The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-06
OPTION IN TAXATION
MEASURE THAT NEW WORKERS
WANT THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS.
Speeches in Advocacy Of the BILL
Chicago Said to Be the Home
of Corruption.

NEW YORK, March "a pubic meet
ing. under the auspices of the Tax-reform
Association. of New York city. was held
to-nighs in Masonic Hall. to advocate the
passage of the Ainsworth bill, now pending
in the Legislature, providing for county op-
ton in taxation. Ex-Surrogate Ransom
presided. Among the vice presidents of the
meeting were Judge Geo. p. Andrews, C. c.
Baldwin, Judge Henry Bschoff Clark Bell,
Prof. III. r. Boyesen, Judge Henry w. Book
stave, James c. Carter. Cyrus Clark. James
S. Coleman, f. S. Coudert, Dorman B.
Eaton, Charles S. Fairchild. John w. Golf,
George j. Gould. A. S. Hewitt, Joseph }.
ODonough, Gustave H. Schwab, William
Steinway and Louis Windmueller.
Ex-Surrogate Ransom, in opening the
meeting, said he had come there to learn,
not to explain, and hence he would make
way at once for Louis Windmueller. the
first speaker.
Mr.. Windmueller said that in Hamburg
and Bremen taxes had been raised by vol
untary subscription. Each man put GER
tain sum in envelope, sealed it up and
handed it in, and that was all that was re-
quired of him. Whether enough could be
raised in New York in this manner to clean
the streets was doubtful. The taxation Of
money, he said, was wrong, because of the
facilities with which it was evaded. The
exempt from taxation, and then hypothecate
these bonds for their face value and use
the money in trade and commerce spec
ulation.
Julian Davies said the Ainsworth bill
to provide for home rule in taxa
ton. 1t sought to leave to the boards Of
supervisors each county the right to de-
termine If taxes for country or city pur-
poses should be levied on personal prop
erty, land with or without improvements or
all three. The promoters of the bill
he said, We're wise in their frankness
bill is to permit the city of New York il
1t sees MT to exempt personal property
tlreiy from AVIATION the system of tax
paratively recent origin, he denounced a
shame. He gave a history of the methods
of collecting taxes in the past in the various
States. In Maryland, bachelors over TWEEN
ty-five years of age were taxed, and in
New York a tax on wigs took the place
of the Maryland tax. 1t was obvious, he
said, that 1T our system was so successful
in the city of New, York that. all the per-
sonal property liable to taxation was dis
covered. the city would lose it's commercial
supremacy and capital would fly to other
the vigilance of the assessors is less search
Ing. He said the system would be de-
and that it is only tolerated because it
cannot be and is rot carried out. The
Ainsworth bill would be step towards it's
abolition
Wheeler H. Peckham said the Ainsworth
bill, as he understood it, chiefly valu-
able because it gave the people home rule,
and that was a most desirable thing in every
locality. IT was asserted that farmers In the
other end of the State of New York should
not only require the payment by the city of
its portion of taxes, in addition to its local
burden. but should specify the. manner in
which that tax was to be collected. Mr..
Peckham said that If the principle were car
ried to it's logical consequences, capital
would depart from New York; there would
be industry there. He denounced the in
quisitorial system degrading to humanity
and as putting a premium on falsehood and
dishonesty.
The following committee was appointed to
go to Albany to argue in favor of the Aims
worth bill in committees: f. Edward Lauter-
back Cyrus Clark, Thomas G. Shearman,
B. r. Romaine, III. r. Deming, Bolton Hall,
James Mcmahon, Ernest II. Crosby, George
w. Wanamaker, Benjamin Doblin and l. S.
Vanderbilt