New-York tribune., 1897-01-25
.rsres.ts appropriations from 1881 to 1885, ineiu'
eive: - -
AGGREGATE APPROPRIATIONS FROM 1854 TO
1905 INCLUSIVE
NoTEin addition To the figures given In The abe The


following appropriations or The nsans s are 81 ,s o ca
the ss '0ss e ass fGs Geo. me s s. ccc 1896 s.
These figures should cause every thinking man
10 pause and ask Whittier we drifting? 1t Is
true that New-York is a great State; it is grow
Ing and prosperous State; II is enlightened and
progressive State and II is only natural to expect
that the expenses OF government would increase;
but proper regard for the interests Of the people
would suggest that the expenses Of government .1t
should progress in something like the same rauo
the growth OF the population bu, such is mot NOT
stripped the increase Of s he csnsbs bs
Sasa 81; the last I census that Of 1852. showed
population Of 6.5ls343. a gain of 2S per cent The
sovernment sSssi in is were sss S. and in 1895
they were ssoOaOo22 47-an increase Of nearly lo3
Of government have increased nearly four times
fast the population II is true the tax tax rate
for that reason the ordinary taxpayer has not not
realized how greatly the @ OF = nrre
are being raised from Indirect fre0
tons. n7esss2 from the collateral inheritance and
transfer tax sOs.s5l ss from the examination tax
Moso sss 6 raised from Indirect sources. Real
tate was relieved Of the burden of taxation TO this
extent but the fact Is that the money obtained from
indirect sources came from the people and bust
ness interests OF this State. just as much as the
direct tax did. In other words. the people con-
tributed from source another. the entire
so 10000 expended.
CORPORATION TAXES COLLECTED
The amount OF corporation tax collected by the
Controllers Department during the last three
fiscal years was as follows
1894 sle4o SIS s.
1925 ls'54S %
1896 2lG5610 IL
During this period Of three years the number
OF corporations brought under the operation OF tho
tax laws was increased from 2152 to 44o1, and the
States revenue increased more than 100000.
The effect is that real estate has been relieved Of
Just much taxation.
During the fiscal year ending September So 1896.
there was collected under the Inheritance Tax
law the sum of s,1ss652. For the fiscal year end
ing September 30. 1896. the inheritance tax yielded
s212s.ss4 81. Few large estates however. could be
taxed in 1896 Mr.. Roberts makes suggestion re-
garding the inheritance tax which will undoubted-
ly wide popular discussion and be debated
at length in the Legislature. His suggestion Is
that the inheritance tax be graded so as to weigh
heaviest on the largest estates. He says:
1t occurs to also that 1t would be we'll for
the Legislature to give very serious consideration
10 the question TO whether the collateral In
terally amended SO as TO provide graded scale scale
that will make large estates yield very much more ore
ing to lneas Ghat is. heirs of the blood pays l
per cent and one going to and aens
10 lMeals. real and personal nnier Au"r, ARE are
eny Of tHe the ineais above $4,000 is taxable Es-
taes OF less than $500 real and personal. going to
personality Of the collateral above 500 are taxed
Boouests to domestic and religious corporations
and TO bishops exempt
will be from this that a grading OF the
tax ia attempted in the present law but II is
serious question whether IL does not fall far short
OF accomplishing that which should be attained
II an estate of less than $4,000 should be exempt,
why should not millions greater pay a higher
rate than a $4,000 estate? large estate would
certainly he less burdened by the payment or
higher rate than small estate wou!d De ny the
payment of lesser one.
The principal burden of the inheritance tax iaiis
upon personal property No class OF properly ~
better entitled TO bear this kind OF tax than Is
personal As rule i escapes taXa,oh vas
Of real estate In this state in the year 1917 was
N5e2 7O s07 in the year 1885, the last year reported
81 had reached s3.sS sSSl7, "a gain or N5'tiaz.4f
taxable personal property in 1870 was SDi:2@ZaS
ard in 1895 II s4j9 526. gain OF only S5o'S-
ois. or less than per cent. Now II - wen,
known fact that the Increase in value OF persohai
property in this State of late years has been much
more ra Did than that of real estate, and that the
amount of personal property owned mere is equai
10 II more than the amount or reai estate;
vet the above figures indicate fabulous growth
in the amount Of taxable real estate. Whlie com,
parativey the increase in the amount OF personal
property reported for taxation purposes IL scarcely
sonai property now on the rolls IS trife over
e-ninth much as the real estate. ana only
fraction more than II was twentysX years ago
IL is submitted whether IL would not pc wise 10
other section. which shall provide for the iinposl-
tion of a tax as follows: Five per cent on estates
Of 100000 and less than so1GD; 10 per cent on
estates Of s2000ep0 and less than cSoVooW; 10 per
cent on estates of 100000 and over
This proposed amendment does not in any man
ner affect estates of less than $looOO. but II does
large estates II will be matter OF interest TO
show what the effect of such a law would nave
heen II It had been in force during the last three
years. .. 49,.