New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-02
VIEWS OF MIR. BRIGGS.


scrOn has made that 1t would be better relieve
kinds Of personal property altogether from taxa
ton. because II difficult to reach considerable
propoI Of IT, and therefore, 1t is urged that would
be better 70 tax such property can readily be reached
real estate the property Of corporations created BY
doIg business in the state to assessed by the State
Assessors upon returns and all such property
Is usceptiblo Of a fair aud full valuation"
"Tnc people will insist upon the taxation OF persoua
property" replied Mr.. Briggs This Information we
kct visiting tue various counties III the State. The
sentiment hioughou the State that the people
unwilling To- RELEASE p'r.onal property from taIaon.'
what proportion Of personal property Is now us
sasscd I"
"Not than 10 per OF all that ought to be.
think. III Cases probably not = III per
cent"
"IIow do YOU for such Wholesale evasion OF
the tax /"
"a great deal Is due to the negligence OF the Asses
as ln"r II this take the increased
ment OF Etc, OnOnd.ga. aud several other counties.
The uc,t illustrations. however, are shown in the
Of the towns OF New-lIaritorl and Marcy in Oneida
County,"
what were the changes in the assessments OF these
towns -
Nrw Hartford in 1874 assessed Its personal taxes at
s3 800 While IN 1876 tnis increased to 800. 100"
" How you account FOR this large Increase -
" The assessments for once rigilly made The
local every house In the nsp aud
questioned the occupants to the amount Of personal
property they Possessed liable to In this
they literally UTILIZED their duty"
d" low did this compare with the adjoining towns IN
the county ~
"Marcy Township. In the same county, in 1874. had
81 3Il pei >onal property and in 1876 had
cicaScdnt Sjl 30. In the entire county OF Oprid
tie increase was fun striking. In 1874 IN" entire
amount nf personal property assessed sc J64, Gl,
aud In s7G TINS WAS increased 10 $G.li7.06G."
Did not the people complain at this enlarged assess
inent INCREASING their taxes in proportion !"
NO They know II was literal com piance with the
law They did complain. however, that there was
power given to the Supervisors cqIaze the
mcnt on personal property"
You have said hardly than 10 per cen: OF
personal property taxed Tae great Jority OF the
country could not have followed the example OF
Oneida" No. There were many towns whoio nothing
like this close made, and they escaped
with slight tax ,tlon."
Would the direct effect OF this heavy assessment
OF personal property be to the tax Of that town
or county In which 1t levied OF proportion to
other and counties where personal property was
not full value. and would they not thus
bear unfair proportion Of the state tax ~
"Yes. II tho stat" Board Of Equalization had the
power eQualizc personal property they had real
estate O1pnddgA County would havc been equal
iz'd S2i43.3it less than II was last Fall. Orange
County would have been less by 50 534.l03 Columbia
County al 4i.2it ess; Dutcness County, T773.o 02
lrss Scw-York $3.50. 900 2OJ while Kings County
wound been Increased 81 G36306 This shows the
EFT ct OF having power rquazc personal property
The counties where the supervisors have power to
.qnallzc which full value suffer much
that the have doubted whether II Ia
their duty to recommend the assessment OF personal
property done In Now Hartford. because 1t lie
really punishment for integrity In the observance
the law To show the Injustice of tue want of
power TO r1ull1c property By the Supervisors in the
State Board OF Equalization. In one county tho
personal property assessed at so per cent Of its
viuc while In another II Il assessrd at It's full value
Ths makes just double the tax for all purposes those
have their property assrssed at Its full value Take
for Instance. the stock of bank In county II I.
assessed at onr.thrI par value. in another 1870
per cent. PRISON holding bank stock in both these
counties would pay nearly four times much IN
"a In the other"
q" Il there no law 10 correct Thu r.
NO And 1t is obyou-'y great wrong and injustice
In Ut-cgo County the banks assessed onthr thrir
par value. while I'm Columbia County the assessment
var = from 100 to l3O.'
Does not this arise from banks possessing
greater surplus than Othrrsf'
mo- II Is the lrect result OF local asscssors not
doing duty by assessing the stock full value
At the late annual meeting OF the Board % Supervisors
of O. -rgo County resolution passed asking tbat
the once Of state Assessor be abolished And yet from
tna county the Superyi OF have appealed
from the county equalization To tho state Asscssors
EyADIXG THE PAYMENT OF TAXES.
How Ia II that much personal property escapes
taIntioni'
Tue law Affords many modes Of escape. The worst
thing about this whole muttcr Of personal taxation Ia
th--;hat may be- worth million OF dollars. or.
may debt to the full amount or his personal prop
rrty or he may cxrangr t1abc securities for
ment bonds crcrnbacks or National banknotes. hold
them two days and then make oath that he has no tux
able personal property. THIS IL his legal Right"
re
unless he chooses"
No; and many choose not to pay farmer In
nrccut may mix hts his farm on the night Of
June 80 aud then drive them the limo into Con
nrcicui, keep them until the morning OF July ..
drive them houc. and mako oath before tho aserssor
Of Sew-York liable 70 .Iston personal property
that dat only Is liable to assessment and tax" -.
How, then. are any personal In xes cOlectedF
Partly persons deem It wrong TO elnde
no "d SSsT a% nc"
ery ase..sd IN Ii. st.te Of was saS7 no
people are orins educated how to avoid paving
taIrs Many gentlemen o. intelligence 6cl,sye t6at tne
value to the real estate. think TINS Is mistake. The
real estntc believe to BIO much more valuable There
IL justice In allowing person To pay on persoal
property only to an amount exceeding his debts any
moro thnn on real estate" ~ 49,
BY taxing all property real and personal requiring
every to mako out schedule OF property as 1t IA
S %SDf S cTous sn out it's full
personal property LARGELY Increased the tax rolls
here ss II has u Ohio Under tho operst OF the old
law there year. In tae City Of Cleveland the money
interest returned only 5000. Under the new
law-hs listing systen-tbis Item alone was increased
to $i27OOO This was, Of course number OF years
ago sneak Of II because Am familiar with the facts,
and AL illustration IN the Town OF East Cleveland.
under the old there three men who paid only
the law they paid than the remaining la7 tax
pay in tho town. No complained. as the law was
deemed just Rich 70 oil have had faculty
for getting ri0Of taxation"
AN ABORTIvE LEGISLATIVE INQUIRY.
"Cannot the Legislature devise practical means
OF meeting this question: by amending or altering the
laws relative to personal taxatIonf
"Thc committees Of Finance or the Senate, and Ways