The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-02
Practical Connscation IN New Yerk-Enor-
nous Increase OF Tai ntiOn.

Practical ConHscation IN New Yerk-Enor.
nous Increase OF Taxation.
We invite the attention Of the members of
the Constitutional Convention, now IN session
at ALBANY, to the reports submitted yesterday
by the Comptroller Of the city and county of
New York to the Board Of Supervisors, and
which are published in substance In to-day's
HERALD. 1t will be seen that our taxes for the
current year for State, city and county pur-
poses, will reach the enormous amount Of
twenty-five million dollars, or over four dollars
on every one hundred dollars Of the valuation
of the property subject to taxation within the
city and county, as fixed by the State Board of
Equalization for last year. This does not in
Guide our share Of the heavy taxation for the
support OF The national government !; nor does
1t embrace the large amount to be assessed
upon tne property owners and taxpayers gen.
orally for the various Corporation Jobs which are
from time to tim, pushed through the Common
Council At this rate Of speed in the career Of
reckless extravaganza and corruption, we ask
thu Constitutional Convention how long it will
be before we arrive in New York at the point
of practical confiscationi
The fact is, we have reached crisis in our
State and municipal governments. We happen
to have just now in New York city Comp
troller who is anxious to do his duty and to
protect the property owners and the people
generally from the harpies who have SO long
preyed upon them. HIS efforts to stop the
tide Of reckless expen liture, to make the
public property remunerative, and to cut off
the official paupers who have been for years
fastened upon the city, are praiseworthy,
and will no doubt accomplish much
good. But we need q thorough and
searching reform in the whole system
Of municipal governments reform that
will reach the root OF the evil and prevent the
corrupt squandering Of the public money in the
fature-and for this we must look to the mem
bers of the Constitutional Convention and to
the organic law they will submit to the popular
vote in the next November election.
1t will be seen from the statements of Comp
troller Connolly that the taxation Of the city
and county has steadily increased, year after
year, until the taxes for 1867 exceed those Of
1866 by the large sum of five million dollars
At the same time our debt has been also In
creasing. The Comptroller shows how this
heavy drain upon our industrial resources is
occasioned, and he recommends that all expen-
ditures that are not absolutely necessary,
although authorised by the list rotten Lcgisla-
ture, be suspended until the finances Of the
county are in . more beautiful condition. n
his advice should be followed, and II his efforts,
in connection with the Commissioners Of the
Sinking Fund, to turn into cash all the unpro-
ductive city property, should meet with sue
cess, the taxpayers may yet be saved from q
material portion Of the burden laid upon them
by venal Legislature and a thievin9 Corpora
ton; but the main hope Of the people Is in the
revised consti iution Of the State, and to that
they'l look for thorough and permanent reform
in tho city government