The New York herald., 1877-02-14
CHEATING THE TAX GATHERER

HOW INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS DE-
FRAUD THE cITY's TIEAsURY--FULL TEXT OF
THOMAS J. cREAMER's LETTER.
The following letter addressed TO the Comptro.
Ter the occasion of the late conference at the
Mayors office II all the statements madc In 1t arc
susceptible OF proof the taxpayer in this city Is
indeed an object OF commiseralion.
Nrw YoRK Feb Z, 1877.
DEAR slRln compliance with request the under
signed respectfully submits The ,o,owing statement IN
property in the city And county New York annual
voked BY required to be raised ior the
Of the city as l. Is by the insauay
be demonstrated he penny wise and pound foolish"
s.%s,ass sH%p.p: q ,.SD.yss ana
but ut the r real and primary ca%se
DO pay and r,hsr%ors that there pa" ayss
81 i25oooo ooo Of personal property in this city that
Ing =. the Tax ONCE Real estate bears al a'1 the sa
could pa, away in ii. SAFE a. easily
as s, he Gsn nm hide Of would
Of tax IN order meet a,na s
on aud am perfectly satisfied that the real Of this
city mo1tgased tor more than It's assessed ya1evz
taxation .nt We nd that the entire
shares Of BANKS and The item Of
.aa !: Ss soe @ by s S's
NEARLY all the wholesale dealers escaping by resong
10 suoteriuscb 10 govern
slet and clear ID panishnE frauds scnnocson with
thing be done In the same DIRECTION IN our city where there
chant OF this clty makes Oce that he
his personal in Kings county where he rodess
business tnis cybut lind that the entire Of
the value Of tie soos in hs aoSHo
truth being tina. he neither pays in New
thousands of people do.n business in this city residing in
OF by the
nnder the laws oite state OF New York. having their head
ALLEGED ps1sssry @ Or 1nE NEW Tonk snSrnAs ROAD
h ss'sssS aH%
though the richest the Western continent doubling and
yss, ci
sS S to Z. a has pss o TIN This pssl ssn
years that should result in the punishnent OF some OF
sy have for .a a cur tax office ,ha.
made BY me in ls7s !" sSo Hs.sso1s M aSo
az that point Claimed that the pd
ihs @ s"s has ''y udsa tn. S's sy Sst oysi
$oOoovoO o. taxes since lss and is the duty OF tho
covery Of that sum or part Of rue the law allows them
S the % Q" .ne
through Which their ROAD and Investigating the
aS' tss ss
ss % s% %"as Sy s. IL
least Of dvidena paying property
syvana real estate is entirely exempt taxation tor
state purposes. In New Jersey the estate
Is but trihe. Corporations In these States
are are wnng to oe", ali or part ot the burdens
Massachusetts every corporation is required make
turns annually to the State OF the OF their
capital. which they taxed per for
taxes and also required to bear their share Of taxation
local and municipal purposes These the only States
where have ale any examination OF the subject. but
satisfied that nearly all the States OF the Union adopt
similar laws New York, that should be first this i'm
porant question of taxes and TAXATION 10 behind and
time that attention of her citizens should
the fact.
THE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
call attention also to the lie companies
OF this city these gigantic institutions escape By
means OF bogus returns. On examination hnd that
th, city their capital Tor
tact that they to-day spending thousands of dollars for
ADVERTISING in the daily press that their earnings amount
to millions and that their suplus capital is
larger than ever before You must be of the
false returns made by city railroad companies Tor
past Ii Is only within tho past that the
could recover dollar from these The
that they have dernu led the city should be
recovered. In cOnclusi n. claim that there Is
ot personal property In this city that does
unjust and false policy to collect all nearly all the
from real property On the contrary that In free gov
ernment the last object levy should be the
plot OF earth ON wcn erected the structure that
wealth OF this city does onsist alone in s
buildings in Its thousands Of dwellings Of
wealth OF New k-$lUD, OOO-at least .5ODUOUOO
Is personal property Deducng the value of United
what tring Is collected personal property in
the financial centre of the Western world. there
suggestions that would like make this subject
but will defer further until the subject
taken up by Yourself ana those whose duty II is to
the best interests of our citizens respectfully yours
Il