New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-28
rlxA11oy And LocAL ASSESsMEYrs.

DISCUSSION AT TIE NJ ETiNG or THE WEST SIDE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE PRESENT
IAWs-sPEECH BY DWIGHT II. OLMsTEAD.
A meeting of the West Side Association of
property owners held special meeting last night, at
No GA West Thrty fourhst.. for the pupOse Of dis
c,ssnr Taxation ana local stncnts.' The attend
ance vi members was small. Dviglt H. Oms'ead pre-
sided and in introducing The special subject under con
sheraton remarked that there not much 20 he said
upon IL. 30 far as det.ls were concerned,
except what TIE TRIBUNE lad already sand, and
which tAe best that coald be said in reference a.
the question. TIE TRIBUNE argued thar the present
tax laws should be- wholly repealed ana new cn-
acted. and WITH THIS view many no doubt agreed Dur
Ing the past few days TIE TRIBUNE has Dit to pub
sh The OF gentlemen who pay taxes, and OF gen
tlenen who don't pay taxes. He questioned The pro-
priety OF that sort Of thing" but he did not
thlnk any harm would accrue from this publication on
the contrary il showed such Inconsistencies ana ncon-
uties in tie existing laws that people reading 1t
would be disposed TO vote FOR the modification Of those
laws.
The principal point to property owners in this discus
sion was to the extent to which unimpoyed property
should be tuxed the difference between the tax placed
upon improved and unnproved property; and what
OF the West SIDE unmproved property ought 10 be
taxed Toy downtown improvements lighting; etc Also
should be questioned whether unimproyed property
ought to be taxed ut ALL and u so taxed, whether II
question Of exemptions too should not be overlooked.
regard churches. for instance. lie would not say
what the Law should he IN regard To all these
matters bIt the law applying TO both real
and personal estate IN this city were entirely absurd
There gentlemen certainly wealthy who did not
pay taxes. aud there corporations, and large
amount OF city properly that also ESCAPED taxation.
There had lately been good deal said about the
sessments ana II generally supposed that the
uptown improvements had been made mostly at the
pense OF city large Such not the case. how
The lnrger part assessed on the property OF
Individual lot and paid or by Them The follow
ggures. complied from official records would show
this - -
was paid one half by the city one half charged
on the lot owners ~ local assessment.
The OF the SXthave opening was paid Tor nv the
city, Sli 900: charged on tue property owners 4lS3O7
The of the improvement or The Sixtnlye..
S223 5j3 81 WIS all charged ON the propertyOwners
Ihe cost ~ ST. Nichoas-aye. opening was paid for !:
BY the oily, S2l9i3 charged on the property-owners,
Sy35,js Dc
The cost OF the improvement OF One-hunfred-and-
tent-S west Of j. ghtbaye. paid for BY The city,
SG5.OOO: ny the property owners, sl23,494.
Tae following the particulars OF the expenditures
for opening streets and paTk and on construction hc-
count on improvements between lfiy ninth anu one
hundrcdand hffy-nfth-sts from January j, 1851. TO
January 1, 1873, the period covering the when
the uptown Improve ment. made. For op-n-
Inc strets aud parks: Paid by the ciiy Si3j54 6Gl
paid by property-owners by special assessments,
Si7,206.475.
For strict improvements during same period-Psid by
tbe city 81 0J05i6 paid by properyowners by special
assessments, sl4, 4O2,S4S.
George T. Lespinasse moved that the appointment OF
a Committee Taxation be Teenmmt nded 20 the Board
OF Directors. to inqure into the mod OF taxation
adopted In other countries and consider what improve
mcnt could be made in method. THIS
ried. and George IA. Andrews for some time Commit
sOner Taxation, gave his ut length the
manner In which taxation ought To be carried out