New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-03

devised law may be- tax law men, %so aces me s
assessing viii failure so far fa as ,ss1,Ss
any ocer out eqaaSIy an saen felay on
,,s hrasd aspect A~if you are speaking OF realty
yo-I am speaking of realty and personally;
mSH who xe and does 5ne sise's eo
eectiy the bound to result in injustice
and IN neana' and Mr. Cooley in his works use:
Rsy w9 10 or lssns IN a0t
action q that Officer when Proper Which snail be
y nHsd Sn ench
ton equal or unequal aesc!d Tsat a. we viii have
10 AThqt Is apologize si to 70 ooe rsSi
Ts rs under makes
out list Of prominent men; 10 w thpnuah inaten
t sfm 0t through csreessnes through faySri s.
through corruption through any men who ought TO
be on H. their notices do not 60 to them ana ' on
time on until Is too s a ro 70 does pg' not that
result in Injustice to all the other taxpayess Sat
have TO pay 50 bno%eh the neglect Of the
nnNThat is on the assumption that they nave
taxable property
MIR. FEITNER ARGUMENTATIVE
talking ssgs oS the the sooes for
reason good bad or Indifferent falls to SEND those
sons raises the rate on those who do pay? A-But
don't necessarily fpS sd iba suc taxab h9i or
thing Therefore there is shifting of the burden.
OeBut you find some taxable and some not 'aAa-
0.NEvery time? A-Yes. sir: 49,. cha ,,x
Q.-And you admitted yesterday that tne TAX TAX
Which taxes some, and by that you meant there
many s who ought ~ he 50
swear off because they are not cauen. ~ ere sn
sieve do not get assessed? Ahat Is nf thy D
dividuals whose names we went over YESTERDAY it,
who not Sot the tSey o afe liable Out 70"
o.~We must not assume they are liable, but we
mus NIrp mp5 Your system. practically yes.
O-TTnder your system? A.-No; under your legal
o. am speaking OF the system you are admin
istering. am administering no system You , nave We
paw the taxes who by various reasons evade them
IMPOSED upon all other taxpayers. both real and
personal? A-As far as those are liable and not
o'EWhy do you send out any notices at all? A
They are sent out generally to the most suostan-
O.FWhy do you send out any notices at all? A
There Is no law to require us to send out any no
Q.-You send them out to catch the people?
send out notices for the purpose of giving the PEG.
pie an opportunity to appear In the Departmpen'
an o@ why do You put them under this? A,-Ac-
codng to our hes, Judgment as to their Liability So,
'd o.m2s to their ability? ABILITY and liability
10 pay taxes.
CATCH SOME. LOSE MANY
| O-And In that way you get some while you lose
QEAnd you lose some who ought to pay ia,
! that raises a burden all other taxpayers ootr
real and personal does 1t not? A.-That Is on the
assumption that you lose some that ought to pay.
Q-f put the assumption in my question? 40
course.
syspe from favortism from snOTance from
son whatsoever. fail to include in the personal
list men who ought to pay; then the burden u
Q."surely? And so the critical point where tn
citizen is interested IS in the men and IN the sys
tenn by which the tax Is originally assessed? A
o.-That tax when originally assessed. stands
until 1t i knocked down by the individual doesn'
y0p Ba on * an qsO n1Gns act IL
Oft is an initial act going forth by your owl
In his Judgment. Now. want to protest here t
this conmitteeI,I, -, $500 r.. .,
nothing to protest against; Al don't want yo,l
TO insnuate By your questions that we act arbi
New-York that he should make such suggestive
that and Put on the wifi S'G nS s Sustain
acts Ct on the gar Of dsput tbs act
OF is a matter Of judgment, to be sure, but 1
Is the gGe e in own u%
mated from all the sources which you can get iumi
you register the judgment. your Department don
you? A.-The deputy does ...,...,- -,.,
the who is taxed? Ayes, that is true; no
! Q-You don't consult anybody who Is take
when you lay the tax but when you have laid IN
tax then that tax stands. You have acted on you
Taya Il or redaees m ATha is is So
Q-And the matter resting i in your jud s a,!
not disseminated unequally as against any particu
lar taxpayer, then your Judgment is lrrevocablf
isn't it-cannot be reviewed by the courts? A
That is IT,
DEPUTIES HAVE GREAT POWER.
o-That is It. So that the power to initiate a
assessment which. when It stands. binds the ma
and binds the property Is the impori Fan, point
SosE-NoSw. you see. Mr. Feitner, there s no dis
position on my part to put you in an unfair pos
ton. You are the head Of the Department, and
fSs baT TO Get on !hs 10 get
is nothing in which any man of good judgm ed
could differ ,E on ieS5 proposition Al want 10 )"
o. don't mean Al wish to say tn
oNYes? ANThis general question that you ar
inqurlng into is matter which Will be involved !
neXt YEAR on our assessments Now it
/ me equitable and fair that the State Legislator
should not request the officials of the city OF New
York to submit their testimony, broadcast for I'll
benefit OF the hundred and odd lawyers who ar
seeking 10 defeat the justice that we have o.
tempted to accomplish in levyng assessments
the city Of New-York at such a critical time in III
history the beginning OF the history. of the create
| CITY OF New-York Now. | submit that TO the con
mittee .
OIL will not violate any proper principle. A
doesn't seem 10 me to be the fair thing. .
The Chairman-We appreciate your position.
The Witness-Let me say In answer to that, thf
we are not In the least anxious 10 hide anything
prevent this committee from securing anything.
: The Chairman-Nobody has assumed anything
the kind.
The WItness-No, Of course: but only want
nut Il on the record In that sense.
Q.-Then Mr.. Feitner. is It true that there are
considerable number of proceedings pending IN n
courts on the part OF persons who nave been a
sessed who have appealed 10 you TO use your JUDI
roent In relieving them OF their assessments, ar