New-York tribune., 1885-10-21
r-coNTROLLERWADSWORTH
IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICES.
.,c,,so THE TAXATION OF coRPoRArioNs-RE-
Tffh' FORM IN PUBLIC PRINTING.

.,,,sG THE TAXA VT No" 49,
yffhe vopw IN PUBLIC PRINTING.
nucr.I CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE J
ifhoA \ Y. Oct. 1S.-The broad main
..r,s nniet village after wandering past stores
comes the northern part OF the place. 10
At first sigat TO be tue ga'es OF puonc P'rA
49,, the lncIosure one sees nooie od trees auo oe"'"
"ha cIa1es and standing on rising ground Is
fu fu, ,aosiou with barns near by The PARK belongs
ss'o' .u-known WadswOrth family. The mansion
70 'u0 N, h, General James 4. WadswOrth who was
was ,ho Rattle of the Wilderness in 1861 and Janes
- Mr1s,yorth his son, now lives in It, The N"''-
'" w. fther and son. have deserved ana recciVeu hS"
W., ,ro,n the Republican party General "a"S"oF'n
'o"iroted for Governor by tue Union Republican
We" , ss3 but as the soldiers were not pernltteito 10
par" :" - d.feated by Horato Seymour There were
'V'' "a noo Rcnublicaus from NewYOrk in the army
"', ,,,,vine rear when these soldiers were allowed
~ ta tao Republicans swept the state General "a"s'
- nanfuy accepted his political defeat III 1919 anu
,v f,nelt on VITA the army De was haJor-
, rnea he was shot at the Battle Of the wilderness
a., q 1864 His portrait hangs above the Eiep'cc III
VI 90 home fanked on either side by saOros that nc
MS" ,hna n soldier. His son. James W. WadsWorth'
, his father was keG, enlisted at cigAteeh years Vi
aud saw considerable service IN tae p"V'eS "ooU
n,.r.hurg He was captain on Gehcfai W. ~
as"r,ou. staff and when the ended at AppomatoX
~ discharged with the rank OF brevet-nOor con-
,red for gallautand mertorious service al 'F p"o
"No porks Mr.. WaIsworth is member Of Curtis
pat No 392 OF the Grad Army OF the KepuoAc MI"
,so a member Of the Loyal Legion
~ os natural that the Republicans OF Livingston
connty should honor him by eiectng him member Oh
49, ,ssen,,,y a. they did i'll 1877 aud 1873 "hen MS
s,s,ogn,hed service in the Legislature brought him the
1,,hlic,n nomination for Controller in 1879, this
notv c,yo him a far vote than any other cahu
sa,e When lie ran for Congress IN 1851 ana aS'u III
1899 the Livingston Republicans pushed MIN a1ou III
,har candidates ha same ticket HIS nomination ior
Cn,roier BY the Republican state Convention TINS year
has much gratihed them and tAey promise 10 give MN
a larger majority than he has ever yet had
Mr. WsiswoIth's record as a pubic oihcer Is suon
on s the friends Of few candidates are aDe 10 Puosh
in their behalf brief revGw of 1t cannot nut DO o
,orot TO the taxpayers OF the state who nave oeeh
hneAted TO the extent OF nearly SSOoOoOO by his WORK
when member OF the Assem- bly, in 1879 MS atteh'lo"
Ms attracted to the taxation laws OF the state lie
b.came convinced that they were UNJUST permVunS "'
thev did corporations 10 escape nearly all taAaoh' Ao
therefore introduced resolution III the Assembly, cak
the attention Of the Committee on Ways AMI Means 10
the evasion of on 10y corporations and asking that
b he fsmed compel them to bear their sare OF TAX
,on For weeks the committee laoOred to perfect tue
hiu heine aided constantly by Mr. WadswOrth VINO
finally called its attention to the PennsyIVaua UA"'on
laws and submitted copies of them, for whicn ne h'u
s,nt 10 Harrisburg. The corporations Mr. "as"or,n
pointed out pay all the state taxes OF Pennsyivaa
sryued that the system could be lhsuIu'o" III
~ Yorr TINS reducing the taxation OF the people. He
snbmttel to the committee bills modelled upon 'he
PENNSYLVANIA taxation laws ana thsy were acoepVou'
So startling innovation, however Ihat 'nc LNs'
lature after long debates. declined TO pass the os'
That fall Mr. wadsworth was elected Cohtroier' Not
discouraged by his failure OF the year before nc went
h,. tho committees of the Legislature Of $50 aud
rr.ssed the adoption OF his bills This time he was
successu but till after long struH9o au" di'r no
had been compelled to accept amendments 10 tue o''
which almost destroyed their usefulness mus tue o
insurance and the street railway companies secu CA
enuton from taxation. and there were 'eAaI'ouS
,tons an rho taxation OF Others. Controller Wads-
orth WAS satisfied however. tat the principle OF taNhs
eornorations had been adopted. Tue following year,
ssl he hal the Corporation Taxation law amended anu
innro ed to such extent tna Is now aWoHt III 'u0
saape In which presentelit To the Ways anu ioHu
Committee of 1879. rhe work VI putting the Ia" III
opraton called considerable additional LABOR on us
mart He created new bureau in the COnt'ollers ONCE
and instituted careful search IN every city "ud
village Of the for corporations. AItcr He naI
secured the amendment OF the Corporation law lu 1881
few corporations able 10 escape pdy INK toll 10 te
state During first year tue law was IN operation
Controller TadswOth collected Sl4l l2I % Tue second
war ne coiiocte, for nearly ~ ,O0OGoO The
increase 10 the amen iments ~lch ne secure.
to the law In his annual report 70 Tue Leslslaeuo Vi
lssl concerping the operations OF Ms oe'~funeH' ior
Tie iegisatuFe OF 1850 inausurated system OF
taxing the corporate property Oi the etAH which l
Dcseut TAX laws IL is IN part ia imitation OF
tne system now In vogue In Pehns lVania Dn Us wiz
MI WAN De
adonte,l the result 10 not entirely satisfactory AS
member OF tho Ways and Means Committee O 1879
made ina airy uto the practical working o the ia" lax
ing CORPORATIONS in Orce II Pennsylvania where Tue
eutre State revenue s raised by tax on cOrporaoDs
coartuershIps. ETC., relieving til" localities irOm al
taxation for stats purposes. became convinced mat
sucL law would not only work admirably III thls state
but would eliminate fr'n our tax problem on; goat
diihculty-i A., the taxation Ot corporations
the taxation Of real estate aud the personal property OF
individuals taken mp next by the Legislature But
the system entirely tO most o the neinO RS ana
was considered too radica change, ana The winter
passed in vain attempts to patch up the Old laws
re tze that change would be radical one ana WOuIu
upset laws that have outgIown and whi'n should DC
replaced applicable 10 our present cOndl
tOus and realize also that 1t Is change which
would require the most careful thought 10 put Into
operation doing injustice Ia the vast anu varied
Interests OF the state. But 1t can DC d0ne ana nrhy
believe that 1t should be done.
Mr. Wadsworth then stated that he had been able 10
collect only Sl4l,i27 03 under the new law and
tue series of amendments whcn when aGOf ted
in 1881 increased from the atlOns TO
S992 725 rs The effect work recorded Ia his
annual report for 1881 which submitted 10 the
Legsature ~ 1882, III the following statements The
administration OF the last years point with par
dOuabe pride the OF its labors TO the greatly
improved coudDa OF the several trust funds, 70 tue
largest surplus Treasury has ever hail. and to the
lowest tax rate since 1886.
Is Interesting contemplate the financial result OF
Mr. wadswOrths Corporation Taxation law Here II Is:
Year. Controller. Receipts.
1880. W. WlswoIth Slt.lX! 03