New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-17
TAMMANYS TAX RATE.
,.vpx, RARE A FLIMSY DECEPTION.
..rr PRETTY SCHEMES HELD UP 10 THE LIGHT
~ TIE rAssErr ooMMlrTEE-c1TIzESs DO
NOT PAY so MUCH THIS YEAR, BUT
WAIT TgLL THE BILLS COME IN.

TIE rAssErT coMMlrTEE-cITrzENs DO
not PAY so MUCH THIS YEAR, BUT
WAIT TILL THE BILLS COME IN.
Meant that man Of figures. Accountant Tate, Michael
.-u.n. president Of the Board Of Taxes and Asses-
- vas the only witness examined yesterday By
Il. s>te Senate Committee on Cities. Mr.. T&$es
- dusy was 10 identity his calculations In regard 10
~ Iepsrtment. The testimony Of Mr.. Coleman Wa
sstine 70 taxpayers. in view Of tho fact tAas Tam
- declares that they have 70 PAY lsss under TIE
s.msny than under administrations q former city
~xunuents.
- o&Asr evidence given before tho State eenate
r.nittee on Cities has much bras*ed with figures
- Yesterdays. Yet the sum Of The whole afSar may
- he given without literal Quotstion OF tho whole
- ~ testimony.
vIlrsm ~ WINS has during all Of this Investigation
>,~n . genius for figures. big or little. Observers
e noticed that he generally brings out the most I'M
liant points In days investigation toward the
-. of it, having LED up to the meat Of the subject by
= dtlful series Of questions.
vas toward the end Of yesterdays session. which,
ma the Others Of the present week lasted from early
NOON until dusk. Mr.. WINS called the attention Of
NJ Coleman to the fAct that the tax rate for the pres
- xar WAS o., against that Of 195 for 1880. ana
% sor 1855 the rate 1877 for the present being
- no,nts higher than that for 1850. and being tho
s,a tax rate made By the present Administration.
lie then asked the witness whether, although the
~. appeared to have decreased from 2o2 to 1877 the
we're actually smaller in the aggregate to which
a., Coleman answered that they were not smaller In
Che aggregate but that the expenditure from appro
i.,ion accounts was much larger for the year 1890
than IL Ind been either Of the years 1883 or 1882
The witness was then asked II the rate LOT was not
tscentiye in view Of te fact OF the tremendous IN
erase in the assessed valuations on the one hand ana
On. annlcatlon of moneys from the Sinking Fund,
xr;.i, Ialh other
h.,a 10 which the witness answered yes
aT,an s not this the situation. that By increasing
a., S,rdend that is the assessed valuatons) and de-
rspc the divsor that is the sum levied In taxes)
low ouo,ent or taX.rate has been got Yes.
Notwithstanding which spparently low rate the act
mai expenditures of the Government are larger tnan
ever before EYES,
,cest Increase Of assessments relatively. 1t was
,,opch, ont In the testimony has been In the Sew
.nth Tenth Eleventh. Thirteenth aud Seventeenth
yards The increase of valuations IN the seventechth
Ward over last years valuations was @o''%o,oU'
ronrh the increase In valuations Of the Ptst Ward
where the largest number of great once DuiioiheS
have been put up, only S3,oO0,oo. Inc H.
crease In the Thirteenth Ward was 81 $4,000 In the
r,.venth Ward So 6sl 900 Tenth Ward, 81 .949 900.
.,d seventh Ward 81 ,94s .O0O The point was
clearly established that these unparalleled increases
have been made in the old and non-progresslve "arus
Of the city, and proporonately very much larger
than tho increases which have been made in the new
and rapidly developing wards, like the Twelfth. Nine
tecnth and Twenty second inc witness oeine
called on 10 explain this increase in the old wards
Insisted that he thought in each that the Id
crease was unjustied. and had protested against IT,
The evidence showed that In the last two years tile
Increase If assessed valuations both real and personal
had been sl9j 900 900. The evidence also showed
that as against So 900 OOO the total OF appropriation
accounts for 1855. and $50 100000 the total appro-
Iat no
priaon accounts for the current year. 1890 II the
accounts were kept the same theory and In the
same manner as they were Kept for 1888 and 1852.
would show an expenditure Of between $751;
100000 and $50 900 900, leaving out Of considera-
ton all expenditure from the proceeds OF bonds.
Commissioner Coleman explained that the accounts
Of this year differed from the accounts Of 1885, partcu
larry In view Of the that since Mayor Grant came
into office has been passed authorizing the appro
prfaton of certain moneys from the Sinking Fund and
the application Of such moneys to the current expenses
OF the government. and that during the present. ao'
unistration between 81 500 900 and S:ooO,Ooo OF
state taxes have not been put into the tax levy.
Commissioner Coleman Of the opinion that they
ought 10 have been put into the tax levy and that not
vitbstauding pending litigations, If that SUN NOT
collected in taxes this year. it will have TO be collected
H. some future year in any case The amount taken
n the :e elal fund for the present year. which sum
i cypcnded although doe, not appear in the amount
lcli.d in taxes. Is S-,64G.WO
In the course OF the examination that led to the
above ultimate statement of findings. Mr. WINS asked
many questions which brought answers which ndi-
Gated that Tur,anys taxation Of the city was founded
o., a basis of calculation which cannot he pleasing to
tie citizens OF New York
On December l.. last, Mr. Coleman wrote a letter,
indeed to Mr. Bell the Deputy Commissioner. in which
lie protested against the increased valuation in certain
ward. The Eleventh Ward, for instance, had In spite
nf Of m
ASSESSED al higher vslne Of real estate than before
Tia. happened.
From Mr. Tates figures it appeared that in 1851 the
cost 10 the city of the Tax Department was $e04oO, as
Si4,o0 now; in Io5I there were la2e3o po,e Of
Ill, Si.aS4 names werv on the ron for personal
tAee but there were $40 applications f9r se&e
tons leaving 1886 on the receivers DOORS.
In $50 tcre were go names On the rolls ~ Iae
opening. 1890 applications for reduction, 1ol4o
s! tst as would give the committee ts1s sr
tirdeye view Of the .itua9 h Io Sts ens Would re-
Quic many columns OF figures II IS presented 10
M 1Sm at nS e oP PC e Ing e
Mr. Coleman and Mr. WINS reviewed wards IN ae
fy se ea .ee ranafon That neea the face
u H. did not be compatible with the cr cum
stances Of scta T. cornn mapv injuries as to the
causes of this state of things Mr. C0iemans Iephes
TsS So Ss aS nS IL
thu, cy-whoIn Mr. Coleman In referring 10 the state
assessments char acterizcd the best paying and most
easily befooled people in the worio-noru any ocer
excuse than that parenthetical statement 49,.
The claim Of Tammany Is that tne PeoPite VI -,cw
Work nav less taxes now than formerly. From yes
terday, evidence 1t would appear that Iannisy esu
mates the population Of Manattan IsiaLd as inoihss
CARLYLE did that VI tfTctt britain IA ''' "N' "' '
many millions mostly fools. ~ r,+,.s ,ru, ,roo,
Tie state senate Committee on S,ues VIII , mee'
gate the real pay ment for each taxpayne ciuzen o.
New York compared with the apparent rat!o Oh taAa
ton devised by Tammany nan io' '' Wv" P"'p
PRETTY BOyyETs HAyDsoxELY TR1fED.
The popular dry. goods house Of Edward Ridley