New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-09
BROADWAY NOTEBOOK.
MEN AND THINGS THE COUNTRY ROUND.

|
THE PERSONAL NOTES AND NOTIONS OF BROAD
| WAY LoUNGER.
The little chambers Of the various posts Of the Grand
Army OF the Republic, thousands IN number have
become libraries especially rich in all Of books rc
/ ating to the War o. tie Rebellion. There has conse-
quentiy been advance the price OF many books OF
THIS sort Those Posts extend from the FAR Eastern por
tons Of Canada to the Sandwich ISLANDS. general
irefniation OF Democratic and Republican veterans Is
noticeable md the portion Of their lives they take most
pride and comfort that which they spent i'm the field
! In defence OF the country.
| Probably u c best managed Bureau Department In
orr city government is that for the collection OF taxes
| presided over 10y General Martin L. Mcmahon. At
recent investigation OF the city government prompt and
distinguished exception made to the management ~
this department. while nearly all the Others were con-
denned The Dcputy-Recever, who bears an old Dutch
name has been in Office thirty years and is still youth
| ful looking man. lie has the political revolutions
in this city since Fllmores day His salary "a only
5000 year. and the Commissioners "a only $4,000
year. The latter solicited to take this Office by
| Andrew ". Green when the salary $4,000. Fail
ing 10 coincide with the Tidcn programme nj all points
General McAahon sptefully cut down till his office
now Yields him bare support For this salary he taxes
| in something like S}j,oOo0Oo every year. During the
month Of October $l7.OO0OO0 were collected The
money came in generally ut the rate OF about S6OOooo
for working day. doubt If any OF the Departments at
Washington are better MANAGED than this The system
has within few years reinOdclel and Is now next
to perfect There small checks in some cases IA low
three fer dra Nbacks due to taxpayers and IN
every these cnycoped and classified and can lie
| claimed after yrars.
The oc OF tho Commissioner Of Taxes Is In the square
brown building the o. the new Colrt House
This building Is c0mmIstblc. and the highly valuable
books containing the ax receipts and accounts OF ms
city shcve in dry wood Tho Receiver has aoorei
for get iron shelving there. but the Department
cf Public Works has moro pressing orfdr pocal oh
ccts II these books shall burn up the responsibility
viii he placed by the people weYa IL belongs Nnt long
the floor OF the Rrrcver office became rotten that
fat woman went through aud II shc had injured herscf
could have recovered heavy damages from The city,
ina.mnch rs city had compelled her TO to this
Office 10 nay her taxes The policy seems 10 he to post
pone everything of this aud wait for general ap-
preparation for big building. The stewart Building
considered the most eligible purchase In town ny
the heads Of Departments. re Is nearly fire proof Is
harmonious in FORM and I'm II could be gathered most ~
the city Departments The time II not far distant when
NewYorl, will no required erect elihce for It's
working Departments ana probably npon the City Hall
Park
The amount " Ignorance existing among people OF
good diligence about working methods ~ this city
government is hard to he measured Nneteuths OF the
people think that they must tn the Tax Com
mssloners office with the ready money In their hands
ON the contrary, an application by letter. enclosing
stamped envelope aires4cd would insure the return by
NATL OF the amount Of taxation with the drawbacks OF
the penalties attached The money then be sent by
check because tho city transacts it's business through
bank the Importers and Traders and this bank deals
with the checks T. would with merchants am not
whether the Water Tax Office does the same Every
piece Of ground in NevYor city. with the improvement
upon It, Is denoted in official map or atlas wh'ch ~
said to cost something hundred dollars per copy
This atlas chart gVss the exact size of every lot Is made
% scale has key In tho atlas and tho tax ONCE com
mubcaes with the real estate owner through this map
Every piece Of ra estate has atlas number and that
number the tax ONCE employs in communicating with
the BY tho system Of paying taxes the DIS 20
forward from point point stopping not with the cash
fer. but with the final receipt
The question of personal taxes lies somewhat in abey-
ancc in this city. Nomnay taxes are due the city on
any description Of valuable personal property such ~
stocks bonds furniture. libraries pictures. etc But a.
the debts the indiv iu be AN Offset to this pe-
property not macn Is derived from tle TAX feI
the relations the tax oco and the law are very
intimate. Not long official who Is now deceased
conceived an elaborate scheme to backmal owners OF
personal property by having them cited for contempt
settling their cases. but cxactlng the marshals fees To
that end books had bean borrowed by the official and
taken away from tho tax Office The scheme coming to
the consciousness OF the tax receiver he pounced uron
the ont .dc Office and removed the books. General Nc
Mahon Is the former contractor in this city. aud
daring the war was an important Chief of std with
General Sedswick and others.
Mr. Arthur NJ Baker who has his. stenographic
Bnrcau in the Stewart Building ia the frat cousin OF
Richard Burton the celebrated African traveller who
made the Journey to Mecca in disguise Burton'S mother
was "A Miss Baker and the senographers father Inherited
anu spent three-quarters Of ii million
Thl. Is tho age Of remrnisceuces Bandmann. the
No.. .+ueaF
LAWYER in Washington iswrlting his diplomatic rcm-
nj ccpces in Cuba spain and Washington. Thus litera-
tnre Is King more and of the newspaper form from
year 10 year.
The colle railroad sy.fen seems to be .spreadng
tlonyh IL better adopted to the suburbs OF large cities
than 20 their promenade and residence streets II has
nj late b,en bying up street railroad companies giving
them stock In exchange and paying for all their OUTFIT
I'm hi. way a cable railroad extends through Market-'t
Philadelphia. Some Of the Test avenues OF Chicago and
san Francisco have long been used for this purpose
Cincinnati which saather slow 90 adopt suggestions s
now to Ice attacked An advantage of cable ears that
tbey iispense with cruelty animals and they asO is
p-c with locomotives, which fIighen carriage horses
one Of the most complete railroad statlonsin the vcn-
v Of New orlt ia thai If west shore company at
Weehawken II in the Queen Anne style and the many
ferry slips all open at r1ht ANGLES into magnificent
ornt coonnae which Ia paved with wood chemically
treated The waiting ruom ia splendid hall In hard
pine aud T. the largest waiingrO0m any Of our railroads
at New York posarss This company Ia running very
lnr AMI crowded trains aud the Rad he'd Ia now IN
Ino elastic condition Tho Forty second at alr Ia com.
ing ure ant me into use. though hcre Ia some DELAY
I'm attaching the trains bv this fcty t the longer trains
vnls come FROM tho renna, lvania staon at jeraey
city
Collector. Of boosa ara bringing osether tho different
A0aftt. nt-t