New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-28


,ta state had been that the reports Of such
oor,r,issions were not regarded 10y the LeGisla-
,,re II seemed TO him that some way must be
learned Of interesting the members of the Legis-
lature deeply ir the subject
That way ho apparently thinks is to have the
LEGISLATURE itself. through a Joint committee.
dra,, mn reform tax bills. He accordingly sent
snecial message to the Legislature tonight
recommending the appointment Of joint com
,aitteo of the Senate and the Assembly TO IN
vestieate the subject and report TO the next
LEGISLATURE proper scheme for taxction
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
The Governors message follows
To the legislature. The tax laws Of this
Sat. ..,o in an exceedingly unsatisfactory CON
ditiou and I dn not see how they can ne I,u,
,Jron a lust and wise basis. say" after carcIu.
IN, esteauon 10y legislative acloh. a, "a pa the
he farmers. the market gardeners ana tne
mechanics and tradesmen having slnal holu
ings are paving an improper ana cXc'SsNe ~ Pu.
,i1n II the general taxes. while al the sam, ''il
many of the efforts TO remedy TINS S'alc "a
affairs notably in the direction of taxing secui
ties Are not only unwse but inefficient ana
often serve merely To put premium upon @ u@Ia
honesty II would not he we'll TO make an!
class OF our citizens feel immunity IRON paH
ING taxes for This would almost certainly result
In extravagaut expenditures both in me 0'aSc az
and i'm the municipalities, AGAINST ,, Will ''lr IN
s-~est safeguard is the immediate pIeSSui' V'
,b. rillsos Of the citizens But ugh conple'e
immunity from taxation by the people a. , ldl
f., not desirable. the fac remains tha' az t,5
tav.tion is excessive and badly distributed
rher4 is evident Injustice in the light iaNa'l"h
o. coroorqtions / have not tie shghleS' ~ M
r3thv with the 1utcrN against colpo' d'l"i!9 q"
such ur against prosperous meT "I -
Mo- If the great material works by Whlch tn'
..r.ir. country ben .nts have been due 10 'le
action ~ individual men. or OF aSgiesd'SS ~
mon. Who made money lor themsei%E,' W. sl ~ "t',,S 80
that which was i'm the interest OF the peopie as
q whole From an amor plant tc Stltfl ran
way mo- work which is really hrnehclal 10 'iIe
r,uli.r can hc performed TO the best advantage
c5pccltv that thy will not DO tie work unless ues
the, themselves rec i've ample reward I"' u"'hH
- tn. effort ~ deprive them of an ample re-
ward merely M aans that they VIII tulh luvn ll,
energies ~ some other direction. %nd ih' puoic
,.ir l. t.- lust 30 much the loser. Moreover To
tav p1rror4fions 0r men Of means IN su'h q
,var a. 70 drive them out Of III" state WORMS
great .l7r1ag. 20 the state. To oriv" oui oi d
community t1e men of means ana the men Nno
take the lead In nu mess enter prses Wou" pI""-
a'lr entail As ono oi IT'S first ro' ults tho s'ai
,ior # a. considerable portion of the remainder
Prt 1bTo 7 freely admit all this. il yet re-
r.s,rs trl,e that a corporation when derives lts
,,~,-e~e rro~ me state should pay To the stale
iust rrrcsntage Il its earnings as return
for the privileges u enjoys. This SHOULD be es-
r.ecialv f~ue for -ho franchises bestowed upon
gas COMPANIES street railroads. and the ike
The cres.i.r q municipal ownership of these
franchises cannot be raised with propretY un-
tu the governments Of all municipalities snow
greater wisdom and virtue than has been re-
Gently shown. for instance in NeW-N ork Cl,N,
The question of laying and assessing the tax
for franchises Of every kind throughout me
State should in my opinion be determined ny
he state itself 7 need not point out 10 you
that in forei-u communities a very large per
Cortage of The taxes comes from corporations
which use the public domain for pipes tracks
and he Ike.
Wnether these flanchi.es should he taxed as
raalty. SO whetl,r il would be wiser TO provide
that after tn gross earnings equal, say, 10 per
cent Of the actual original cost, then ) per cent
NJ an the gross earnings over and above this
shall be paid into the city treasury, or whether
Soine Yet different plan should be tried can
Only be settled after careful examination Of the
whole subject one thing is certain. that the
franchises should IN some form Weld a money
return 20 the Government. To put on tax
here and there as new franchises are asked for
nav he advisable. but, Of course. IS inequtable
- The extent that il handicaps the few thus
taxed IN their competition with the untaXed cor
roraUOns: and IL may be That now and then
some fra nchises to perform an especially need
ful and risky service should not be thus handi-
capped AZ all. il is far better 10 have general
scheme Of taxation. one that shall apply. Tor IN
stance 20 railroads entering New-YOrk city. to
railroads operating witain the city, to gas com
panies. electric companies and the like.
AfeNv commissions have been created by iegls-
lsti,e cnactments I'm this and other states in the
rast and 70 has been the almost universal eXpe-
rienC. that however excellent the reports Of
sucn commissions might be. ii they were made
10 II men outside the Legislature. the Legis-
lature raid little or no heed to them. J. there
fore recommend that YOU create joint com
nittee ~ the Senate and Assembly 10 investi-
gate the subject in full, and to report to the
reVt legislature proper scheme for taxation
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
The message Of the Governor was read in the
senate by The Clerk and Senator Ellsworth
moved that it should be printed and referred to
the Committee on Taxation and Retrenchment
THE CALLED JADE WINGED.
Senator Grady protested against the Cover
nors action in singing out New-fork CITY as
lacking in civic virtue.
II the Governor is looking for examples of
civic vice" he said. he need not have gone so
far nor selected an administration hostile to him
politically He cannot be Unacquainted with the
fact that the corridors II this Capitol have for
the last two weeks been filed with A lobby
which received its significance only because of
the official positions Of the members working
for votes for bin which met its death last Fri
day che Astoria gas bilD. If he goes down 10
New-York be will not find any such lobbying
about The halls Of the Municipal Assembly. II
he desires 10 call attention to any lack Of civic
Virtue. ] say he had much better study the stua-
ton here under his eyes.
II is but part Of the partisan. bigoted mar
iow-minded mean and prejudced spirit which
mas characterized his whole administration
toward that city Such mean NindictiVe, spite
:gi lnsnuatons against that city are unworthy
NJ oihcial position. / am here 10 say that com
paito with any other city in the state NeW-York
nc nc A9 reason TO be ashamed 1t might have been
Susl as wen for the Governor in sending in this
.n-esShte anticipating the vote on the Franchise
W Oil. 10 have left out that reference 10 New
a9rk City Just where the message goes or
"ccelher lt rs printed or not, don't care"
r. -Hdiof Ellsworth said he thought Senator |
'al1 would admit that whatever took place in !
t,HIhecuon with the lobby and the Astoria Gas /
III I'LL ne knew nothing about it, The Governor !
WWtsi' nave had in mind when he selected New |
,t Dih as an example that at the present time in |
t ,Iat city there was over $500 900 900 worth Of |
r1YpeIty. or nearly - per cent Of the property |
t..eo, t"e.e, ~hlch escaped taxation This fact alone /
s S's.Su me Governor IN instancing New-York |
a pace where reform II, Tho ,,ot,er ~ taxa-