The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-26
SETH LOW AND IGH TAKES
RECORD OF HIS CUISINES METH
ODSO As MAYOR OF BROOKLYN.

S nv
In -Four Years ne Raised the Tar Rate ~
Cents, Raised the Valuation aTS. 900. Ooo'
Raised the City'a Expenses Nearly 81. $780,
ooo-Promiscs That He Didn't Garry Out.
Two demand the introduction of business
methods in tho City Hall" shrek the Low
boomers all the time when they arc not busy
contemplating tho candidates halo.
Mr.. Low himself Ia the loudest shoutor OF all
his boomers. business mothods." he cries,
land no politics." A Republican In the city OF
Brooklyn who was until last week q low man
said yesterday concerning this cry Of Mr.. Low
and his shoutcrs:
"Thosa voters of tho Greater New York who
are led away by the cry OF non.partisanship In
city affairs and business methods In the City
Hall can do no better this week before election
than devote all their spare time to the con-
alteration and the investigation Of Seth Lows
career as Mayor OF the city of Brooklyn. Let
them lay aside entirely all questions OF parti-
sanship. Don't lot a political argument Of any
sort enter into tho matter In any way. just
take Seth Low up as tho Mayor of tho city Of
Brooklyn and consider his business methods. In
that way let them learn his capacity, and let
them decide then whether he is . proper man to
whom to intrust the affairs Of the second great
est city in the world and tho starting OF a mu-
nicipal experiment moro important than any
that has ever been made before"
There is not time now, nor has THE Sun space,
TO devote to Mr.. Lows business career and the
record of incompctency Of which 1t is made up.
All that can be done is to present q few of the
most 81 ring instances connected with his i'd
ministrat on that tend to show the incapacity OF
the whole.
When Seth Low became Mayor OF the city OF
Brooklyn, as has already been shown in THE
SrN, the tax rate of the city was 81. 3S on every
$780,. The assessed valuation of the property
OF the city for the year prior to his taking hold
was S255, 265, 945, and the total amount that
was required to run the city government
In that year was Sc, 100. $40. Seth Low.
having these figures before him. based his cam
paign on the claim that the taxpayers were be-
ing robbed; that the tax rate was far too high;
that the assessed valuation Of the property of
the city was millions too much. In not a single
speech that he made did he omit to inform the
taxpayers of these things. He promised them
that II they elected him Mayor he would reduce
the tax rate: he would reduce the assessed valu-
alton OF the property, and he would reduce
the amount OF money spent for the city gov
eminent, at tho same time spending that
money so wisely that the city would blossom
with improvements which would make 1t
the admiration of all the ci los of the
world. He was specific in his promises. He
promised rapid transit. He promised public
markets. He promised clean streets. He prom
ised a policy that would draw manufacturing
interests to the city. He promised encourage
ment OF the building interest. He promised
more schooihouses. He promised that in all
things the interests OF the people of the city Of
Brooklyn should be studied and considered frat.
and finally he promised an absolute non-par-
tisan administration OF affairs.
Not one Of these promises did Seth Low fulfil.
After four years in office the rapid transit sys-
tenn of the city OF Brooklyn was practically tho
same as it was when his administration began.
Instead OF studying the interests Of the people
of the city OF Brooklyn, his administration poll.
cies were calculated to drive away the manu-
featuring interests that would have located
there. His promise Of clean streets was ut
terly disregarded, except in his own
ward, the First. He lived there, and
there the streets were clean. Instead of
encouraging the building interest, builders and
contractors from first to last wore the victims Of
petty and persistent annoyances calculated to
discourage them. He utterly disregarded his
promise Of n public market. At the emo of his
first term he went around with trumpets claim
ing that he had built eight schoolhouses, and
that his chief care had been for the school
children of the city. This claim was utterly
false. for he had built only three. The I've
others that were built during his administration
had been planned. and in most instances begun,
before he took Office.
But the most startling Of all his failures to
fulfil his promises was in the matter OF the tax
alton of the city. AS stated before. he promised
to reduce the tax rate. This Is what happoned:
The first year. by increasing the assessed valua-
ton of property $1,000. 900, he succeeded in
reducing the rate 5 cents on 500, and there
the reduction ended. In his second year in
oifce the tax rate took an enormous jump Of
27 cents on every 500 OF assessed valuation.
Tho third year it jumped 3 cents more; the
fourth year it jumped 27 cents moro; or, in
other words, in four years Seth Lows business
methods raised the tax rare in the city of Brook
lyn 81 cents on every 800 OF assessed valuation.
He promised to reduce the assessed valuation
OF property. The first year OF his administrA-
ton he increased it ST.. 900. oO0; the second
year he increased it SIS. 900, 900 more; the third
year he increased it nearly S2o.00 600 more.
and the fourth year he incr ased 1t almost as
much more. The record shows that in tho four
years Of his administration. instead of fulfilling
his promise Of reducing the valuation, no in
creased it almost $75,o 0O.0 900.
lie promised that tho city government should
not cost the people as much money as 1t had
cost them. In the first year of his Administra-
ton his city government, operated on his bust.
ness principles, cost tho city nearly 500. 900
more than it had ever cost before. In tho SEQ.
ond year Of his administration 1t cost tho peo.
pie nearly 81 300, 900 moro than 1t had ever cost
before. In the third year 1t cost the people
moro than $500, 900 more. and in 1885. the last
year. it cost the people Of Brooklyn another
$1,000 900, or a total increase In the four years
that he was Mayor of moro than 80, 400, 600.
These are figures that tho taxpayers of New
York, when they are making up their minds for
whom they will vote, can study with profit
Here they are tabulated. They arc official:
TAX RATE.
........b.b
E.5
90