i6 
THE A B C OF TAXATION 
there is such a thing as ground rent, and yet 
much more in regard to what is the volume of 
ground rent. It has been questioned whether the 
ground rent of the City of Boston, for instance, 
under the single tax, with the accompanying 
shrinkage in speculative values, would exceed 
to-day 5 per cent on the assessed valuation of 
land, or $32,000,000. Indications are that the 
net rent of the land itself might not, but our 
investigations are directed to ascertaining not the 
net, but the gross ground rent, which is net rent 
plus the taxes. 
In a systematic attempt to dispel these clouds of 
ignorance and skepticism—-now to be found in sur 
prisingly high places—and to demonstrate beyond 
a reasonable doubt about how much gross ground 
rent there is in the city of Boston, actual sales for 
the year 1902 and actual rentals have been collected 
from official sources. 
The figures for one hundred and twenty pieces of 
real estate* in various sections of this city have been 
collected at no small pains from official sources and 
are offered in evidence. The following calculation is 
based on these figures and on the assumption that the 
buildings sold for one-third more than their assessed 
valuation, of which assumption the landlords and the 
real estate men are the best judges. By this process 
it is demonstrated that in place of a net selling value of 
four and one-half millions, there is really a capitalized 
ground rental value of considerably more than five and 
one-half millions. 
*An exhibit of these specimen cases in detail will be found in 
Appendix G.