New-York tribune., 1884-01-12

Ic complaint IOf many years past nad Deen tle ItcJ
that the city made to pay an unjust proportion
amounting to nearly one-haf-of the entire State
tax. That was the result of the high valuations in
New-York compared with other counties in the
State Ofcourse, every dollar added to the valua-
tion in the city would increase the proportion of the
State tax which it is called upon to bear If every
piece of real estate in the city were assessed at a
value to be determined by the highest price which
any one would pay for it, the result woud be an ad-
ditiOn Of two million dollars to the part of
| the State tax which the city now has to pay.
| That would be a further burden i'm
posed on the taxpayers without any benefit
whatever Increasing the valuations wOuld lower
the tax rate and make it appear that the City Gov
ernment was not increasing taxation, but it wou
be mere subterfuge. 1t would not cause person
to pay any less money into the city treasury, but
would really increase the amount taken from the
people by adding to the excessive sum already paid
into the State treasury.
The Board of Tax Commissioners, consisting of
President Asten and Commissioners Donney aud
Feitner, adopted the neutrality-suspicious. yesterday
Wheeds-Ihe assessments for taxation of real and per
books record to opened for examination and
correction on Monday next 14th inst; and
WAereas-The Mayor Of the City of New-York, I'm his
annual Message has called attention to what he charges
as startling inequality IN the assessed valuation Of
real estate and illustrates his meaning" in the words
following:
An examination and valuation OF eightyseven
Rnowicdge @ as Si to the value Of The city real es
OF tiess eghVseyen Pieces Of property is s43o3O0oO
The a % Of b the sane N 4 PSBf ss, 4 ia
and Assessments, by Commissioner of Ac ma
counts is 92I4o636O
Resoied-That with view Of correcting any such ir
reguares may be found to exist before the assess
to in the above extract from annual Message the
Mayor be requested TO furnish this Department at
the details of the property affected with the Of the
owners thereof by ward map and street numbers,
specifically may be In his power.
Rcsolred-The attention OF the Grand Jury Is invited
to the statements and recommendations Of his Honor
the Mayor I'm ms annual Message to the Board Of Alder
those statements and recommendations
affect the Department OF TaKeS and Assessments inc
reflections on the Department contained in the Message
would seem to demand for iI own yindicaton at the
bands Of your body thorough investigation and we re-
specfuy suggest that such Investigation be undertaken
SOME CURIOUS INFORMATION ABOUT PATRONAGE.
A well-known ex-city Official, who has had
great deal of experience with the inner workings
of the Municipal Government, in answer to inqui-
RES on this subject yesterday, said
"The great bane of the City Government is pat
ronage. | think you will find that this has
something to do with the charges against the Tax
Department. l have been told that Controller
Grant when private secretary for the Mayor, re-
quested the Tax Board to make his brother-in-law
Deputy Commissioner. The man who now fills
that Office Mt. Coleman, has long been in the Tax
Office aud is an expert in its business and believe
the Tax Board refused to make change. The
Mayors brother-in-aw, Colonel Z. L. Wood, has
been an applicant at nearly all the departments for
patronage, and he did not neglect the Tax Board.
But l think he had less success there
than elsewhere. Now, in the Corpora
ton Counsels Office he succeeded in
doing pretty well. Since last spring Mr.. Wood has
been receiving regularly from $3.50 10 $500 a
- I, o., -
Counsel5 Office"
For what purpose is he paid that sum"
"For professional services You know, by the
MAYORS influence Mr.. Woods son was made Clerk
of the Court of Special Sessions, with very light
work and a salary of $4,000 year. l believe that
he has another son relative in the Health De-
partment. think some of the Police Justices could
give you some interesting information about the
methods pursued to get Mr.. Woods chosen Clerk
of the Special Sessions Court. think you will find
that promise was made then to secure the reap
pOintment of Hugh Gardner as Police Justice. He
was renOminated, but at a time when 1t was known
that he would be rejected. Mr. Wood has made
a good many promises but whether or not
he is authorized to speak for tho Mayor
is moro than l know. l am afraid that the
Mayor is unwittingly being compromised by men
who desire to see him TenOminated. Just before
Professor Chandler went out of the Health Board
he had request from Colonel Wood for patronage.
And You know there has since been a reorganization
in that department viii ch, while it increased the
expenses to the city, resulted in placing of the
Mayor at the head of a division with a salary of
SO 900. am told that the Mayor has another son
on the city pay-rolls."
Glow do you connect all this with the charges
against the Tax Department.
''Well am merely expressing my opinion, from
what have heard that there has been some trouble
about patronage, and these facts go TO show that
such might be the casc 1 notice that the Mayor
has no fault to find with some Of the departments
where the need Of investigation is extremely ser- |
ous."
OPINIONS OF A DEPUTY COMMISSIONER.
One of the Deputy Tax Commissioners, whose |
business it is to real estate in to
quries on this subject, said:
Until the Mayor furnishes the specific instances |
of which he complains can tell you nothing The
valuations of real estate have been increased large
ly under the present Board. IL is the business of
the deputies, under the law, to make the ASSESS
ments and the Board cannot make any changes
except on complaint of properly y-h0der, or after
the person interested has received due notice The
books are open from the second Monday III January
until April and any person who Is prOporiOnately
assessed more than any other property y-hOder under
the law can secure redress IN the courts. / think
probably Mr, Astens course in the Board of Esti-
only speak OF my work. The Mayor may
have good reasons for what he says, but don't
know of them. i have been told, however that
the Mayor wanted the valuations increased so as 10
keep down the tax rate. That was a device oil the
old Tweed Ring"