New-York tribune., 1899-06-14

real esate Is carried their books as an a..
uoHs,z7o Then there Is indorsed on this ps,.ss
| Assessment fixed a. 10000 by consent" Con.~-y
signed Lewis Cass Ledyard. r. Feitner q ~
| Grell? A.-And A. q. for Arthur Salmon.
GA q. for Arthur Salmon? Ayes
o.-Now ! notice that the blank furnished ~.
Standard OIL Company is entirely different, from ,s'
other blank7 A.--A New-York corporation.
Q.-Is Il q New-York corporation? A.-You Nm
| find II that way
| Q-Yes organized under the laws Of the s,..
| Of New-York Then in that case you allowed th.s
| TO state their personal property In bulk In "a
| other you require them TO make de,sH.s
| statements? Awe have got to assess the gra,s
| assets.
| OIL notice that they did not answer the Qua.
tion which you asked. to give the rate OF dlyteua
| for last year or the amount OF the last annus
| dividend? A.-They haven't given any
| Q-They did answer the question. "the amos,,
| actually paid for real estate owned by you" "a.
| did answer that, saying. Unknown? Al tb,.
| you will find II In here, Mr. Moss.
| Ono II Is not In there, simply the as..,..
valuation there? A.-Wei the assessed vaua,s,
| IL all they want.
| o-But you asked them to give you the pr..
| they paid They say, Unknown" Don't YOU ar
| pose that the corporation has records 10 sho,
what Is actually paid for real estate? A.-Ouzh,s
| Q-Ought TO have. But you accepted TIA,
| answer "Unknown?' Al don't know hay,r,
| looked
Mr. Moss-well. look It over. They evidenrr
| accepted that A. docking at paper)-rhat "a Al
| right guess you will find al the property ,h.,
rave got right in these two supplementary s,4,,.
| ments.
TRUST GRACIOUsLY CONSENTED.
Q.-It would appear that your Department wanted
| 70 tax them for more than six hundred thoussna
| dollars because they consented TO six hundred
thousand dollars What was It that your Depsr.
ment wanted to tax them? Can you tell from that,
| A-Wherever we have a large company that really
| hastnt made returns, why we try 10 get then !,
| consent we urge upon them that they ough; I,
! pay some taxes; and through that, they often WIN
| consent
Q.-Through that you say, they very often VII
| consent? Ayes, SIR
| O-Now. this statement shows gross assets Il
| personal property seventeen million dohars' A.
| Kindly let see that.
| Ono wait moment. Indebtedness IN een
| as follows: Loans and accounts transferred two.
| million dollars" That would leave an appafr,
| surplus of nearly five million dollars OF pers0l
| properly but you accepted sn assessment-thatb
| you consented to an assessment al six HUNDRED
| thousand dollars. Now. on what argument ard
| by what lire OF reasoning, and by what considers
| ton of facts did you reduce the apparent surplus
| OF personal property by nearly five million dollars
| there down 10 six hundred thousand dollars? A.
| But you don't take into consideration the supple-
| mentary statement that we have here
| O.-Where is that? A.-Real estate owned IN
| Brooklyn and In New-York and all over. That has
| to be deducted.
| Q-But that real estate Is taxed By ITSELF isn't
| II? Al know; but then It is in the gross assets
the real estate Is IN the gross assets.
| Ooh. no. Look at 1t. Gross assets, twenty
seven million dollars: real estate, ten million dos
| lars; personal property seventeen million dolarsl
A-They are all added together in
| O.-In the twenty-seven million dollars? A.-YeS
sir
Q-Your personal property is seventeen million
| dollars? A.-That Is very true.
SOME INGENIOUS FIGURING.
| o-rndeb,edness in detail Is sl2cn0O? A-very
| true.
| O.-Now. N2oooc0 taken from S7oo0c leaves
* 900 oo: but as there are some odd figures there
| I saw nearly $4,000. How do you scale SonW
| down 10 100000? That is on their own nsures'
| that Is on their own sworn statement Tnere
| the affidavit. Qndicating) How DO you 90 N' 4
| This will show for itself You add this toee'he.s
| The real estate and the personal property WIN
| make 81 2s5OOO Now, you deduct real estate ana
| debt. and II will come out that you have oeoa
| there instead OF surplus.
Q-But Is not the real estate taxed by iseAi
| Ayes; but
| o-Now. listen to me. Is not the real esta's
| tared bv itself? Avery true. And that is the
reason II is deducted. II is charged in the gross
| assets.
| OI understand that. The real estate is taxed
| by itself So that when the tax is once paid or
real estate II does touch the personal estates
| A.-No.
| o-Now this statement shows that the reai
| estate of the company was 100000 Ihat - AS
| readv taxed and paid into the real estate sids
| n, the Tax Department isn't Il? IL further shows
| that the personal property separated from tns
real estate is 10000 1t shows that the indsoteo
ness In detail is 100000 Now. you take your
| s2OoOOoo away from your $4,000 ana you hasa
| nearly 100000? Ayes; but they cannot taAs
| tho Indebtedness away; you couldn't do that.
! OFF YOU did not take the Indebtedness away
they would have TO pay on ST 10000? A-No SIR tne
| sl7OOOcOo that you have there-you nave tue paPe'
| THERE'S a debt isn't III ,.s
| o.-Yes Avery well; It has to be deouc'ed
| from the gross assets. - .., a.
| o-Deductcd from what? You DON'T oeuue. :,
| from the real estate and the pe'so"''
| A-No, sir; from the gross assets.
o-Of personal property? A.-The statement -
| you have It there ,.,.,
| Q.-How can you deduct debts from re' +,
| A-Why YOU don't do 1t. The real estate as
| tell you. Is In the gross assets Naturany' " s,,,
TO a conclusion you have got 10 reduce - "e
| from the same, as the returns show II theie'
| Q-I don't see how you make that OUT
| Well your returns show II.
APPEALS TO "ANY GENTLEMAN.
| o-But there are the returns? dndicauhs,,
| A-Well let any gentleman look at II anu h' w."
| see. ...s
O-The real estate stands by itself. ana Is U.'- .
by itself regardless Of debts. ism. It, and "neu'
It is owned by the Standard OIL Company VI 49,
or by any other company 1t is taxedF Az"
sir; that is right ,,.
Q.-You have nothing to do with the rea. - 80.
side of the Department. have you! -.
| command them 10 give the real estate III inc s'O--
! assets x,rs
Q-But you have nothing to do with the "a.
OF the real estate That is done on the o'".