TAXES.

318. A Tax is a sum of money assessed upon a person or upon property for public purposes.

319. A Poll Tax is a sum assessed upon each male citizen liable to be taxed, without regard to his property. The

thus taxed are called the polls.

persons

320. Real Estate consists of immovable property, such as houses, lands, &c.

321. Personal Property consists of movable property, such as money, stocks, cattle, ships, &c.

322. Assessors are officers appointed to levy taxes. It is their duty to ascertain the value of the taxable property and the number of polls, and to apportion the tax to each person.

323. ILL. Ex. The whole state, county, and town tax of Oxford for the year 1862, was $5300; the value of the real estate and personal property is $1250000; there are 200 polls in the town, each of which is taxed $1.50. What is the tax on $1, and what is J. Swan's tax, who has $3000 of real estate and $1000 of personal property, and who pays 1 poll tax?

OPERATION.

$1.50 X 200 = $300, amount of poll taxes.
$5300 $300 $5000, property tax.

$5000 $1250000 4 mills, tax on $1 of property.
$3000 +$1000 = $4000, Swan's taxable property.
$4000 X $.004 $16.00, Swan's property tax.
$16.00 $1.50

Hence the

$17.50, Swan's whole tax.

RULE FOR APPORTIONING TAXES. Multiply the tax on one poll by the number of polls, and subtract the product from the whole tax; divide the balance by the taxable property; the quotient is the tax on $1. Multiply each person's taxable property by the tax on $1, and add his poll tax, or taxes, if he have

any.

EXAMPLES.

1. The whole tax of the town of H. is $70352; the valu ation of the town being $9329000, the number of polls being 3366, each taxed $1.50, what is the tax upon $1 and what is the tax on the following named tax-payers?

A has property amounting to $8500, and pays 1 poll.
B has property amounting to $3570, and pays 1 poll.
C has property amounting to $5800, and pays 0 polls.
D has property amounting to $1000, and pays 2 polls.
E has property amounting to $2800, and pays 3 polls.

Ans. 7 mills on $1; A's tax, $61; B's tax, $26.49.

2. The town of L. votes to raise a tax of $8343.20; the valuation of the town is $2000000; there are 1679 polls, each taxed $.80; what is the tax on a dollar, and what is the tax of J. L. Partridge, who has $1500 of real estate and $3000 of personal property, and pays two poll taxes?

Ans. 3 mills on $1; Partridge's tax, $17.35. 3. What would be the tax upon a non-resident who had property in the above-named town of L. to the amount of $15225? Ans. $53.287+

4. The state tax of a certain town is $3093; the county tax is $5110; the town tax, $33860; the valuation of the town is $6700000; there are 2542 polls, each taxed $1.50. What is the tax on $1, and what is the tax on a person having $4500 in real estate, $2750 in personal property, and who pays one poll tax? Ans. $.005 on $1; $42.88987. 5. There is a town whose valuation is $1100000, in which there are 300 polls, each taxed $1.20; the tax to be raised is $9600. What is the tax on $1, and what is the tax of a person having $4000 in real estate, an annual income of $3000, on all above $800 of which he is taxed as for personal property, and who pays three poll taxes ? Ans. 83 m. on $1; $55.68.

6. The valuation of a certain town in real estate is $3200000; in personal property $1186000; the tax to be raised is $31579.20,

one sixth of which is to be levied upon the polls, of which there are 3096. What is the tax on $1, and what on each poll?

Ans. 6 m. on $1; poll tax, $1.70. Assessors commonly construct a table showing the tax on $1, $2, $3, &c., from which they compute the individual taxes.

7. The valuation of a certain town is $11522400; the tax to be raised is $108391.60; there are 3350 polls, each taxed $1.40. Find the tax on $1, and perform the remaining examples by the following

TABLE,

Showing the tax on various sums at the rate of $.009 on $1.

8. At the above rate, what is A's tax, he being assessed for $4250, and paying 2 polls?

Find the tax of the following at the above rate :—

9. Of B, who is assessed for $2800 and 1 poll. 10. Of C, who is assessed for $7850 and 3 polls. 11. Of D, who is assessed for $1565 and 1 poll. 12. Of E, who is assessed for $9068 and 2 polls.

13. Of F, who is assessed for $6555 and 1 poll.
14. Of G, who is assessed for $5687 and 1 poll.
15. Of H, who is assessed for $10793 and 3 polls.
16. Of I, who is assessed for $3384 and 1 poll.
17. Of J, who is assessed for $4597 and 1 poll.
18. Of K, who is assessed for $8979 and 2 polls.
19. Of L, who is assessed for $2972 and 1 poll.
20. Of M, who is assessed for $1000 and 1 poll
21. Of N, who is assessed for $6587 and 2 polls.
22. Of O, who is assessed for $7572 and 2 polls.
23. Of P, who is assessed for $2956 and 1 poll.
For Dictation Exercises, see Key.

CUSTOM HOUSE BUSINESS.

324. Custom Houses are places where Government Offi cers collect duties.

325. Duties are taxes upon imports and upon the tonnage or weight which a vessel may carry. They are of two kinds, specific and ad valorem. They furnish a revenue for the gov

ernment.

326. An Invoice is a list of imported goods, showing their quantity and price.

327. A specific duty is a tax upon each article of a certain kind, without regard to its value.

328. An ad valorem duty is a certain per cent, of the cost of goods, estimated upon the invoice.

329. Leakage and Breakage are allowances for loss from the leaking and breaking of bottles, boxes, &c.

330. Tare is an allowance for the weight of boxes, &c.

331. Gross Weight is the weight of goods including whatever is used for packing.

332. Net Weight is the weight of the goods alone.

333. EXAMPLES.

1. What is the net weight of 120 boxes of raisins, gross weight being 31 lbs. each, the tare being 6

OPERATION.

lbs. per box?

Ans. 2940 lbs.

"120 boxes.

2. What is the duty, at 5 cents per lb., on the net weight of the above?

Ans. $147.

3. What is the specific duty, at 15 cents per gallon, on 25 barrels spirits turpentine, containing 32 gallons each, 5% being deducted for leakage? Ans. $114.

4. What is the duty, at 25 %, on 75 boxes of tin, 112 lbs. per box, invoiced at 7 cents per pound, tare being 6 lbs. per box? Ans. $139.125.

5. What is the duty on 100 dozen watch crystals, at 35%, invoiced at $1 per dozen, 3% being allowed for breakage?

Ans. $33.95.

6. What is the duty, at 20% ad valorem, on an invoice of 24 boxes of tea, gross weight being 1284 lbs., 8 lbs. for tare being allowed on each box, the cost of the tea being 38 cents per pound? Ans. $82.992.

7. I have imported 3 tons, 3 cwt. 3 qrs. 7 Ibs. of steel invoiced at 20 cents per pound; 8% being allowed for damage, what is the duty at 20%? †

8. What is the cost at the store of 5 hhds. of sugar, weighing gross 2556 lbs., which was bought in Havana for $178.92, and on which is paid $35.75 for freight and carting, and 2 cents per pound for duty after deducting 15% for tare?

9* Find the cost of two cases of gum arabic, at 21£. 5s. per cwt., duty 30% ad valorem; the gross weight of the first being 1 cwt. 3 qrs. 20 lbs., of the second 1 cwt. 1 qr. 10 lbs., 35 lbs. being allowed for the weight of each case. Ans. 73£ 0s. 24d.

For Dictation Exercises, see Key.

*See Art. 164, Note.