New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-11

at the expense OF tho taxpayer OF Fh'
twenty or fifty years hence. And not
only this, but that its tendency was to
load the City with heavier bur-
den than it could bear. Our correspondent
sees, we trust, what is going on in Ohio. How
would he like to see troop of demag0gues
like those who are now wriggling over the
surface of that State spring up among the
tenement houses and preach reputation OF the
City Debit Every man in this City who buys
food or clothes or pays house rent contributes
to the taxes No bOndhOlder need delude him.
self with the fancy that this fact is not known.
The effect of adding $27,OOO,OOO to the
funded debt is to add 81, 100000 per annum
to the taxes of the future for an indefinite
number of years to come. That addition has
been made to the taxes within the short space
of three years under tho administration or
Controller Green. and III part with his con-
sent.
We know that Controller Green disclams
responsibility for this, but we insist that he
must take his due share of the blame. We
wish to call our correspondents attention to
single fact. In 1872 the Legislature OF the
State found that the aggregate expenditures
for number of years previously to that date
had exceeded by about seven million dollars the
receipts from taxes which consistently with the
Constitution could be applied to their payment.
A special tax of three and il half mills was
levied to make up that deficiency. BY means
of bills drawn up by Controller Green ana
passed through the Legislature with his con-
currence and support this City was enabled TO
dodge its share of this tax and to add the
So, SOC, 900 it called for to the City Debt
That we denounced two years ago rs short
sighted STEP and we refer to it now as
fragrant instance of what we have called tax
"dodging."
The United States Government has always
had the good sense to pay for Its custom
houses, court houses, minis, arsenals, and
other public buildings out of tie current
revenue from taxation. We think 1t
has never issued bond for such
an outlay. 1t would have been vastly
to the benefit of its inhabitants had Ncw-iork
CITY pursued the same course. AT the meet
ing of the Board OF AppOrtionment on Monday
the issue of $4,000 in bonds was author
lied, and the preliminary steps were taken Tor
the creation of $15O.OOO more. Only last
week batch of 1861 900 was sold to the
public. Controller Green has soon to issue for
the information of our citizens a statement OF
the City's receipts and expenditures for tie
period of a year. Let him do what he
has never done yet since he has been
in Office. Let him prepare clear ana
simple statement of the total sum the CITY
has expended for every purpose. and give
by the side of it the sources from which the
money has been obtained. Let him discard Tor
once that jugglery OF bookkeeping by which
payments from the City to itself are 50 mixed
in with real expenditures as to make 1t ut
terly out of the question for anybody but
cOnsummate master of the science OF Official
bookkeeping to obtain the knowledge he Is III
search of. Let him reject on this occasion the
husks of Sinking Funds and the score OF other
contrivances which battle the sight and scent
of the uniniiated and give ia the plain tr'ltl.
If the taxes pay the expenditures, rs they
should why are bonds issued! If the pro-
ceeds of the bonds are expended, as thcy
surely are why are they clothed III invisible
green and poked out of the light rs though
they were of no consequence