Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-25
THE LATE CORNELIUS VAN
0ERBlLT OWES NEW YORK
CITY $l6,IS4,250.
trrom the Evening Journal.)

From the Evening Journal.)
Cornelius Vanderbilt has been dead
FOR good many months. and it is per-
missible to call attention to an inter-
esting fact concerning him. The fact
to be mentioned does not necessarily
attack the belief that only good should
be spoken of the dead.
We merely show that Mr. Vanderbilt
did as 1t done by the vast majority of
very rich men, when year after year
he deliberately avoided paying what he
owed to the city.
You all know that investigation
proves Cornelius to have died possessed
Oh more than fifty millions of personal
property.
Some of you may not know that dur
ing his lifetime he paid taxes on four
hundred thousand dollars of personal
property.
Please tolerate a little bit of arith-
metic:
If Mr.. Vanderbilt had paid his fair
and full share OF taxes. at an average
tax rate of one and e-half per cent.
he must have paid S750.0g0 annually to
the public funds. to schools tightening
the burden of honest taxpayers.
Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt inherited
his fortune from his father William
II. Vanderbilt. fifteen years ago. Fiji
teen years ago his personal property
exceeded lis present sum, for much of
1t has since been invested in real es-
tate.
Had Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt paid
his taxes during that period of fifteen
years on fifty millions only. they would
have amounted In that time figuring
interest at per cent compounded. to
sixteen millions. one hundred and
eighty four thousand. two hundred and
fifty dollars
That sum has been withheld from the
city by Cornelius Vanderbilt. Similar
sums are withheld by many men OF
great wealth.
Those sixteen millions. now in the
pockets of a lad barely out of his teens.
belong by right to this city.
They would have built all the schools
that are lacking. and many more
They will never be collected of
course. We do not do business In that
way
a brother OF Cornelius Vanderbilt
shared with Cornelius the late William
HIS fortune. That brother now living
is'worth at the very least fifty millions
OF personal property.
He is not paying taxes on that sum-
And he will not pay taxes on that
sum.
If man Is buying a house for his
family on the installment plan. strug-
Cling to feed his children and at the
same time to provide permanent home
for them. His little house pays taxes
with perfect regularity.
But the man with the fifty millions
in bonds and stocks escapes
Ihat is how we manage in this coun-
try of equal rights.
We have suggested reform commit
tees from the bottom to investigate
criminals at the top of the social lad
der.
What do you think of this Wholesale
criminal evasion OF taxes as n subject
for investigation by n committee from
New Yorle's East Side?
Why not have dozen honest house
holders, payers of honest taxes, take
up the question of tax lodging and
perjury by the very rich?
In Germany. IL n rich man cheats the
tax collector during his lifetime, he
knows that punishment will come to
his heirs after his death.
Let man lie about the amount of
his income in Germany. where they col
lect an income tax, and when he dies
this happens:
The truth comes out. The taxes
evaded are collected with heavy penal-
ties and with compound interest at
tached. So thoroughly is this system
carried out that had Cornelius Wander
pitt died In Germany as he did here It
is not probable that ne-quarter of his
property would have gone to his heirs.
They have ideas of honesty and of
public duty over there
But this is not Germany. Mores the
pity.
This is the rich mans heaven, and It
needs some real reform committees
without too much loss of time.
What do you think about It. Mr..
Reader?
Is this anarchy. or is it common
sense?