The New York herald., 1868-04-22
THE CITY TAX LEVY.
Interesting Letter Of the Citizens, Assorintiou
10 Governor Fenton-Enor,nous Increase of
Tnxatiou.

reached the Senate OF this State from the Assembly
and that II is evident that sufficient time will hardly
be allowed for the proper investigation OF those bills
the Citizens Association begs leave to your at
tention to the propriey Of protecting the taxpayers
who are to be assessed under those acts by your ON.
cial power of veto, should the abuses of previous
years In the passage OF those acts be repeated In this
The Comptroller estimates that the total tax to be
raised in this city this year will be s2l 1912. But
this estimate is based on the sums he has recon-
mended as necessary for the years expenses. Since
the Tax Levy acts were introduced into the Assem-
bly, great number OF persons have applied TO the
committee OF that House for appropriations to be
added TO the leves, which, u allowed, would swell
that total to two or three millions Of dollars more
OF this vast sum the following will have to be allowed
as a matter OF course.
F4rst-For State purposes, IS 1894, 426.
Second-For the state commissions, under special
But the balance, or about All 500 O00 rests Alto
gether at the discretion OF the Legislature and may
be decreased at their pleasure. This sI,500OO0 is
for the expenses OF city and county officials for
city and county purposes for the year 1868. About
$4,000 900 of it is asked for by the Common Council
and about So is asked for by the SUPERVISORS
But there will be additional sums asked for by the
officials for various purposes. The Common Council
win demand $500 600 more and the supervisors are
said to want 81, 000, 900 more.
The two Tax Levy acts cover items Amounting in
the aggregate TO about I'll, 100000. These
are to be used up for all the various purposes pre-
tence OF which so many millions have been hereto
fore expended. The necessity for such expenditures
cry is general that no need exists for such extrava-
gance.
The Citizens Association has appeared before the
committee of the Assembly and demonstrated against
particular items. urging that the sums demanded by
the Common Council aud Supervisors should In some
not be allowed at all and in other cases but
half quarter Of the money asked for
should be given. II the Legislature will confne
the city and county officials to the amounts which
are absolutely needed reduction Of 81, 900 900 viii
be made In the taxes Of this year. But act inte
gently on the suggestions OF the taxpayers, 10 ex
mi fhnCn ANrinl arift ftnnIlu raH. ,af 10
extravagant In the estimates, requires time. Tile
Assembly and Senate should have a month at least
to devote to the work. The State Supply BILL which
does not call for more than half the amount Of our
taxes Is taken up by the Legislature in time To devote
careful examination to 1t; one month and some
tives two months are employed upon IL, but the
custom heretofore with the New York Tax bills in
volvlng ultimately over S22,0000o0 has been to dis
pose OF them IN one or two days 1t Is plain that
this custom IL to be adopted again this year. The
city tax levy was introduced into the Assembly
three months ago. and the county tax levy about two
months ago, and yet the committee to which they
were referred only commenced TO investigate them
last week, after YOU had sent message to the AS.
been yet acted upon by the lower House. Should
the members desire to vote understandingly upon
them they Will have no time unless they shorten the
period which the Senate should be allowed for the
same purpose. There are more than one hundred and
twenty dnerent general items Of appropriations in
these levies; and each OF these items is when lnvesti
gated subject OF as much magnitude three
Ionrths OF the bills introduced annually in the Legs-
lature. To understand what sums really
required for our local government demands
on the part OF the members OF the Senate
and Assembly knowledge OF all the operations
Of the city and county authorities, only for the
past year but for the past five years; knowledge Of
the condition Of our wharves and piers of our
streets roads and avenues of public printing and
Advertising of the workings OF our departments, OF
the OF our public works and buildings OF the
necessities OF the public officers Of the lighting and
cleaning, the water and sewerage systems the cleri-
cal forces and the ordinary routine business oil the
The conduct of each department by the chief of II:
ms precautions Tor saving money! or his careessness
Tie tsssstur%e % for thor invsstgaiigo ] Vs1Usa VIXEN
the Comptroller asks this year f5f s5l7, ,I36 q
or S sSs as seH'
for his; the Legislative Department, s29a 800 for
theirs; the Mayor $47 800 for his; the Board OF Edu
cation, $2,90O,000 for theirs; the city courts
$l9l,022 for theirs; the Board OF Supervisors
S2, 500 600 for theirs, and when the taxpayers who
are extravagant and unnecessary, the Legislature
must st as jury to determine which party speaks
truly in the matter; whether the officials are frying
TO get too much or the taxpayers trying TO give
them too little, and the responsibility lies with the
legislature for every dollar IL allows over what is
economical and Just.
In this investigation II is not only the sums asked
ior which are the subject OF scrutiny by the Legsa
are also on trial before It, They give an account
Of what they have spent and show that 1t has not
money is taken stand before the Senate and Assem-.
bly, and accuse these public offcers OF wastefulness
sPs ss %pASS q ASsf IN sSse sSsy Scss5s SHs5Es 5
the Tax Levy ESTIMATES; and yet these accused odl.
cials not only make effort TO have full and deb-
to be so held back and retarded that no thorough
investigation can ever be made. II Is time that the
LEGISLATURE ~ y, awoke 70 sense OF ts responsibility in
fix the amount and authorize the imposition OF the
tax has been reserved by the senate and Assembly.
local body or board, for fear the people would be o
pressed IL declined to enact law bill introduced
the yearly taxes, lest this, too should be abused.
But what justice s there In reserving this right and
this power, and then exercising 1t hurredly and i'm
provdently9 and yet this is what the Legislature has
been doing year after year. and what II seems to In
tend TO do this year. Should 1t actually be practsed
this year there Is but one way to check II perma
nently and call the Legislature to sense OF the
wrong lnnicts ON our community; this way IL for
are finally passed. and If you detect any of those
monstrous Oversighs or fraudulent provisions |
which have so often been suffered to disgrace them
then " veto the bill Should the Legislature adjourn
before you have time to veto the leves ~ 1t has been
Invariably accustomed 10 do then take step fur
order and call extra session 10 consider your veto
Such determined stand your part will end at one
generally u New York ana FOR every successive wear
II VIII be found that the Legislature warned that
IsspeS the SsDU,s ,a.s the 1s
bills with becoming care and deiiberation. Should
the Legislature pass these bllls y season and
you for approval and your objections heard and Con.
sdered then the relief asked lor BY khe association
Indications OF any such reasonable proceeding on the
part OF the Legislature. It's hundred days have ex.
pred and the TX levies are not yet passed through
one OF itx branches.
No remedy is too stringent 10 apply to the evil
under which we suffer. In fifteen years the taxes OF
the city have Increased from So TO 900 OOO
This progression has been steady and gradual; what
will they amount to fifteen years from nowf Since
1880 the population Of the city has increased four
hundred per cent but In the same time the taxes
have increased four thousand per cent.
In order 10 hide the actual increase OF tax and to
keep down the rate the valuation OF city property
has been raised higher and higher until now we In
The city OF New York have TO pay nearly half the
axcs az OF tne whole stste. Inc TACT is that slow
order that our despoilers may riot with the public
money Year after year public ofI1cials rise from
poverty TO extraordinary wealth. while |
after year the taxpayer and the rent payer are
nulcted In growing sums. II the value Of property
n the city Of New York were assessed on the
ame basis a. In the other portions OF the
,tae the rate Of taxation In the city OF New York