The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-23

The number Of victims of sun stroke is rapidly in
creasing, may be by the report Of the Coro-
ners' ipquests. There have been thunders showers
at the South and East, but as yet this boon Is with
held from Us.
COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS.
! There was no change in the markets yesterday
worthy of comment.
The Cost OF the City Government-City
Taxes.
! We should be sorry to dispel any illusions
which our fellow-citizens may be INDUCING
or to insinuate that the Comptroller's report
for 1854 is not precisely as frank and honest
document as might be wished: but it is right
that the truth should be spoken on these sub
jects, and that no one should be deceived into
believing himself to be better off than he is.
The Comptroller tells us in the first place, that
the whole amount that will be required to
carry on that ridiculous old machine called the
city government during the year 1854 will be
] $4,S4l ,255, whereas sum Of S4,966,24l was
| necessary last year for the same purpose: and
! further adds that the rate Of tax tais year will
| be only one dollar and s 3.4 cents on the 500,
while it was one dollar and 20 40 cents on the
! 500 last year. The facetious old rogue wants
| people to believe that some odd Sis, 900 are
! going to be saved in the expense Of the city
| government and that the highly respectable
class of individuals who pay taxes will be let
off this year for los cents where they paid 123
twelve months ago. So joyful discovery is
worth looking through.
1t is quite true that the sum taken out of our
pockets last year was $4,966,24l, while Mr..
Flagg mercifully promises to be content this
time with S4,s4l ,255. But, most specious OF
| COmptrollers, the cases are not by any means
analogous By turning to the newspapers
bearing date july 1858, it will be found that
on that occasion, the city threw itself on our
mercy, and declared that it was, like many an
honest merchant nowadays, rather " short''
in its CASH matters. In plain English, it
had over-issued paper to the tune of S742,l5
during the year 1852, and wanted the means OF
making up this deficiency. = There was nothing
for 1t but to put our hands in our pockets and
| pay up: and thus by assuming the debts of
| 1852, to an amount falling but little short Of
! three-quarters Of million, we rendered it ne
cessary to raise by taxation S4966, 24l instead
Of some s4,224, 900, the proper expenditure Of
that year. If any seek to compare the taxes of
this year and last, this latter sum is the one to
be chosen for the purpose, which makes all the
difference in the world, as will be seen by thc
following table,
ArrARKsr CONTRAST GIVEN CoxPrRoIiEas REPORT
Sum raised BY taxation in 1859 900 24l
| 10. do. lS5l............... asa, 255
Apparent decrease in taxation this year Sl24 1855
| REAL CONTRAST sEKs COMPARING True FIauRz,
oity expenses IN 1913 22tos4
| 10 10. leo4 ....,.-................ A,S4l Zb5
Real increase IN taxation this year. ...... $s1T171
| Our expenses, and consequently our taxes,
have thus been increased S6l7, III since last
year. This is at the rate Of one-seveath in
crease per annum; should we continue to pro-
gress in this ratio, any child can calculate how
| soon we shall require TO raise ten millions a
year to keep the city government going.
We are really chagrincd to be compelled TO
destroy all the comfort which Taxpayers may
have derived from the Comptroller report, but
we must add that close examination of
| that portion which relates to the rate of the
municipal tax leads to another disappointment
| We are tod that the rate will be si05 on the
| 500 this year against sl.23 40 last. Very
| true; but by turning to the last year, il will
| be found that the Comptroller then assured the
| public that without the deficit remaining over
| from 1852, a rate Of 81 ,o5s on the sl80 would
| have suificed to pay the expenses Of the year.
| And no doubt he spoke the truth. The ratio
| of the city expenses to the assessed property
real and personal, in 1853, was as 105l to
100. The ratio of the same expenses to the same
property, in 1854, is as / o5s to 100. So far
from there being a reduction the rate is ac-
tually higher this year than last.
4 quarter Of cent on the hundred dollars
would not be a sufficient Increase to warrant
grumbiing; but multiplied frequently quarter
Of a cent may become large sum. There arc
two ways OF swelling ajax; increasing the rate
| and increasing the sum on which IT Is to be
| paid. The assessors, this year, have chosen
the latter, and we are bound to say that il does
credit to their ingenuity. Without adding any
considerable item TO the rate fixed last year a.
the proper contingent for the support Of the
city government, they will manage by increas-
Ing the valuation of rateable property, to
squeeze S6l7,l7l more out Of us. They assess
the rateable real and personal property 10 New
York, for the year 1854, at s462, 02l, 13i thu
quoting 1t s4s,39o,65l higher than it was A.
sessed last year. Now, every one knows
that the value Of property in New York
i rapidly increasing and that new build
ings and other Improvements are con
SANITY giving a new value to the various
wards Of the city but does any experienced
person really believe that forty-eight million
have been added to the value OF the city aud
is contents since July, 1853? We believe TIA,
for purposes Of sale, real estate Is not worth
more today than it was twelve moaths ago J;
and, taking into account the fires which have
probably destroyed five or six millions worth