New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-08
TAMMANYS HEAVY YOKE.
PROpERTYowNERS GROW INDIGNANT.
UHE VALUATION on REAL ESTATE MADE EX-
CEssIvLLY BUGDENsOME THAT THE TAX

RATE NAY APPEAR SMALL.
The Increase IN the assessed valuation Of real estate
In this city BY $40 GJG.7s3. TO enable the Tamrnany
ocehoders 10 say that tho rate has been reduced
under their rule IS regarded by most men acquainted
with the condition OF the real estate market as en-
tirely unwarIanted and lndcfcnsble and calculated
to place the city property greatly at disad
vantage as compared with the residents OF the lher
OF the state. No seems to doubt that the 0bie''
OF the assessors is TO obtain money for the ram
many crowd 10 spend and at the same time 10 deiuuo
people the belief that the taxes are lower than
ever before. 1.-THE lowest tax rate since the GAYS oi
Peter Stuyvcsatt,7 say the assessors. but that IS
little comfort to the property owner who has 70 pay
moro taxes even at the lower rate. 1t makes goOd
campaign cry however and is taking with people VINO
do not own property or rent property uhder cohul-
tons that are directly affected BY the Increase ana
SO know nothing Of the real situation.
Nevertheless the rs1t payers sT this increase anu
SO contribute to the 1ammany corruption mnu'
Not only do they 90 this, but they pay constantly
Increasing part OF the state tax. Tammany sheds
crocodile tears the burden imposed ON the
Door people OF New York by the country, and
then. for the sake OF pluneer'ng these same poor
PEOPLE, without their knowing IL, helps to bind still
heavier State burdens upon them. Many real estate
o,yayrs are In the power Of Tnmmany Hall and 90
not dare complain knowing that the officials can
annoy them II they desire. member OF one OF
tho largest estate firms In the city, WREN asked
his opinion yesterday, saiu ficaSe W ho'
quote us. Our interests arc large and it would not
do for US to DO known as 'kickers.' You have no
idea OF the almost numberless Why's in which we
are liable to be annoyed By officials whom We
hammer 10 a,tagonize We find it best TO keep
quiet and be thankful for what they do leave
u.s." Many other real estate men were wllnG' mw'
ever, to brave Tammany's displessllre
f. A. Cruikshank, Of E. A. CruikshanR & Co.,
No 176 Broadway said 81 do not approve the
incrfnse I'm city valuaton because it compels the
city TO pay so much more 10 the state On general
principles I think it wrong to Keep lnuhg up 'ho
real estate valuations. l am not well lhorneu as
to the particulars Of the increase. because most Of
our property has not improved much, belonging III
the main to old estates, and there ia's been no
great Increase, cxcepo in YOrhvnle. where we had
put up some buildings"
J. Y. b. GARRISON. Of Floyd, Clarkson Sons, said
.The increase is not justified BY any growth OF the
CITY. Values Of land throughout the city nave not
increased and no one will pretend that $4,000
600 worth of buildings have been erected In a
wear In the First Twenty third and Twenty-fourth
Wards il Is possible that the increase Is )usued by
the amount of building. IL the Twelfth WaIu tlefe
should DO no such increase as the assessors nave
made l don't know whether there has been building
enough In the Second Ward to account Tor the al
diuonal valuation there. There certainly has not
been in the Ninth Nineteenth and Twenty second
Wards The owners get back the increase In taxes
ono way or another from the tenants This system
which has been followed for several years Is
good thing to build up Jersey and Brooklyn NO
man Of ordinary means can own and i've in small
house in New-York. threc-story house Is getting
TO be curiosity To get any fair return for the expense
Of holding q small plot Of ground the owner has to
put up a high building. 1t is a very nice oouge
OH the part Of Tammany TO get money cut OF the
people, and you may DO sure they Will get all they
can
aThe assessors have put the valut too HIGH said
Il NJ IIDerty-St,
Twelfth Ward there are many vacant houses and
rents have not increased. in many cases they nave
decreased Some OF the property should be assessed
lower than 1t was before, but the increase In the
ward is over 81 100000. There has been no such
building as 10 justify that, and don't see the reason
for raising II so much Increase In valuation really
increases taxes. property In the Twelfth Ward
that l canDot rent sell. There is vast body OF
politicians who make their living of the people and
they are anxious to get all they can. Politically
the city is thoroughly demoranzed"
- cannot sell my property in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
twenty -ffth-st. by 20 per cent as high as could
year ago. but the taxes being put there. There
are many vacant stores In Harlem" said L. J. Adams
Moses j. Wolf OF No 1875 Broadway, said: "The
valuation Is entirely too high There are no two
ways about 1t. The politicians have put down the
rate and have put up the values, Just as they did
last year. IL is outrageous"
"The valuation Is excessive said ]. S. Korn, OF
No. 1877 Broadway. They want to lower the tax
rate but you notice there will be decrease in
the amount Of money spent by the city government
member of the firm Of John r. Foley g. Son., of
No. 1853 Broadway, said "There eleven stores
vacant in One hundI ed and twenty tfthst, between
Fifth and Eighth avey. The assessment is higher
in proportion there than In Gandst the Bowery and
Third and Sixth ayes. have buildings in Fourteenth
and e-hundred-andtwenty fifth SITS, AMI the taxes
are higher in Harlem in proportion TO the rent get
The authorities reduce your rate perhaps or per
duet ~, nn1at and
the valuation $40 600 900 and collect money than
before"
IL. W. Donald, Of Richard " Harnett & Co., said :
81 think the increase is justified in the Twelfth Ward
but in the Nineteenth. only In Ffthave. has
there been much building In that ward and that doesn't
amount 10 a great deal. l should say that tho in
crease about twice what II should be. Perhaps
SO. 100000 increase would be fairly abreast the
growth of the city. | do not think the Fifteenth
Ward ought to be raised at ALL"
a. Stern, of No. I22 Bowery, said a. acquainted
in the Tenth Ward. There have been few new build
ings erected there IL Is the way in the Seventh
Eleventh and Thirteenth wards. Lots have not in
creased at all in value and buildings have been
few We have difficulty In getting our former rents.
The Increase in downtown valuations is not Justified by
any condition things existing in the real estate
market 1t must be due TO politics.
think they are OVERRIDING It, said the junior
Der Of the firm OF Seton WlssmaD, Of No. IL Pine ST.
"There has been such legitimate increase IN real
estate values. In general the valuation high
enough before. There is OF course certain proper
increase in the districts that building up, but the
assessors have spread this increase all over The
effect Is TO give appearance OF low tax rate The
city Is growing but at nothing like the rate the
SCISSORS would make out. They hive increased valua-
tons In many without any apparent reason for
SO doing"
They make the rate less, but they get the money
out of the people somewhere said James E. Levnes,
OF No. 80 I1bcrty-St
Alfred E. Maring, OF No &C Ccdar-st said: Eve
EXPECT some Increase, but this Is too much The tax
rate has been kept down for ten years In the same
way and much boasting has been INDUCED In over H..
but II is GIL buncombe. We have got used TO 1t and
have 10 stand II. Here for instance have three
Il at