New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-01
AH grand TOTAL Tor 1897 ot...'... - to' $40 -
DIFFICULTIES TO BE OVERCOME.

DIFFICULTIES TO BE OVERCOME.
The difficulties TO be overcome are necessarily in
the boroughs whose system OF taxation was not
well regulated as the Borough OF Manhattan
and as neither the Borough OF Brooklyn. Queens
nor Richmond was at all similar to 1t in method
or condition. a radical change was necessary. In
brooklyn no annual record Of assessed va luations
was LETT, The Fled Book" or. II termed
The Botter.' the only record and This
was required to do service for term Of years
Ann.ldr 10 The FELL Book" it became worn and
mUuiated, ana even these records very i'm.
perfect. very few sizes q buid given. and
~ some districts inns vas even more mp fte.Iy
done than IN others. The meadow LANDS Of the
iwenty,sixth Ward comprising about seventeen
HuncTed acres were NOT assessed at al, no maps
made OF that area nor Of the whole Of the Thirty
oooi4u w a'u cOinyi sung SessHty 'llee nuiloi ~
acres more ana VINE there was an assessment oil
the Thirty second Ward it vas made against the
cept 10 those personally acquainted with the In
dividuals and locations However. all these lrregu-
ings will be given. unassessed property will be
assigned It's proper place AMI lot number, and de-
shown upon the maps. win the valuation OF each
piece definitely attached to IT, thus arording owners
In the Borough Of Queens 1t would be hard 70
imagine a condition Of assessment however pecu :
the anne may be said OF Richmond. Many Of the
maps available. together with me BOOKS. ale
shough much below our standard, 70 much less
and there are none in NewtoWn and Hampstead We
cn Island city and Rshn and those oSS
town and Jamaica are in progress Hempstead VII
b. completed as the maps are Suppled uy tho
surveyor.
IN THE PERSONAL ESTATE BUREAU.
O, the work in the personal estate bureau the re-
port says.
The net increase OF E27.5733si en- personal estate
This year consists mainly OF assessments upon IN
5nliness In oo TINS ety The esc Of Strict en-,
forcement Of the personal tex avs Tn their present
condition - only a snapshot assessment, as IN
the ensuing year the many millions caught VIII
ind legal means ~ avoidance, either oy cnahgs
of securities. residence situs or the mourning OK
an Indebtedness 70 oifzei ne same ana wniie sucn
opportunities arr permitted ~ a% mere AVA :
viii remain seeming inequality 81 assessnen. OK
peisona property as compared with the reai-es'a'e
Tn decision % the Court o. Appeals In 1891, by
which corporations are made assessahie on their
SOCK. has had the eject Of eliminating the va.u-
alton OF the intangible franchise or al. corpora
~ity h9s los; b. his system since 1891 over 800
ooco no step has been taken nor recommenda,toIn
made BY which the inequality might be renediec.
lninn ms H -, a. Yss, interest and srsa,
iTiv.pice And we believe this to be the greatest
Inequality sanctioned by the law. We cite an N
san.e 81 MS gre9, aeao2y AZ and - go Of
bonded Indebtedness, with about StNL0y o, real
estate and personal property Of $1,000, In all ~
practically exempt from taxation tor .ocaI puri;
ihe SO 40 ora Of share stock because OF rs assumed
assessahty Is exempted In the hands ot the share
@ 80 e ~ sca va Tas The remdy therefore
- modify the law by which all property. tangiDs
nose 81 accompishlng greater equality and more
certainty in the assessment Of personal property.
While or ;ho subject OF domestic corporations. we
should b. remlss I We ala not cal your attention
20 the positive discrimination against them III
favor OF foreign corporations At present; unuer
fhe n.ea OF ENCOURAGING capital 70 invss, here A
fore IN corporation can MI waIehous@ III M .'.,
with It's Manufactured goods. ana II me proceeds 81
me sales are Immediately transmitted 10 the nome
Office the large stock In the warehouse cahno, oe
,ex.d ana a domestic corporation with a similar
stock Of goods would be taxed for them. II tnsse
or similar suggestions can be adopted he ed
hevorl tho exnectatons Of the most sangulne' anu
real estate Will not be compe ei longer to bear an
unnecessary and unjust burden
PROPER MAPS NEEDED.
T, reference 10 the surveyors bureau the report
speaks o, the need OF proper maps IN several OF
the boroughs Of the greater city
Tho Denifv Tax Commissioners will begin their
,,ork ~ making assessments for 1899 to-day. ana
Yesterday they received instructions from the COM
n1issioners OF Taxes and Assessments Inc IN
s,-,,,ions were given with a view 70 having the
assessed valuations equallzeu 20 I"i dS H''
r. cbarter nrovides that Il shall be the duty OF
the deputies 70 ali taxabe property ID Ins e
districts assigned 10 them anu 80 no inre
stateuer under oath 10 the Board giving tne Io0a
ton OF the property and the name OF the owner oi
,be instructions begin with references 10 the I'M,
nortance 81 tn" pace heid by me deputes US, NJ
rau attention 10 the necessity tor haVihs ,iuta
,.ainstinns To secure this they are Instructed 70
confer with one another; nut nhaI y ~ uS' 49, .ch
own Judgment in determining me InSeS ,ha, inc
nnarJ Is only an appellate board for the CORE
ton OF assessments. and Il Is therefore ues'u ao
a ~ assasswsnf FINALLY the deputies are en)oned
IN remember that the results or tns WI 80 a.
nerform must be kept secret unt report II "'a"'
the Board