New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-26

BROOKLYNS HEAVY TAXES.
HOW HER CITIZENS ARE OPPRESSED.
THE HOLDER OF PROPERTY THERE PAYS MORE
THAN NEw.YoRKER WHOSE HOUSE
WOULD SELL FOR TWICE AS MUCH
THE BOSSES" GROW RICH.

THE BOSSES" GROW RICH
Brooklyn has long had reputation FOR being
a city Of homes. To 1t the oppressed New
Yorker fed to escape the high rents ana high
taxes of this crowded city. where land values
were so great that no man who did not have
considerable means could hope to own house
of his own or even rent for home anything
but modest fat. All over Brooklyn are
scattered comfortable houses which men OF
small means own or lease. IL ever men had a
right to expect and demand an economical
Of their public funds these men have who,
with small resources. have tried to build homes
which, for refinement and all that goes TO
make homes in city worth having are the
equals of those which can be built only by men
OF wealth In NewYork City.
Yet these people oppressed by taxation
not only more heavily than those Of equal
resources who remain in New-York. but they
compelled to pay more than their wealthy
fellows who in New-York occupy houses which
in the market would sell for twice as much as
theirs. This they do for the sake Of allowing
a handful of men to grow rich by plundering
the CITY Treasury That this assertion may not
appear to be one which Mayor Body would
characterize as general defamation of his gov
ernment, it is made specific by the following
figures. which were not prepared for the pur-
pose Of political campaign, but were pre-
sented at legislative hearing given last spring
on the question of annexing Brooklyn to New
York:
In New-York City improved real estate Is
valued for taxation at not to exceed 30 per
cent Of its sale value. 1t has been officially
established and announced by the State Board
of Assessors that it is valued at only Az per
cent. The rate of taxation in New-York City
is only s1S5 in the 800. In Brooklyn, on
the other hand. both the valuation and the
rate are much higher. Improved real estate
there is valued at 70 per cent Of its sale value.
and the average rate Of taxation is 81 II in
the 800. or about so 10 The result Of
these figures in actual tax bills is easily OBJ
tanned. Take any piece of improved real
tate in New-York City worth $4,000 and any
improved parcel Of equal value in Brooklyn
so that the one could be evenly exchanged
for the other. In New-York City the assess
ing officers place piece Of that value on
the tax rolls at $1,000 namely. at 80 per cent
of it's sale value. The rate Of decimal Of
taxation there being only 81 So. the simple
process Of multiplying the assessed value
by the rate makes the tax $92 80 In
Brooklyn the assessors place piece Of the
same value on the tax rolls at $1,000, that is
to say, at 20 per cent Of the sale value. The
rate being 81 Is, the tax Is s192 30. against
the New-York tax Of only s92 50-an excess OF
800.
house worth SO 900 Is taxed in New-York
1885, in Brooklyn, 1886; a $1,000 house in New
York is taxed SAG %; In Brooklyn. 500 %. A tax
bill Of $500 in Brooklyn would be only 1920
in New-York Any piece Of improved real estate
in New-York City worth $4,000 is taxed sls5
while any piec, In Brooklyn worth only half
-is tn. .l 10
sum of 1892 so. The figures they apply to
each city may be summed up thus: Brook
lyn-Parcel worth 81 900; valuation. $500 rate.
50 70; tax. s96 25. Parcel worth $4,000; valua-
ton, s. 600; rate 81 10: tax, 1892 30. Parcel worth
$40 900; valuation $4,000; rate 81 70; tax $50.
Parcel worth 100000: valuation. $4,000; rate.
SO Is; tax. s1925 NeW-Yo York-Pdrcel worth
81, ,OOO valuation. $500 rate. 81 So; tax. SAG -.
Parcel worth $4,000; valuation. $1,000; rate.
sls5; tax $92 80. Parcel worth $4,000; Valuation,
10000; rate, 81 So; tax. $lS5. Parcel worth
500 900; valuation 5000; rate. 81 81; tax. $925
Edward NJ. Shepard on Monday night showed
the same condition Of affairs by a specific case.
piece of property on the Bo"ery worth No~o
was taxed s499 80 while property on Columbia
Heights worth $1,000 was taxed 500 %. The
tax on the New-York property at the Brooklyn
rate would have been 1881. The tax ou the
Brooklyn property at the New-York rate would
have been 1888.
These facts show the cruel injustice done to
the small house owners and rent payers Of
Brooklyn Ever since Mayor Low went out Of
Office there has been an almost steady increase
in the tax levy without corresponding benefit
to the city.
The poor man who pays all this gets little
benefit. The expenditure is controlled by "A
small body OF men who the resources Of
the city and the leadership of their party for
their own benefit.
large body Of the citizens have long been
indignant at this oppression, and at last the
outrage has gone so far that members Of the
party that the politicians have misruled have
turned against them. The Brooklyn Democratic
Club has just issued statement which gives
point to the tax figures already mentioned. 1t
reads:
The Democratic party in Kings County numbers
$1,000 Under the present machine rule the
desires OF these 10000 overrden and
trodden under foot by nine bosses.