The sun., 1899-06-14
DIG INTO TAXING METHODS.
MOSS ASKS COMMISSIONER GRELL
ABOUT oCToPUsEs.

Toll II, When His Salary Was Raised,
He Sent n $500 Check to Croker.
The Mazet committee took up the investi-
cation OF the Department OF Taxes again yes
terday morning and kept at 1t all day. The
testimony adduced tended to show that while
there are Ave Commissioners OF Taxes. the de-
partment is really conducted by Thomas l..
Feitner. the President Of the board. Ono Wit
ness. a surveyor In the Tax Department. was
asked II. coincidently with an increase OF his
salary. he had sent check for $500 to Croker.
He refused to answer. saying, That's not q
proper question" Former Police Commits
sioner Androw ID. Parker has scnt letter to
the Chairman OF the committee requesting
that he have an opportunity to appear before
the committee as witness to refute certain
statements made about him by former Chief Of
Police John McCullagh. Whether Mr. Parker
will be called or not will be settled by a vote OF
the committee. Unofficial information is to the
effect that the committee will call Mr. Parker
subpoena was served on Comptroller Coler
yesterday, calling on him to appear before the
committee this morning.
WAS TOLD HE COULD HAVE AN oFFIon ron
$4,000.
Thomas NJ. Mulry. who is connected with
several charitable organizations. was the first
witness called yesterday morning. Mr.. Mulry
testified that he was a candidate in the fall Of
lStf the appointment TO tno commission
ership OF Charities. Immediately after the
election OF Mayor Van Wyck he had been told
by some one. whose name he could not rem en-
ber. and at a place that he could not remem Der,
that II he would put UP 5 1000 he could have
the appointment. He said he did not know
whether the person who made this suggestion
was connected with the Tammany organiza-
tion or not and he did not know whether the
person knew whether or not the witness could
llv hnya tha Nit,tr bv ,.,,t
ting up $4,000 He did not believe he could
have got the appointment anyway. because
the powers In Tammany Hall wished to give
the office to Tammany worker. and he was
not Tammany worker. He said he was In
dorsed for the place by the Charity OrRaniza-
tion Society.
LAWRENCE pELMouRs WHEREABOUTS AND
INCOME.
John Long attached to the ONCE OF the Mar
shall who collects personal taxes. was called
and asked where the Marshal. Lawrence Del
mour. is. Mr. Moss said he hadn't been able
to find him or to get any information as to his
whereabouts. The witness said that Mr.. Del
mour was at present at Mount Clement. Mich,
fer his what the total
1Sfnss 'G hS Ss s1s
against persons who had died before the war.
the Qfce has been stated that they are t' as
M mGcs thsn f5d Of that sh. M
BY Mr.. Mo.s-But the amount not collected is
charged against the city by the State. is 1t notP
Col, Davii i. Austen. Reeelyer of Taxes, was
Col: Austen said that he had appointed M,r; Del.
Win 3 The g 6o%StrqIisr before he nsde The
duties in an eminently satisfactory manner.
TAX COMMISSIONERS SAYS BREwER1Es ARE POOR
William 7, Grell. one OF the Tax Commission
Q.-How did you come TO be appointed Tax
Commissioner Al was appointed by the
.Q.-To be sure; but through whose influence
did you secure the epp9intment2 Was II
no yd.re esFsd esdr to tSs
man Democracy the Executive Committee OF
hch Id fSs Mayyo9p pnS
cured the appointment; .
Odd you go to Lakewood? Al did. but
ment.r That was sufficient and got the Job.
Q.,,Betore you became Tax CommissioneE
in what business were you engagedp Al
was cQ2Innected with the Consumers Brewery.
Q;-Were YOU ever considered M an expert on
Q'IWhat was your first work as a Tax Com
U.HAnd how did you do that2 A.-well. in
Manhattan assessments were made on go per
cent, OF the real value. In Brooklyn the basis
property in Queens wasn't assessed at ALL
..Q-And you found. in making your equallza-
easements in Manhattan and the Bronx about
s$30'QHnnoOi s A., Al beleve Le @ SO -, oon,..oo
and personal taxes. His committee, heard
assessments and passed upon them.
O. Have you had any M applications from gas
NQEAny application, from breweres9 A
Yes. several B5eweriss % les are r We very poor now:
cries are Gs poor now HSoh. on account Of tho
Raines law, Since the Raines law went, into
customers. Then they have had to give greater
discounts and even had to pay rents in some
Q-And have the breweries also had to pay
che liquor tax for the 81 saloons % AmAnd "a. they
S oeNow 70 SUI Suppose pose; you YOU have noticed that the
valuation Of the real estate, Of breyeres has
NOT. NOT O' don't have anything to do with the real
estate part of the office. attend to corpora
tions and personal taxes.
UNEQUAL EQUALIZATION
bunch Of weekly reports from Deputy
Tax Commissioner, now deceased. to the chief
deputy was shown TO the witness. His atten-
tion was called to the fact that on every blank
stricken out and 'equsIizatop" written above
was unable to give any satisfactory answer
Dwell, why Is 1t that OF all the weekly re-
ports submitted by the Deputy Tax Commis-
sioners to the chief deputy these few that I
hold in my hand are the only ones that can be
found in the office Of the Tax Commissioners,
and why is it that all the others have been de-
attend to such little details You'll have TO ask
the chief deputy.
These reports show that the deputy who made
the reports Mr.. Birmingham, essed S92 plots
in the business part of the city In one week
How could he have done so much work2 A
Well guess he had to do 1t.
Reading from the reports. Mr. Moss showed
that the building at 237 Broadway. valued in
1893 at 1926, 900. was not increased, but that
the building at 234 and 235 had been raised
from $275, 900 to S302. 900. and that the build
ing at 233 Broadway had been increased from
$50 900 to S125. 900
O-How do you account for such unequal in:
creases Mr. Witnessp A-Now, Mr.. Moss. as
told you before l have to do with the corpora
tions and personal taxes. and that Keeps me