New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-16
PRICE THREE CENTS.
TAXES AND EXTRAVAGANZA.
TWO SUBJECTS WHICH CRY LOUDLH
FOR REFORM AT ALBANY.
THE GOVERNORS IDEA OF THE LEGIsLAT'
URE'S DUTY-VAST EXPENDITURES
FOR STATE COMMISSIONS.


uREs DUrY-vAsT EXPENDITURES
FOR STATE COMMISSIONS
Albany. Jan. ID (SpeciaD-The enormous in-
crease in the assessed valuation Of real estate
in New York accompanied by a large increase
OF taxation. may receive the attention OK the
Legislature Such an increase as that OF the
Borough OF Manhattan. 1901 100000. certain
Senators and Assenblymen declare. needs
more satisfactory explanation than mas yet
been given by the authorities OF the city II
may be that special committee, composed OF
members OF both the Senate and the Assembly.
will be appointed 10 obtain evidence regarding
the cause OF the advance in assessments ana
taxation.
Senator Ellsworth president pro TEN. OF the
Senate called on Governor Roosevelt yesterday
and had a conference Of considerable length
with him. Just before 1t began the Governors
attention was called to the strange circumstance
that Governor Black, after urging the Leg's-
lature Of 1898 to establish an agency to con-
slider the subject Of taxation laws with the care
it's gravity demands" and after the Legislature
had authorized him to appoint a taxation In
vestigatng commission OF five members. neg
lected TO make any appointments under tnis
law Governor Roosevelt then asked II ne
thought he had power TO name this commission.
over this matter with Senator Ellsworth. but
that inasmuch as no Legislature had ever paid
the slightest attention to the recommendation
made by several such commissions, he was
rather doubtful about the utility Of this method
of handling the subject This remark indicates
that the Governor is inclined to think the -.eg-
islature Itself had better undertake the work OF
reforming the taxation laws instead Of putting
the task on some orc else's shoulders and thus
avoiding It altogether
WILL THEY SHIRK7
How this idea of the Senators and Assembly,
men actually doing work in framing legis-
lation and debating carefully its worth after
ward will strike these gentlemen cannot now be
told 1t may be regarded by them danger
Gus innovation on their recent practice OF push
ing off on commissions all serious business. and
passing about every measure presented to them
on to the Governor without the slightest serious
consderaton-to be by him transferred TO the
Statutory Revision Commission for its first care
ful examination. Early adjournments, after
Legislature has practically done no earnest
work, are easily obtained in this manner.
DISCOUNTED TAX LAWS.
James a. Roberts. who recently retired from
/ the Office Of Controller Of the State, in his an
/ nual report on the operations Of his Department
/ for the year 1898 just presented 10 the Leeis-
! lature, saws that the present taxation laws are
! confused, illogical and conflicting. He adds:
Investigation shows that they have been largely
adopted from time TO time simply 10 NEE, the In
gard to economic or any Just and equitable prin-
%y R ssy ss6n Of Y
pluchins Of the goose In such manner az TO get the
word it must be Confessed that our tax laws are
nearly all legislative ma~eshifts and many OF
them olunders
ho,, tbA
taxation laws he also considered with apprehen-
sion the great increase in the yearly cost OF the
State government pointing out that IT had In
creased from S9S1S21I 80 in 1881 to S2O,O20.-
O22 Il in 1896 One Of the causes Of this In
! crease is the creation OF State commissions.
! There were only two OF them in 1SSo-the Game
and Fish Protectors TO whom was paid 1906 20
! each annually. and the State Board Of Health.
which received S22I0 81 In all. the State COM
missions in 1850 cost only S3.511 -. In 1898
! the state commissions cost SI.6i5.2l9 Is. The
| state expended on commissions between 1880
and 1899 the sum OF S31 16S 800 50. Mr.. Roberts
comments amusingly this outlay by saying;
When the taxpayer realizes the cost OF all this
ne feels that Shakespeare had our situation In
mind saying:
TIE subjects grief
Comes through commissions
what our State has done in this line cannot
pnS PrS0n mntipy and dferenae and sesreea,e State
supervision and regulation must cease or the bur-
den will become too greVous 10 DC Dorne
AN ERA OF RECKLEssNEss.
Another subject 10 which Mr.. Roberts draws
attention is the arge increase in the bonded In
debtedness OF the state. lis counties, cities.
towns. villages and school districts lie made
careful inquiry this subject, and. comment
! ing on It In his report, says
| As euphasizing the marked tendency 10 increase
expenditure 1t may be well 20 mention that na,w'sn ,
1860 and 1850 the municipal & ds9tS ~ our n, ~ S1.en
| cities believed 70 represent the average; me NJ
crease in taxation was 1922 per cent while the IN
and OF population but 70 per cent. In the year lSo
the direct taxes for state coGnty town ana Gg ,s
they were IS 20 and in 1896 they ad reached $40 a.
an rhe resofs 81 of Sonded in This state
as reported to this Office are fear, by no means
s9%Psi yass rns and T city sSs
debtedness TO the clerk OF me Bosra 0I sup oyn,y
70 report the same 10 the Controller. but we have
abundant evidence that these returns where made
on Ale in this office. and from Trustworthy OUTSIDE
sources we have record 81 e end sbos sspc
~assregating si2i4Z75ls. This debt is divided AZ
follows
sass,y ..:: :::.:: :s;;ss
! Town. '''''''''''''''' ~ ~ 2sT o;2
Sse slhoi district soitess
|
roal.... ............. ............... .sa24 <27sn
| 4 complete record would probably swell this
amount to s5Oco.co. comparison OF Indebted
ne,s with assessed valuation In most cases shows q
dangerous approach 10 the constitutional limit.
THE DEBT BY COUNTIES.
I append table which distributes this indebt-
ed,ess among the several counties oi the State
! ,h,,y . sG54i 276 Onondaga ........ 1ooI.t0
| i,us.a,v 23s so ontario ......... OlI.5s3
J