New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-16
CHICAGO'S TAX SYSTEM.
MAYOR SWIFT SAYS PROPERTY is NOT
RIGHTLY ASSESSED.

DISTRICT ASSESSORS TRY TO KEEP THEIR vALUA-
TIoNs DOWN AS LOW AS POSSIBLE TO THE
pETRruENT OF THE MUNICIPAILTY-PRAIs
OF NETWORKS HEALTH BoARD-ILL~
FEELING BETWEEN NETWORK
AND CHICAGO DEPRECATED
Mayor George b. Swift. OF Chicago accompanied
by DR.. Kerr. who is at the head of the Chicago
Board OF Health. paid visit TO the New-fork
Health Office yesterday and investigated its work
ings Both he and DR.. Kerr were loud In tneir
praise Of the system Mayor Swift said. in speak
ing of this:
you have here about one hundred ana twenty
men in your Health office. In chicago we nave
thirty-e You have a perfect system whhe we
have no thoroughness in that line The reason Is
that New-York is an old and thoroughly established
city Chicago will gain this end when IL gains
soIIditv The trouble In Chicago is that we have
no adequate tax appropriation. We have the most
UNIQUE system in that way in the world
.Chicago with lGO.Vo0 people. an area OF lo9
souare miles and all the wealth that is combined
in thar space Is assessed in value at sZ~V"oW
WHY Boston. with one-haf the popuiation mas an
assessed valuation OF over sSD"V"o' Newt orh
City with only comparatively lew more people
has an assessed valuation of over 2oWc"wo
Then outside OF that we have an ABSURD TAX ia'e'
and the law forbids that IT shall exceed TWO per
cent Thus the city has TO be run cheapN. IN
New-York YOU have to clean about I'VE hunored
miles Of streets and you have an appropriation OF
about several millions TO do II with In Chcago we
have LOO miles of streets and the Appropriation
for street cleaning is $4,000 How can we Keep the
streets clean on that?
1.-The reason this absurd valuation Is that "eha'e
a number Of district assessors In New YORK you
have one assessor We have a great NUMBER h"0'
assessor tries to keep his assessed valuation uo""
as far as possble-at least. not to exceed MS preue
cessor The result is that have an assessed
valuation to-day which is several hundred thous"iiI
dollars less than 1t twenty-five years ago an
DEPARTMENTS have TO be run cheaply ana lhe e'S
does not get the credit ,,
When Navor Swift was asked about the ne" pu'iu-
ing law recently passed in Chicago. which says .""'
no building shall be run up 10 a greater heisnt ''
l2O feet he said this was done upon the advice OF
the Health Board, the Board of Underwriters anu
other similar institutions He said that the tendency
IN build big buildings made 1t dangerous IN case
Of fire centralized the population, was unhealthy
and was not due 10 the fact. as some had SAID 'ha'
the ernst over the lake would not stand the press
IRE He added that the bonds now being issued py
the city at 5 per cent were simply IN an,clPa'iOn
only 20 per cent Of the estimated receipts wouiu
he bonded He said that these bonds wouiu no a.,
be issued at once. but would be put form as uleS
were needed. , -, >tovor
There is one thing that deplore said Mayor
Swift land that is the Ill feeling between tie
NJ Chicago and New-York over size facn haS ~.
some day in population. but New-l ork WIN "a, ai"S w,
be the banking centre OF ms county, am and he
OF entry 1t will always have the weaIth anu tle
sol,1itv OF an tabished city, ana notnne can
VIII grow 10 great power but II can only grow IN us
own way New-York grows IN hers'