New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-31

the Territory and Jurisdiction OF the state but Deing
and nations such railroad ships seamboassd
immense stocks of raw material ana ; hicS
goods in store, owned held In our great cles,
are the entrepots for the commerce Of foreign countries
and. still important, for the nriehS States -
ali foreign NATIONS with which New, YORK ,ra a
brought into close commercial co ami STATE OF
exempt such persons AMI her Citizens at
taxation can Yern IN pb respect Can any
point 20 any disadvantage that mas ever SUI harac
,r ndicoteds Rnt on the other hand do we not see
Pennsylvania under her system OF tahauon iuh N
o nndeS the bnence Of old and exploded ideas
moves onward in development cOmparatNey ao tan
deney on the part of capitalists TO leave State where
discriminating tax is levied on its resuen oner or
later be felt and must bear the burden OF uanssIes
sion With at present fully 81 o sne isfston
by aw or by circumstances growing out OF It's eondlon
the natural deprayiy and sensnneSs q, 1e S
exempted by competing nations or neighbOrng STATES,
what becomes of The theory so generally accepted IN e
United States that in order To tax equaDy IL is neces-
sary TO tax everything.
ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW SYSTEM.
1t is under such circumstances that the Commits
soners appointed under the act OF 1870 come forward
with new system of taxation and urge its consideration
and acceptance upon the Legislature and the people.
They start with the fundamental proposition that 1t is
not possible to tar everything primarily directly, and
that is not necessary to attempt IL III order 70 tax
e0uitaby but the contrary that III taxes are levied
on comparatively broad basis--ke real estate-w1th
certainty. proportonaity, and uniformity, on a lew
items Of property like the franchises OF all monyed cor
pOraOns enjoying the privileges within the state,
and Oh fixed and unyarying signs OF rental
unerring certainty and equality To carry out tins idea
First That real estate lands, and buildings shall be
taxed on full and fair market valuation second Ihat
moneyed corporations and unineorporated deposit bank
show that under the two heads specified in
cluded almost all the property OF the state now
very dfieuit il not Wholly impossible to fairly
ana by any recognized rules OF evidence or a
praisement. In substitution, therefore, OF all such
defective and arbitrary taxation the Commissioners
next the following QUOTED from the cooe by
SIC All real estate subject taxation shall be liable to an add
or rental value Of buildings the length Of time actually
occupied daring the year terminating AP 50 previous 70 masking S
no provisions Of h section in refer
s bssser or BY the corporations
jet Their share, corporate franchises and PRIVILEGES %
occupied for previous year unless the Board Of
ES S ie' owner from some other 'ssSo source
SOY one Of shall have power to administer
oath and take the testimony OF th owner or oceORef Of
buildings Of other persons as to he rental value thereof Ihe "a.
tbe building oocapaaey shall charge and lien the same
ss SfF 5d 1 are situated and may Collected
personal property the person whom SAID tax may Dc as OF
tsIes upon real estate collected.
sana6e and most Uniform equivalent. or estimate 81 ts value Oh te
eup as owners buildings apartments Of buildings
The inaeI Of said OcSugsrs ipesse or ] 9 ma a s
taxation Of occupied buildings -. ,,, a.. . L.. u.,
previous 20 jan s may a a S b OS b s have psE d
rata POTION tne @ sroas 10 The rights Of The State or the
osa where the tax may Be LEVIED and he may we ap o.
made sef Jan s for The ren. Of c. estate the A1o
anont Of the stipulated rent thereby waived and released
ali upon for said taxes unless there shall be SPECIAL
contract to the contrary bel ween the parties
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
1t will be noticed that reflection has satisfied the Com
mssioners that the purpose OF uniformity and econ
omy in and collection. equitable and labor
saving elements in taxation, it is necessary In
building occupancy" tax TO deal primarily only with
the estate leaving the tax to be adjusted as between
landlord and tenant, according 10 the natural ana
immutable laws of supply and demand. All properly
NOT embraced under of these provisions as above
stated, will he exempt from taXaIlOn as tne oDleciOns
urged against this new system are restricted mainly 10
the third provision which provides substitute for the
existing assessments on personal property attehuoh Is
asked to the following considerations: - -
First No person pay rent In any amount, or own
or occupy any building, who does not necessarly
have three times the value of such rent or rental value
in personal property civilized life cannot be carried on
with any less amount OF such property. -
Second: rentals or rental values OF buildings
IA especially tax income or expenditure without the
machinery Of personal inqusluOn ana annoyance, anu
rent u.s. more than any thing tine sign OF personal
property expense consumption and the fndVlduaPs
own measure of his ability TO expenu' a man paying
en- NO annual rent must have income OF at least $1,000
which presuppOses capital ID some Iorn-pr9peIy or
brans-worh at least $4,000 l. 1t unjust or hardship
that such person should one or two per cent taxes
per annum three times bis rentals3O as the repre-
tentative of his personal property considering especi
euv mat these taxes il dIsprOporOnate 10 the tax
PAYERS expense and consumption, VIII De diused over
other persOns and property -.
On 6e attempt to put down the corrupt rings in this
CITY the large taxpayers did not dare To heip Inc as
SCISSORS had such power them that their business
might have been ruined Under the new system there
fore the city store and lot would be regarded as meas
re of OF personal property expenditure or
consumption than the country farm or properly OF the
value, measure which the commissioners hoia
will prove to be entirely correct ana eqa9ie, Don III
theory and practice But the taxpayer in the country
and the Taxpayer in the city hold other personal prop
erv aDart from their lands and buildings stocks IN
banks or other mOneyed corporations they VIII DOth De
put exactly the same footing as regards taxaton OF
exDendtue, and that too without the possibility OF
either assessing the other by fraud or eyasions'
The theory OF nfnitesmal taxation II fully ana com
pletey executed, must logically lead not only TO the
taxation of every cent in value OF personal properly
municipality, but it would require regular system OF
Custom-house espionage and an army OF Custon,house
rates upon all goods or property INTO eacn
township municipality this would produce the stag
nation middle ages and contne commerce TO the
Limits of a single township. If, however, this is not
done what becomes OF the Wanted idea that equality 0
he subject 70 direct burden But fortunately for the
prosperity Of communities, this idea Oh what Is
necessary 70 pTodIG Sswle Fortunate that il can he
demonstrated that this false theory when partially
or fully developed, produces unmtghed evil and IN
equality. Merchants and others occupying buildings or
other real estate, will equate and dnuse the taves eyed
primarily on tho over on personal property pro-
duced sold Or handled " proportion to the hours and
minutes possession, down lower than the traction OF
Onehundredth part or per cent? DuI assessors anu
other officials have no weights by which such
small parts be gagged weighed. The great laws
of supply and demand alike the forces OF nature I'M
seem but always efficient aud reliable and II left to their
own action will dfuse taxes, uniformly levied on the
same of property according TO the amount OF each
persons consumption Taxation, by an arbitrary
rule or by rule wanting uniformity, on the same class
OF property cannot be dused repercussed by natural
laws because il is not levied by natural and uniform
laws and therefore IL becomes mere conhscat0n aet
and hence, any imposition which cannot DO finally uli
fused by the natural laws Of trade and dealings In pro
portion TO expense and consumption, partakes OF the
odious character Of tax sp0liation or confiseaton
A UNIFORM VALUATION.
Let us for consider Of the effects OF the
proposed system II loans of money are free from
taxation the purchasing power Of money n the same