The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-21

Baltimore ..... 100000 30O,3l5 IA DO
Mr. Porter then selects seven foreign States and
shows the amount Of taxation and tho eer capita, rs
ioows:--
Poputa- Taxation
Countries. 1azchon. tom Per Head.
Canada. 80. $24, 200. 900 3,S00.000 So 80
Ireland. 2lOOO,OO0 b,5OO.OOO 81
Notheriznds........ 4L001000 3,6.4,000 II IL
switzerland ....... 5000 COO 2,soOoOO 2 %
PORTUGAL. .o,O00.V00 4oOO,OO0 o0
Bavaria ....... 90, 900. 900 4,S63. 900 10 81
saxony . 20 100000 2 556, COO so
10 turther illustrate the immense power OF common
councils OF cites, so lar the puOc money Is con.
cerned, he remarks that tine Stale OF Now York only
spends 81 per capita yoar for carrying on the gov
Of tho State MASSACHUSETTS with It's waste.
tu extravaganCe equal stale institutions, only
inou,s aud expensive State House. only 81 10. and
the state OF Missouri with its debt OF 00O less
than 81. Here We have IT.
New York-.........$2 90 New York.. $27 30
1assachussts..".. 90 boston.....- 20 90
Missouri. ....... / 20 ST. Louis. ......... II so
AN OVERLOAD
capital is being driven away by taxation from
New York state" says Comptroller Olc0tI "Real
estate deprecatiug IN value by taxation, aud the IN
dusrics when employ capital aud labor are unre-
munerativo through taxation. state and local taxa
ton absorb rs has been snown S52 OO0 600 an
nuslly Add TO this sum the direct aud indirect
ANA / have no DOUBT but tho total Will exceed
$loo,ooo0O annually continuation Of this crush
ing load means rum"
IL interesting to note In this connection that the
cities ot tho State, which have enough to do TO pay
their own local Indebtedness and tar share OF taxa
ton for State purposes are ovcrburdeued by what
would unfair share OF stale taxes. The iivc
counties OF Now YORK, Kings, Westcnester, Duchess
and Columo paid last year for support OF government
paul 81, 15U,0.0. With about ffty-tnree per
cent o the vaiauions tho hve counties
With forty.scven per cont OF the Valuations
tho hlty-nve counties pay but twenty-seven per
tho interior viii contend that this Unequal levy
not really unequal IL seems 10 be. II Will be
SAID that because properly IN great cities and their
property lesser cities and In towns aud villages,
therefore II should DO more highly taxed. man ~
Syracuse Rochester cannot derive the same profit
from his real estate that man IN Now York can, SO
he ought be forced TO pay the same proportion
Of STATE taxes. But this question Is koly be NJ.
guod ut some longth whom Mr. Hoiahan's bill comes
up In The Assembly.
PUBLIC IXsriTuTloNs-rHE SCHOOL TAX.
Tho expenses oil the public institutions OF the State
have, aside from those Of the new Capitol been
heavy force great deal OF complaint 1t Is pro-
posed hand TO abolish all local boards Of
tees and system by which the different inst,tu.
lions shall DC managed by one controlling power, aud
the other hand II Is objected I" thus that one
ma possesses sufficient variety Of special
10 enable deal with the needs OF the numerous
Institutions Tor poor, tho decrep tho blind the
citrate and especially The insane. Doubtless there
will nave TO DO some compromise whicD will result IN
q common oversight at least OF the finances aud
pend.tures OF the institutions, while II may not OK
lend 10 tEoir other technical respects
The school tax upon the State has become very
rsus. 10 1879 thIs tax was 81 6i0 1884 oil tho whole
S. 100, 2O7, and Tue whole STATE beside was but
$5,6463O3. Tue State tax thus shows dimi-
uGn , sysr and school, a asor. with
increase OF nearly $500, 900 by ike
psrson More than onethiro OF tho tax levy orlS77
Is represented by the school tax. 10 meet the imme
date oxigency The Comptroller sugg SIS the appro-
priatiou OF definite sum Tor schools and tax SUN
cent provde II, thus no. leaving things ut loose
ends; but Governor Robinson, In his Message, pro.
poses radical measure " berae the taxpayers
IRON burden moro than double the sum required 10
Sfafs
ccutve Legislative, JUDICIAL civil and military In his
judgment very areat wrong has grown up Ia con-
. n.S.'0n lies IN sppIv,pS the State money.
10 Tue support Of high schools aud instruction the
sciences and higher branches Of study required in the
learned proieysions He lud excuse for rails.
ing money by general taxation for such purposes He
thinxs tho ouly good reason which can be urged fer
taxing CLASS or citizens Tor tue education OF
oil other class the necessity oil giving
the children OF oil classes sufficient common school
Education 10 enable them to understand ther duties
aud exercise their rights citizens. OF
Tree country governed by the popular voice
Wnen We 60 beyond this aud take from
man the money necessary TO educate his children to
educate the children OF another man In The arts and
sceuces the Governor believes perpetfate an act
OF INJUSTICE under the forms OF law. What Is worse
than thus no tninxs Is that instead of educating tho
masses OF children TO prepare them Tor the pur
suits and industries upon which lhey pend for
q l,ying educate them Ia such way O.
make them dIscontonted with their condition.
unnt to discharge It's duties Ia manner most
beneficial 10 thor Interests and take away tho
strong incentives which impel who are really
aoic aud worthy 70 win for themselves high positions
In learning and usefulness. He Is convinced that
when the state has gwen all the children a good
com mon school education, II should there leave uem
10 ther resources aud TO follow such callings in
life US their capacities ut them Tor 10 20 beyond
thiv be says Is to injcre rather than benens thon.
EcosOxIzE.
From tho foregoing review u appears that the cti-
zens 10 their own localities have quite much 20 Go
win proper arrangement and reduction OF taxation
as The Legislature, which, together With the State Ex-
ecutivr, has accomplished much IN their Interest IN
IN unht Two yeavs
The Comptroller estimatcs that for tho noxt fiscal
year levy oil two and three-ourths N Ills win be SUM-
Gent Tor taxation This IS the lowest Of the
last sixteen years, and shows the rapid progress
which has rccrn,ly been made toward a
nuances. Governor Alvord, with whom have
con vcrsed on his subject wilnIn lew days, believes
that we will gradually, from the accreon OF our sink
ing funds and Immediate future, get State
ak down low point as that OF any other State
IN the Union 1--WE can today" said he, 81 wc could
buy bonds OF the State at par, pay of. with i've
mil TAX on The present valuation, the entiro Indebted
ness OF ne State ana all The expenses OF tho State
government aud thereafter run Inc less than
iwo mills iux iton But mo Aston estate the Equita
bic Lilo Other insurance companies hold The ma
joriiy tho Uonded indebtedness oil the state, the
longest lie OF which expires IN 1881 You can't buy
bonus Tor less tnau 10 or IN" 80
In regard TO the Canals Governor Alvord has
doubt That undcr superintendent AS capable the
present OF STATE Prisons their expense
eau be lowered this year tnriyturee ana ono.third
per cont below their reduced cost ISL 000 last
wear and dpat the tax on commerce. 20 dcfruy that
cost would be heither large nor onerous, pnd would
not Increase might diminish tho present toll
YET he believes that. the toll rate was oil removed
that would course be all the better for transorta
tion. there rs IN TACT pretty strong advocacy
OF free canals even among those here who
arc equally strong advocates OF reduced taxa.
ton. There Is also some ominous squirting
toward tho railroad and other heavy corporations,
wnicn will PROBABLY result, AS usual, IN nothng very
oublesome TO them In Pennsylvania the State TAX
on the Individual citizen n very low. The reason is
that the state imposes heavy taxes on railroads
other c. operations discriminating taxes, which 60
rectly into the slate Treasury. Raroad taxes IN
YORK are distributed over the entire domain and paid
q caunIlcs. cities and towns