New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-05
CITY TAXPAYERS' ASSESSMENTS.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ADVISES THE
ALDERMEN TO SET THE RATE AT 2.14.

ALDERMEN TO SET THE RATE AT 2l4'
The Finance Committee of the Board OF Aldermen
made its report through its chairman W. Mch'
OIcott to the Board at its meeting yesterday. ad-
vsing that the assessments Of the Tax Commission
ers for 1896 be confirmed and that the tax rate ior
the present year be at Ala and the corporation
tax at 1876 No action was taken on the report
and It Is now probable that the tax levy VIII DC
confirmed and the tax rate determined until august
25 Alderman Olcott was quoted yesterday as ad-
yocating the plan Of anticipating the approval Oh
the tax books this year that they could he placed
in the hands of the Receiver of Taxes on september
l. and the work of collection begun on that date IN
stead Of on the first Monday of October, as mas peeh
the custom Mr.. Ocott cited Section NIB OF tho
Consolidation act to show that the law requires
that the tax books be In the hands of the Receiver
of Taxes on September !. and that the Aldermen
were liable to indictment II they failed 10 comply
with this section
Seeing this statement In the newspapers yester-
day morning. President Barker Of the Tax Depart
ment addressed a letter Alderman Olcott In
wiling his attention to another section or the Ia"
which has fallen into disuse. This one requires the
Board of Aldermen TO prepare the tax rolls and
extend the sums payable ready for the Receiver
For twenty years. however the Tax Department
has taken this job off the hands OF the Aldermen
and had II done by its own employees. Ihere are
upward of $4,000 ames on the tax lists, ana MT
Barker said that the preparation ana extension Vi
the tax books take ninety men thirty days nara
work to complete. In former times. when the Alder
men bossed the work, it cost the city about sll'V"
year 1t was a picnic for the politicians VINO ran
the Board of Aldermen
President Barker told Mr.. Ocott in his letter that
II the Aldermen decided that the tax books must be
ready on September this year they would nave 10
prepare them themselves, az the TAX department
would be unable to go to work on them any carrier
than usual. Mr.. Bankers letter placed the matter
in a new light, and Mr.. Olcott and his associates
cd hat her w
need of hurry after all The absolute inability or
the Board do the work with its present force was
obvious. and there was no appropriation TO employ
additional clerks Mr.. Olcott read Mr. Bankers let
ter at the meeting Of the Board He said after~ard
that he had been incorrectly reported yesterday, in
being made say that he wanted the tax rate con-
frmed on August H. Two weeks later, or August
% was enough. he believed, for the following
reasons: ,.,.. ,,uo,,,.,o,,, ,h, o,,v
have doubtless in many cases planned to make sales
fore the last Tuesday. on the belief. arising from
the precedent Of many former years that the taxes
that their titles would be conveyed at any time be
fore the last TUESDAY free from the lien OF taxes OF
speculations by confirming 1896 taxes earlier than
Second. and most important: persons who do not
pay taxes before December In each year are
cent per annum from the date OF conflrma ion see
no reason why the small property-owners who
December i. should be penalized by having pay
this high rate Of interes. thereon from August IL,
instead OF from the usual date the last Tuesday in
August"
the Controllers certificate submitted to the Board
showed the total expenses OF the city government
as per the budget OF 1896 passed by the Board Of
Estimate on December 81 last, to be SAC 400 81 81
From this sum, 1t adds, must be subtracted
s.. 800 900. the amount In the General Fund making
the net result SAB 81 81 In this latter amount
the annual deficiency for contingencies about
per Of the gross budget. is added This amounts
this year to 1908 75S o. making total of S44.9OO-
$50 20 10 be raised by taxation. The real and per-
sonal estate tax Is based on valuation Of 5000
1858 6Ss at 214 S43 $50 $50 90 and the corporation
tax. s57 121, 217, at 1s276. $1.O43o47 &C. making
total of s44 900 $50 IS The report laid and
ordered printed In THE CITY Record