The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-24

! glowing maps of Stree Kansas, as they did
OF Texas, and so the hegira has begun
The Southern land owners have themselves
somewhat to blame for this condition OF
affairs. No doubt rents have been too HIGH
and the system of giving storekeeper's
privilege on plantations to inscriptions
men who give the negro credit in order to
swindle him is having its effect. High
rents, swindling storekeepers and negro
politicians are turning the tide toward
Kansas.
The New Assessment and Tax Bill.
Altogether the most important measure
presented at this session, and perhaps for
several sessions. of the New York Legs-
lature, is the bill reported near the end of
last week by special committee of the
Senate relating to the assessment and tax
alton of property 1t has been felt
for a long period that our system
Of State taxation is not suited to
the present condition OF affairs. So
long ago us when Mr.. Hoffman
was Governor the Legislature authorized
him to appoint commission to examine
this subject and suggest changes. Cover
nor Hoffman did appoint very able COM
mission with David a. Wells at it's head,
going out OF the State to find an expert OF the
highest reputation in respect to questions Of
taxation. But the system recommended by
Mr.. Wells and his associates proposed SO
radical change that it was regarded as
theoretical and fanciful, and it fell stillborn
in the Legislature to which their report
was made. Since that failure the question
of State taxation has been discussed with
great intelligence, Mr.. George H. Andrews,
late Tax Commissioner of this city, having
made the most noteworthy contributions to
the discussion. The special committee of
the State Senate have kept quite clear of
the innovations proposed by Mr.. Wells and
Mr. Andrews, and have devised plan of
their own more in accordance with the
| average tone of thinking on this subject.
| The special committee of the Senate rec
ognize as fully as Mr.. Wells or Mr.. Andrews
that the present system of taxation, adopted
when agriculture was almost our only in
terest, is unsuited to the present condition
of the State. They refer to the vast aggre-
cations of wealth and capital which were
unknown when our present tax system was
adopted, and to the new species of corpo-
rate property which has grown up, ''nearly
equalling the entire value Of real estate"
and which ''has almost escaped assessment
and taxation" 1t is the main purpose of
the new bill to bring this vast aggregate Of
property owned by corporations within the
scope of the Tux laws aud make it bear its
proportional share of the public burdens.
Were this the sole object OF the bill it
would be exposed to no just criticism, ex-
cept perhaps in details susceptible OF easy
amendment in the progress Of the bill
through the Legislature. But it includes
another change Of more doubtful expe-
diency. In assessing real estate and other
property it proposes to deduct the Just
debts of the owners. The probable effect Of
this exemption would be that mortgages
would be transferred to people living in
other States, and considerable portion of
the fixed property which is protected by
New York laws would elude New York
taxation. Nevertheless, this is likely to be
one of the most popular features of the
new bill, and if its adoption is necessary to
carry the other parts of it it will be better
to take the bill as whole than to lose the
very important features which bring the
vast aggregate OF corporate property within
the effective operation of our tax laws.
Why should not tho immense capital Of
our railroad companies pay its equitable
share of State taxes? Why should not the
very lucrative street car companies and
elevated railroads bear their fair proportion
Of the public burdens? There are no filter
subjects Of taxation than these wealthy cor
po.ations, which almost entirely escape
under existing laws. A great railroad,
whose property stretches through twenty
counties of the State cannot be reached
under the present system. If any
one county attempts to assess it the plea is
always ready that it pays its taxes else
where. Under the present law it Is taxed
in the county where its principal Office is
located; but as it can change its principal
Office at pleasure it is tempted 10 locate il in
some county where taxes are .ightes,, and
it's taxability is made farce. BY the new
bill all corporate property-railroads, telc-
graph companies, horse car companies, cle-
waited railroads in cities = is to be put under
the supervision OF the State assessors,
who are to appraise the property and
distribute the amount of the assessment
among the counties in which the property
lies. This plan is excellent. Where the
property lies wholly within one county
like that of horse car companies and ele-
waited steam roads-the whole assessment is
to be for the benefit of that county. There