, we have a surplus of 

 ^20,000,000. 



According to this way of viewing the case, therefore, 



* Church-rate, 500,000 ; county-rate, 500,000 ; highway-rate, 

 1,250,000. 



