The New York herald., 1874-10-07
THE STATE TAXES.

AS stated In yesterdays HERALD the Committee
on Ways and Means OF the Assembly, consisting OF
Messra Batcheior, Beebe, Spencer, Prince,
Brewer, Alvord, Lincoln and Blumenthal, met yes
terday in the Aldermanic Chamber OF the City
Hail. pursuant to adjournment on the day pre-
vious. Their session in this city Is held pursuant
to resolution passed by the Assembly to investi-
gate the question OF State assessments with q
view to :heir equalization In the different counties
OF the State. General Bachelor, chairman Of the
committee, presided. large number OF eminent
citizens were present, among them ex-SDeaker
Hustled, Tax Commissioners Wheeler. Andrews
and Moulton, Aldermen Otteudorler and Koch,
Isaac Sherman, Cyrus Clark and others interested
In tho question OF taxation.
Mr. Andrews addressed the committee In an
able and exhaustive speech. fully setting forth
every requirement. in the premises. He said that
he appeared before them as an individual and =
taxpayer and not as q member OF the BOARD OF
Tax Commissioners, to which he belongs. He
should adhere to hard facts, and give them the
weight they deserve intrinsicaliy. The burden OF
State taxation pi esses heavily on some sections,
on account oi It's Inequality. The trouble was not
80 much with the law as the administration oft.
He claimed that this city was taxed greatly In
excess compared with other parts OF the State.
Here and there there might be a town as highly
assessed but that did not affect his statement that
New York was too highly assessed. THIS city Is
assessed at lhe rate OF sixty per cent Of the nom
inal or market value Of its properly, while prop
erty In some OF the counties was assessed as
low as fifteen per cent. He then spoke OF excmp-
sns city nsa &
schools, Industries, &C. at about the came amounts
United states properly a. ssa and STy
make the taxes SO much heavier on the other
property and he claimed reduction should pc
maze IN these exemptions. Tue Young Mems
Christian Association building and Academy OF
Design are exempt. The income Of the former from
stores &C, is s63,ooo year, ana some churches
have tenement house property, and even their
easements are used for business purposes and
bring in revenue Wnere this is the case ne
claimed taxes should be imposed. On che other
hand, ne thought that oil private hospitals ana
in and cared ior without payment, should be
exempt from taxation on the broad ground OF
Tne Chairman interrogated the speaker about
Columbia College, TO which Mr.. Andrews replied
that the entire one hundred acres owned by That
institution were exempt.
In relation to Trinity church Mr.. Andrews said
that only the church property proper Was exempt.
Tne speaker remarked further that the Increase
OF state renders re vision necessary. The pres.
ent law lor real estate Is good" full and true
valuation In State and in city, the sum for which
sell" 1t Is preposterous to suppose that nearly
onehalf the value OF real estate In TINS great state
TO be found on snis island Q, isovo ,S or Hoo sts,
tax. II he was asked now TO insure uniformity, he
would answer he dfd not know under the present
system OF choosing assessors In this state.
On the subject Of personal property, MT. An
drews hkened the present law TO a TUB without 9
q bottom 1t is held together BY the cohesion OF
habit, custom or usage, and could not stand
shake.
was demonstrated BY Mr. Andrews BY the submis-
sion OF the following important tablet
nsS seSas sosa sna Is sn sTsms IS ss
SiSS soos ssn,snss and : lex ezsnp
L $iUJ,UO goods manufactured In new Jersey, ana
has siooooo goods manufacu in this city, and is
''i'es has Sluo Goods Which he sold United States
has sloooS in ships plying this port but regis
mas soo!o, in ships plying in Pacific but registered
terest paid in Jersey City, ana mortgages deposited
sioocol mortgages city property and is taxed.
has 1850 Snsy Snsy II IN S and
mas $1,000 certificates OF deposit IN sub-frcasury.
has SioOoJo certificates deposited in bank and Is
has 100000 specie in the Assay once, and Is ex-
K has $4,000 specie in his safe, and is taxed.
has sioo ooo check in bank and is taxed
has $40. 900 in.pronissorv notes, and IS taxed.
has United states tate hnS bonds and exempt
Y has soq0p In certificates OF Indebtedness United
has $4,000 IN certificates of indebtedness of cor
poratiou, and Is taxed
Mr, Andrews in continuation said d:-"Can You
call this systemf Is this justY Is this equtabeS
Can any person administer such q medley salts
factoriyf The present law oDstructs enterprise
by hindering loans on mortgaaes-the only deot
man ought never to incur unless he be engaged In
business. One county refuses TO assess mortgages:
You must be convinced that the present method
is moriound; you cannot patch II up; you cannot
cure IT. IaGng ,non al visible ,assl and tangible
eqUa5e ana woud aouse
You are TO consider .wnat ought to be done and
Pennsylvania must influence and largely control
your action. AS an abstract proposition, personal
yond % your control it Is made impossible. Taxation
In New York Is driving people out OF the city TO
live. Capitalists can protect themselves. Dut most
shopkeerers connot so easily Since 1858 thirty.
five counties have reduced the assessments on per-
sonai property slssco, 423, while Albany Niagara,
ington, Westchester and wyoming have remained
stationary Tue country mas oeen the first TO break
down the law" He made the following suRges-
Fa;st-would amend the law TO deduct the as
sessed vaue OF the real estate OF corporations and
tax all corporations on the same principle as BANKS
and TAX all corporations directly ~ the state
through the same state officers, az two per cent.
SecOad-Woud exempt all manufacturing COZ
poratons manufacturing Ia this state
Ihird-Would repeal all other laws for taxing
This method OF taxation woud yield s7,oOo0oo,
aud as the state tax must diminish this tax wouid
MIR. Andrews concluded by stating that the
State tax on New York had Increased S1e3 s57, COL
the last twenty -0ne years, Willie II tue otuoI
counties Of the state It mad decreased SiS 500 42S
MIR. Isaac Sherman, wealthy retired New YORK
citizen then took the floor, and IN most lnctd,
practical and clear manner advocated the repeal
or taxation on personal property, speaking on the
eubiect some time, after which the committee
TOOK recess until three O'Clock.
on organizing after recess. Mr. Alvord moved
that when this committee adjourns finally 1t ad-
journ TO meet on Thursday, the 12tn prox., which
Mr. sherman then continued his address for
short time when the Seventh regiment move In
sight, and the meeting adjourned until ten O'CLOCK
this morning.
Long island Equalization.
The table exhibiting the equaiized value OF real
and personal property in che various counties Of
the state, as determined ut meeting OF the
Board OF Equalization. held at Albany, on the 25th
OF September, shows that the valuations In Suffolk