New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-15
NOW TO GATHER TAXES.
COMMISSIONER FEITNER'S TESTIMONY.
NE GIVE Ills VIEWS TO TIE JOINT LNCishA
TIVE COMMITTEE.

TIVE COMMITTEE.
nj, ,,r nc IN whether or not q llili man.
,bo had been uniting IN his support Vi ue
Governor rs n Presidential candidate, OF ""'
man. who had been equally active III n's 'app
If Mr. Cleveland for the same once sno"N ~ VS.
official srenographcr OF the JOINT LesH"'t No ,
mit,e. appoiutcl to inquire into the great qu's''o"
of taxation having been settled III iaVor VI Wv
cleveland man. the committee got 10 "or" 49,
d,v and heard some impOrtant testimony. ~ "e'
-, ,ha Hotel Metropole TIE hour set was D. No.
but IL WAS nearly an lolIr later when the MS. VI"
p.ss was called. He waS Commissioner ,''n'''
Of the Tax Department of this city. 'oh''l'S''o"''
t.irner has s,rvr' the cy in this capacity ior "'"s
v,.rs and il was expected thu. he would give MANY
volu,lIo suggestions as TO the best method Vi S''
flag ,he differences as to the manner IN WHICH NV
tox,s should lc collected. Tie farmers OIL NV WV
hand complain That personal property uoeS 'o. wa"
It's fair burden Of taxation. and tiEt ii'e HUI go
md bonds held by the capitalists should 10 u'N'"
higher The capitalists declare that prrsohai Pi"P
r,, already nay, more than It ought to. and that
real estate should be taxed higher. Iaere are hso
differences MS to how local taxes ana Sa'o '"N'S
should be- collected. AS It Is localities are ooi'
p.led through local tax officers TO coect the .'o"
tax and the local taxes In the way 'haC "'o '''0
says the taxes shall be collected
Numerous legislative committees have lhVeSusa''u
this subject without presenting solution OF II which
hoe ha.n acceptable to all concerned. commissioner
Feitnor said that no had nine years OF experience
in the Tax Department Of this city, but that uu'i"s
all that time no one Interested IN remeNsi"s '"N
law, had consulted him. 1t WAS his OPINION 'n"'
every effort onght b be made by the members OF the
legislature to separate quickly the present system
u local taxation from the system Of State taxation.
The State should collect its own taxes In lis own
way II ought TO set aside certain lines OF cap'ai
for this purpose. These lines, the 'o'i'ni''""e'
added were the Inheritance and the corporation tax
laws and other taXabl" properties when the ''h'c
could set aside for taxation purposes Ihese Ill
cluded banks, Insurance companies, Telegraph INES
etc The localities shoud be loft TO themselves 70
determine how their local taxes should be raised.
New York cannot b. compared conuhu'd ue
Commissioner, to tho inland cities OF inc ''a'r.
Capital comes here when 1t will not go to then'
am in favor o; encouraging capital to come here pu'
when you rccolect that capital IS not getting more
than IL to per cent and you tax 1t A per cent II
cannot be expected 10 enter the mart here. There
nle certain lines OF capital thnt mo pubHc uo'7 nov
,em to encourage the collection OF taxes FROM 'pOh
louds and mortgages gonc AT the rate OF one mn Oh
the dollar the State would be abb" 10 rails" all mat
It needed for the expenses OF the state government
This small tax would not deter capital from coming
into the state In the least. The tax rate here now
q, II - bonds and mortgages pay IL per cent
that /, why more capital does not come mere. Ih"re
are many ways in which estates escape taxation.
~uppo.iug there are three executors Of an estate
v.
and a third IN Ncw-J.r-ey, and the ones who Nv" III
This Stat. should determine that the best interests OF
the estate would be- served by turning II over To he
control 81 the man who lived in Newjcrscy, The
court, have he'd that nothing can be done to stop IL
What have you ever done toward getting the
legislature 10 brua1sn the field Of iaSallon' asked
one ~ Tho members ~ the committee.
Commissioner Fcltncr explained that IN 1854 ne
.eli h,l 10 Albany repeating the at Of led. which
exempted telegraph companies from taxation. except
upon the cost Of the reconstruction Il their poles
and wires. The Commissioner said also that this
aw w.. amended ia l-j7 making the poles and
wires real estate In the place, where ttcy were
situated. and therefore all the tax that tAe com
panl,s paid was upon The cost Of reconstruction the
value Of the poles ana wires and the vaue OF the
building; owned by the companies.
Did this bill. Of yours become lawi' aske1 one
Of the committeeman.
"Of no. was the reply. Il think that It was
printed but That Is far As It GOT At this neary
every member u the committee laughed.
~Tpon what amount OF personal property did jaw
could riv a personal tax ," asked senator McCelland
Five hundred thousand dollars was The answer
The Commissioner said that this amount had been
carried on the books Of The Tax Department for four
ar nv, years and h. did not know Of any attempt
I'D up,n onr $4,000. The Commissioning
o n.i ae %cra m ' ny Mcn WaTc assessed for 50
much and unless they went b'for" the COMM 'sonrr,
and "NWOrr or their assessment IL sVo.u' Ni'ci :.
WAS found that men claimed liabilities in excess OF
tir amount 81 The assessment 49,, ~.
MIR. Dcpcw once snid," b" continues tlat VIM nm
dnrlllt carried an indebtedness OF S3OOio.co. III
regard 10 could the Commissioner san That ne
thought that tie amount was fair. ina,much as IL
Nn, mot possible 70 ASCERTAIN how large BIS indebted
ness was. II practically came ont that because ut
could DID mol light this payment the inN OMnh y,
urrs We're willing 10 assess his personal property '
that amount. In rcpOnsr 10 question from senator
McC1cland Commissioner Fcitner said tst he dd not
think that was pO-slh" 10 collect personal taxes
under the present law and he advised wping out the
urov,on of the law milking Indebtedness an Offset III
state tnNailon. He did not think That li' PROPOSED
listing bill would do good either. II" thought mat
l,. remedy was In separating state from local taAa
ton, l., A., ,,.noor 20
| meet I'm this city on next lueSdaV, Inc ie'uns
| viii probably be- held In the city liai.