New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-09

I've presented for taxation the country and in inc tity
prooseS s:e IN u Ses Ss az to 5S
Farm and buildings valued at..'.''''''''''''"~i'""
E E:s. q & ssi igS ~. = IL ps S se0i ec
Three ieatSl equivalent Of pesoaai properly wv
Total valuation for assessment, .............. sOco ,
On the other hand In the ciy, tie assessment "ouu
be ~ follows: a,oooo
vrlue Of building mud lo, SlOos nm
Rental Of building at 10 Per cent .OOo . aooo
Total valuation for assessment.
Under tho new syston, therefore, the city store ara 10y
would be regarded measure OF 81 AGO more Oh
properly SArSndae OF yun which
Commissioners hold will prove 20 be entirely correct anu
pSyor in the country and the taxpayer in the city hold
other personal property apart from tnell iiuS , sis
they viii both be put on exactly the same footing a. re,
CARDS taxation expenditure anu .' ~ ,,,i r
the possibility OF either assessing ''e o'H0i W ~ "
| ECONOMY OF TIE PROPOSED SYSTEM.
To devise more economical method OF assessing ana
collecting taxes. is equivalent to tho invention OF
labor saving machine and the Commissioners claim as
one of the special merits of their proposed system that
IL will prove, by It's simplicity and freedom from detail
more economical than any other. Every man under the
new system might know before the day OF assessment
exactly what his assessment ana consequent NV
| was certain to be; and few people. thsIei1re
would in any contingency he subject e., 10 tne
expense and annoyance Of examining tae ass
vcrses with the Assessors. No discretion, moreover
| ASSESSORS,
| as the instrument for personal favor mace, or for
And it is we'll worth the consideration of the people of
NewYolk, especially at the present time whotaer there
ncpal government so long the prominent and most
imlcntal citizens of any municipality are under the
An examination Of the code submitted will show that
1t proposed that the tax building occupancy sha
be collected from the real estate; and II IL permitted 10
the to collect Of the tenant for the reason th
the larger proportion probably three-fGurths OF we
huld az
because the o%ngri can more tbe aS
real estate. for sake Of economy Is very OFTEN Collected
from the tenant and the law permits the tenant to recover
proposed that the building occupancy tax shall be col
icccd the land and recovered from the tenant ny
the landlord Such plan involves both reciproc ana
economy, and of mutual advantage to both landlord
and tenants and stll ae tenants are at liberty TO make
| pancy well as any other taxes.
is moi an exclusive tax upon real estate Under the
of the comparative valuation OF the aggregate properly
show that the true value OF the real property OF
is not less than twice its returned valuation or
personal property they make at least sSOO.CoOOOo,
against present valuation OF s45OO0Oo. An estimate
| gwen TO the Commissioners by persons whose
Judgment is TO be relied is to the effect that the pres
cnt annual rental OF the buildings OF the eopaety n,
s0OO)OO00 Three times this amount would be SOOOoOo
pros of the national banks and other moneyed corpo-
Iatons Of the ctyicSs real estatoestimated az SJO
CCOOCO we shall have valuation representing personal
property e45OOOOO0O compared with present per
sOnal property valuation Of S30d,O0OOO).
The assessment roll OF New-York CITY would then SUD-
stantialy stand as follows:
Of 80 per tue value 81 500 or org 90
share o. moneyea SSS,VS o.
Total 81 $50 10000 90
A tax Of II per cent OH this valuation would produce
t2S250OOO If TO this add licenses for the sale Of
liquors at retail the total income Of the city at
the above rate Of taxation would be S31 ,J00CC0,
tO5OOOo than would be requisite to meet the in
terest the existing debt and provide for all other
be the gain in TsluIton here the gni1
BENIN be in much larger Proportions mus taking Broom
| Ign for example, we find the value of the dwell
turned $4,000 OOO the annual rental of which, at 10
per cent IA low rate TO cover insurance, repairs, and
taxes) would be Sl200o000 three times which would be
100000 If add TO this the amount which the
corporations Of the City OF Brooklyn were assessed
for 1870, S7,9jGs20, we have the total OF 1896,
$50, as compared with present ". valuation !rad
5Ss the AND Th9S Gy If g.
% on mel rentals the OF Ia%an
buildings other than dwellings are also included the
eSdent therefore tSat by the proposed system, the
valuation of the property Of the State of Newf9rk can
%hdSt dsuy to T%s to- is r and
basis thus aodns all the revenue that may be needed
at an average rate OF taxation much less than the rate
now prevailing.
LIMITATION OF THE RATE OF TAX UNDER NEW
|
The Commissioners especially direct attention tho
fact that by the section of the fourth article Of the
code presented they provided that the Board Of
Supervisors county shall levy tax without special
authority of the Legislature any town. to exceed one
per cent any ward or city TO exceed two per cent
The of the Introduction Of this Limitation, Is In
part TO help insure conformity TO the law on the part OF
assessors III respect TO valuations ana more especially
because the Commissioners certain that under the
auired except as the result OF indefenshle
extravaganza, or extraqrdi1ary contingencies, for
The Commissioners further estimate that under their
proposed system the rate OF State taxation now about
mil wi n
larger cities the most extravaganza administration could
hon above one and half per cent The propCsed in
Of valuation under the new system coupled with
erty, will, therefore, be more than compensated for by
| reduction Of rates
GENERAL ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM.
The general advantages of the system proposed by
Commissioners over the system now existing may be
briefly summed up as follows: BY making the standard
of valuation and assessment, that which is certain,
visible and tangible, and disregarding which
invisible ncOrporeal and intangible, the incentive and
or in great degree, be removed; the fax-gatherer
brought in communication with the smallest number Of
Individuals all personal nquisitiOn, exposure OF prop
erty and necessity for 0aths avoided; production Of
R%a the aha ppnH
tered, trade and commerce lett untrammeed while all
are in the future to grow out Of the conflict Of laws
and the sovereignty Of State respecting the ss OF
tfaSsfered to such other commanes a. desire to to
enjoy them. The proposed plan, furthermore. will not
asses other persons by The INSTRUMENTATION Of his own
property Or the other hand compel the honest
payer either cTimnate overburden himself;
NIT TO assess In an arbitrary manner
nasmuch all the proceedings must be according to
uniform law and the basis OF such testimony adj
mIsble in any court II law in country where property
cen only be taken by well known aud established rules
| OF evidence.
In the plan proposed by the Commissioners there Is
nothing arbitrary; the relations between the burdens
upon city aud country property are equably adjusted;
10 class of property under its operations, would be
driven from the State while residents and non-resdens
would be placed equality, inasmuch both would
be assessed and the same indicia Of personal