New-York tribune., 1880-01-12


There is, unhappily. so little public knowl-
edge of public affairs in this city that even
the taxrayers. who form snail proportion oi
the pouul tion. may properly be ADVISED 10
read the account given elsewhere OF The way
ili v.lch taxes are levied and paid. TO the
mass cf our citizens it viii be likely to have
mlrl, more Of hemeritoI novelty than ii wouId
have if thay were better citizens. THIS Is fax
raviao ma6c plain, if NOS made easy ana thc
actual or prospective owner Of either real OF
personal property can follow the process
nom the time Of the assessment until
the tax on the one is paid into the treasury,
or the tax on the other is sworn off. The
recent agitation of this question renders TINS
talk with an expert lawyer, who has made tax
laws his speciality, very interesting one.
Why not come down at once to three per
cent? That is the question propOunded
to the Government by one Of the ablest and
most successful fnanccrs of this generation, III
the very striking letter which we print to-day in
another column. Why should the United
States pay more than England, when her
credit is Us coed, aud her prosper
ity so much greater2 And why fix
date for redeennng, when the Govern
ment's obligation would be more val
uable If not redeemable at all-the Govern
mcnt being left to go into the open market
aud buy when ii wants to extinguish 1t? All
who profit by frequent loans and much fund
ing and refunding. will declare the idea
impracticable. Perhaps it is, but there
Is no more practical and successful man OF
Al, tb. " a
PROPOSES it. The matter will, at least, com
mand thoughtful discussions and Congress
men will find the letter and accompanying
bill interesting reading.
The controversy between the Excise officials
and the police respecting the responsibility Of
unlicensed hquor-selling will at least give the
public an opportunity to judge for themselves
who are at fault, and what changes are
needed in the law. Commissioner Morrison, In
the talk which is reported elsewhere continues
the line OF defence already adopted by his
colleagues, declaring that the continuance oi
the unlicensed traffic is owing to failure IN
duty on the part OF the police. As II stands,
il is, from one point of view, very pretty
quarrel. The police assert, through Supcrln-
| tendelt WallIng, that they have done all Ia
their power; that it is impossible for them
10 get the proper evidence on which
to base prosecutions; That il is the
duty of the Excise Commissioners TO obtain
this evidence by means of their inspectors,
and TO report the cases to the police; that in
every such case so reported, the police have
promptly made arrests. The Excise view OF
the case Is that the Commissioners have
! fulfilled their function when they have
issued or declined 10 issue a license, and
tnat then the matter falls within the
jurisdiction of tie police. Meanwhile the
! 9G3 unlicensed saloons-Dr. Crosby says,
in q letter printed on another page, that
thCv really number 1.OOO-are in full blast.
II is worthy Of note that DR.. Crosby fully
sustains Superintendent Walliug's criticisms
upon the Excise Commissioners and says he
has always found the police ready and eager
to suppress the illegal liquor traffic.