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

srty-ImpOrtant Statistics.
AS stated In yesterdays HERALD the Committee
on Ways and Means OF the Assembly, consisting OF
MessrA Batcheor, Beebe, Spencer, Prince,
Brewer, Alvord Lincoln and Bumenthal, met yes
terday In the Aldermanic Chamber OF the City
Hail. pursuant to adjournment on the day pre-
vioua Their session in this city Is held pursuant
to resolution passed BY the Assembly to investi-
gate the question OF State assessments with
view to their 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-Speaker
Hustled, Tax Commissioners Wheeler. Andrews
and Moulton, Aldermen Otteudorier and Koch,
Isaac Sherman, Cyrus Clark and others Interested
In the 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 a member Of the BOARD OF
Tax Commissioners, to which he belongs He
should adhere to hard facts, and give them the
weight they deserve intrnslcaliy. The burden Of
State taxation presses heavily on some sections
on account oi It's Inequality. The trouble was not
so 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 town as highly
assessed but that did not affect his statement that
New York was TOO highly assessed. THIS city Ia
assessed at Tie 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 exemp-
this city at s5oOoo.oOo; churches, amshouses,
schools, Industries, &C. at about the same amount;
Unssa ass "a + Taese
make the taxes SO much heavier on the otner
property, ana he claimed reduction should pc
n fh0da
Christian Association building and Academy OF
Design exempt. The income OF the former from
have tenement house properly, and even their
easements are used for business purposes and
claimed taxes should be imposed. On the other
hand, ne thought that oil private hospitals and
in and cared Tor without payment, should be
exempt from taxation on the broad ground OF
Tne chairman interrogatcd 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 churcn property proper Was exempt.
The Trinity church corporation was taxed on iour
Tne speaker remarked further that the increase
OF state tax renders revision necessary The pres.
ent law lor real estate Is good" full and true
valuation In State and in city. the sum Tor wnlcn
such property tn ordinary circumstances n wooia
one-ha the value OF real estate IN this great state
is to be found on this island OF $4,000 or ~ 900
acrea, and yet this city pays one-hAu the state
tax. II he was asked now TO insure uniformity, he
would answer he dtd 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 e
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 submls-
sion OF the following important tablet
s S %poIisS soSds s and Is s sTsmss s se
q has @lOOUO1 goo is consigneu ana Is exempt
GOODS oods ae ia AM New jersey and
has sSidoooO goods in this city and
c has 500 900 goods for which he fled United
' i has soauo5 goods. Which he sold United States
has $4,000 in ships plying from this port, bat regis
mas 500 CoJ in ships ply ting Pacific but registered
has sloogJ0 mortgages on New Jersey property, in
terest paid in Jersey City, and mortgages deposited
has sOcol mortgages on city property and is taxed
has s ol money n his Gocss s ana + exempt
o mas $1,000 certificates deposit in subTrcasury.
has sioo,o1o certificates deposited in bank, and Is
Q has 100000 specie in the Assay once, and Is ex
X has slnoDoo specie In his safe, and Is taxed.
has sloOGo cheek the United states Treasury and
. has $4,000 check In bank, and is taxed
has $1,000 IN noes ; and 1 EXEMPT
has slol M in United states bonds, and Is exempt
has siSSS IN cert certcates @ Of ndeDtedness United
States, and Is exempt.
poration and is taxed.
MIR. Andrews in continuation said d:-"Can you
call this systemf Is this Justf Is this equtabcf
Can any person administer such medley salts
factoriiys The present law oDstructs enterprise
by hindering loans ON mortga9es-the only deDt q
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 moround you cannot patch II up; you cannot
prepers; wsnouE & dsauetnss' s's asSss IN
md
You are 10 consider what ought to be done and
what can be done. New Jersey. Connections and
your action. AS an abstract proposition, personal
property should pay Its share, but, by cause be-
in New York is driving people out OF the city to
live. Capitalists can protect themselves. but most
snopkeepers connot so easily Since 1858 thirty
i've coun lies have reduced the assessments on per-
sonar property slS,SC0,423, while Albany, Niagara,
Onondaga, Orange, Orleans, st. Lawrence, Wash
ington, Westchester and wyoming have remained
stationary Tue country has oeen the FIRST TO break
down tue law" He made the following suGges-
Fast-Would amend the law TO deduct the as
sessed value OF the real estate OF corporations anu
tax all corporations on the same principle as banks
aud TAX all corporations directly 0y the State
through the same State officers, at two per cent.
second-woud exempt all manufacturing cor
porations manufacturing In this State.
hird-Would repeal all other laws Tor taxing
personal properly.
ana as the State tax must diminish this tax would
soon pay the whole state tax:
MI. ANDREWS cohCluueu oy statlng tnat tne
State tax New York had increased Sl93, 957, COL
the last twenty-one years. while in the other
counties OF the state It had decreased $18 SO0 23
Mr.. Isaac Sherman, wealthy retired New YORK
citizen. then took the noor and IN most lucid,
practical and clear manner advocated the repeal
or taxation on personal property, speaking on the
eubject some time, after which the committee
took q recess until three O'Clock.
on organizing after recess, Mr.. Alvord moved
that when this committee adjourns finally It ad-
journ to meet on Thursday, the 12tn prox, which
was adopted.
Mr.. Sherman then continued his address for q
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 the 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
county have been reduced by the sum OF sass. os7,