New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-10

VIM
,-,y INCEEASED-THE APPOINTMENT
-, ADDITIONAL SUPREME COURT
u,sTICEs WOULD BE A NEED
LESS EXTRAvAGANCE
TIE REGULAR conEr sroxDENr or THE TEIBrxEl
.,n.nv. Dec. 9-Po,itical p.um-gather.ng may
r,c,uresqre spectacle for the average news
..r reader. but it makes the taxpayer vince.
rr.s-no--elec. Morton doubtless IS aware of
.s,s Fact ard proposes to &C: in the interest of
the taxpayer
.tr Morton hOwever. has one disadvantage
.,s champion of the taxpayer which he prob
-, already realizes and that is an unao-
..,,tance with the condition Of the financial
tvs Of the state Of New-York. He has only
I returned from Europe after good many
this absence; and moreover 1t is not to be
"..,ed that any citizen of New-York not
,.a with its government should have in
- knowledge of its financial condition. Nor
os Governor-elect viii he be able from
..s,v scanning of the advance reports of the
go officers 20 discover the actual prospective
,n,s and disbursements Of the State Treasury
= .ha coming year. Mr.. Morton should. however,
= made aware by his friends that unless he
s,l,,sy cuts off the many useless State COM
.,,ss;ons reduces the appropriations of extrava-
emily managed State bureaus AMI depart
..rts and disappoints a horde Of plum-gath-
...-s who now bes:ege his business office in New
VI the first year Of his Administration Will
rsr the discredt of having recorded against
!, the fact that IL greatly increased the State
-, rate Some advance in the state tax rate
,oss,bly cannot be avoided owing TO decrease
!, the States income from It's indirect taxes but
=, onerous increase Of the rate from the tax
,.vsrs point Of view will inevitably take place
r,,sss Governor Morton and the Republican
legislature take radical steps to decrease the
e,,,s,s ou:goes \ policy Of retrenchment is the
orv wise one under the circumstances.
- The course of the fiscal year which ended
ssn,embel l. according to Controller Roberts. the
s,.,a's income from its Inheritance tax dimin-
,.,sa from s3071 6S7 90 to $l.6sS954 20. or de-
.rsass of 81 49, 100 50. The receipts of the cor
,ora,,on organization tax decreased in the same
rs,,ad from s29s, PA 81 &c sl5O.16l 49, decrease
a, N4747s S. The foreign bankers tax de-
creased from s62.s64 Il to S46,s20 80. decrease
otssO43l9 In the same fiscal year the states
Income from its corporation tax has decreased
trom 81 SOS 81 90 to sl.5s9,O57 30. decrease OF
xeSss72 There is a decrease from the four
,,d,rect taxation laws Of the following amounts:
Inheritance tax 81 .So ~
ORGANIZATION TAX %
Corporation tax re 0YS "a
Bankers tax ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 40 =
ro,., decrease .sl.sl6lc9 IS
T, should be stated tina, except for the circum-
.,.ncs that Controller Roberts and his Repub-
Ira, assistants made strenuous eXertions TO
rsan IN the States receipts from Its cor
noration tax that law would have brought
., far less 10 the State Treasury than
/, did: but by hard work 5000 new corporations
were added TO the list Of those already taxed oy
the State. and thus the effect Of hard times upon
the business of the corporations, wnich iesseheu
their ability to maintain their rates Of payment
10 the State was minimized. In fact IL VIII De
perceived that Controller Roberts. despite the
financial storm which wrecked or manned many
corporation managed 10 hold up the receipts
from the corporations nearly TO the leVel OF ias'
rsar The Inheritance Tax law. Of course.
offered no such basis to Mr.. Roberts for main
tanning receipts, since its dimensions depend
upon the death rate among the wealthy men OF
the State When a financial giant dies his heir
pays over to the State a large inheritance TAX
but when only people Of moderate means moon
sderate,y die and the wealthy men soruluiy
cling 70 life the Inheritance Tax must suffer
1t suffered to the extent Of sl,3Oo'oOo TINS year.
when every wealthy man naturally was averse
QpDartlnR
eumulations to the mercy Of huctuating and
depressed market
The average politician is not satisfied with the
mum crop prospects. He would have MI. Nor
ton mt out a new plantation of plum trees. put
fertilizers about them and dollhouse above
them. and mature a crop the coming year Thus
the plum gatherers ask Mr.. Morton to appoint
IN January twelve new Supreme Court justices
10 +ha
do So blu, he may well hesitate TO act upon his
authority. in view Of the condition Of the State
Treasury and the demands which are soon "
be made upon II in other directions which can
M; ha denied No voter who voted for the new
Constitution dreamed that 1t could be reao 30 as
10 authorize the appointment OF tWei'e hseuI.H .
Supreme Court justices. the COST OF WHO'S a.
would be over 100000. The Constitution, III
deed said that twelve additional supreme CouI.
justices should be elected in November 1850 pu ~,
these gentlemen were not to assume once UNI. y.
January J. 1896; and they were 10 De eiecteu "
take the place Of twelve Supreme Court Jusuces
who will become members OF the new Appelsate
Supreme Court which will hold IT'S hrst inee.ie
On January J. 1886. To assume now that ,nene
are "yacancies'' In the Supreme Court, because
In November 1885, twelve justices OF inns couI'
TO be elected. is rather illogical ana the TAX
payers Will not fail TO see IT, L.. -, road.
Taxpayers here were grained TO-DAY py ic"u
Ing In the newspapers that Joseph H. Choate' a.
President Of the Constitutional Convention, anu
Elhu Root as chairman OF the Juui,.1 aor,,rr
nitee Of the same body. had Informed Hoveriioi
dect Morton that the Convention had no thous, e..
authorizing the appointment OF twei,e
rme Court Justices, and furthermore ina ~
their opinion AZ lawyers II would be illegal Tor
hin 10 make such appointments. III was stateu
hers to-day that Elihu Root is preparing pIigi
for ubmission To C;oyernor-eiect Morton In wh.ch
he will take this position and that MI Caoate
will read over the document and may adu
memorandum stating additional reasons WIZ
the judges should not be appohteu' ~
Choate. It is understood. fears the Court OF Ap-
peals would declare the appointment OF sum ,,,n
judges unconstitutior ii. and Mr. koo' tha' VIZ
new Constitution clearly provides TOT the eie ere
ton, and not the appointment, OF these oihceIs
But there are other reasons why MI; Noi'o .
cannot afford 10 authorize the eXpehditure vi
100000 In any direction not absolutely necea
nary. The state Treasury. 1t has been show '',
In he ~ this letter, mas SUI