New-York tribune., 1879-12-18

general eh is not to reduce the amoun. of taxes
paid In New-York. but only to cause them 10 bear
uncqua!y and inequitably upon the community.
The personal taxation in New-lork constitutes
nearly twohirls of the entire personal taxation o.
the State. aud there be 10 doubt that IN tins rs
well as IN real estate taxation Newlork pays more
than ITS proper share OF the general burden. Thus
in the wear 1873 the final amount OF personal taxa
tion assessed by the local assessors IN New-York
was $197,532 075. aud the total amount assessed
in the TEST OF the whole state was Sl5i.93T.2i5
SUGGESTIONS FROM A PRACTICAL MAN.
An ex-Commissoner. who is an authority on tax
matters. said yesterday that he was opposed alto
gether To personal taxation. The difference in the
amount of personal property assessed IN this city,
as compared with the rest of the State Tor the
year 1878. seemed grossly unfair, and un-
doubtedy Il an imposition on the city OF "a very
heavy burden. Nevertheless II was difficult to see
how il could be chang Il. That the City OF New
York alone should be assessed on Sl97, ,532,075 OF
personal property while the assessment on the same
class of propcrtv all the rest of the State Is only
Sl5i. .9372l5. seemed exceedingly unfair and on
the face would indicate great injustice But tie
assessors of the interior counties responded by de-
claring that New-York the great money centre OF
this continent. and is rapidly becoming that of the
world. 1t was the tendency of money TO flow in
this direction.
Instead of exempting personal property from tax
alton he would endeavOr to reach hundreds of mil
lions that now escape and would subject all to the
operation Of just and equal laws, TO be justly and
equally administered by the authorities OF the
State. SO much personal property now escapes that
the law bears hardly on those that 1t can reach. In
ITS workings II is like harrow that tears up by the
roots everything it touches. instead of passing
smoothly over the surface, pressing ON all alike.
tie would cndeavor to relieve real estate as far
possible from the oppression of state equali-
zation. Indeed, he not certain that
he would not relieve real estate altogether.
from taxation for state purposes. State taxation
should be amended IN many particulars. lie be-
hoyed that all corporations created by or doing
business in the State should be assessed by
the Stale Assessors. upon sworn returns,
aud the taxes paid direct to the State
Treasurer By this means hundreds OF millions that
now escape would be taxed. In assessing taxes,
they should be fixed upon the value of the stock,
percentage upon gross receipts or in proportion TO
dividends. including scrip and stock dividends.
These rates should be low in order TO at
tract rather than TO Tepel capital, and at
the same time yield a large revenue. As
il is now the law absolutely drives
ont of the city great deal of personal property
that would naturally remain here. Discrimination
shoud be made in the rate of taxation
npon corporations formed under the general manu-
lacturing law SO to foster such interests far
as practicable and equitable.
He would not tax the small manufacturers in pro-
n9rtion TO the large. Probably il would be better
10 exempt those dong "A business of not more than
SO 900 per aunum altogether, and impose a license
tax moderate in amount, upon certain classes of
business. Each county might determine. by ITS To-
cal legislature, whether 1t VIII tax, Tor its
local purposes, other descriptions Of per-
sona property. The reason TO: tins is that there ~
some personal property which the law now makes
taxable in one county and exempt in another
An effort has been made in the past to have mort
cages exempt from taxation in tnis city. The plan
pT0posec recognizes the dOctriIe OF what Is called
local option" aud applies It to taxation of certain
pronerty Real estate might be relieved en-
iirclv from taxation for state purposes. Ii
wonid be great relief TO the landed
interest Besides thc present laws Tor assessing real
estate would work well where the incentive 10
irTcgularity is removed by the lifting OF the state
tax from such property. There should be either
ripid tax law to reach every description OF prop
erlv in bonds or in dividends. OF all such property
shCuld be exempt. Any middle course must be
he'd up rs an unjust principle. DO Que thing or the
nihrr his is a problem which Will tax the skill
of the best men III the Legislature There should
be uniform tax system, otherwise II Is species OF
robbery Unless the law bears equally tins Is sure
To be the case.