The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-03

The same is the case with the Standard
OIL Company. The owners of its stock
living in New York City pay taxes upon
a nominal amount Of personal property
on the theory that the company pays To-
cal taxes upon the same stock elsewhere.
John Rockefeller Is assessed upon only
s. 900 600. William Rockefeller upon $780,
600. H. H. Rogers on $3.50, 900, John D.
Archibald on 10000 Oliver II. Paine on
100000, and other heavy stockholders on
corresponding amounts. J. H. rlagler
is not on the list because he is resident
OF Florida. If John Rockefeller. who is
the owner OF not less than $1,000, 900
worth Of the stock. paid taxes at the
same rate that his coachman pays he
would turn into the city treasury several
million dollars year, which we know
that he does not do, here or anywhere
directly or indirectly.
A man with $4,000 worth Of taxable
property has to pay 1920 a year, or there
abouts his estate is assessed at about
80 per cent OF it's actual value-at the
amount it would bring at auction. If MI
Riches paid at the same rate the tax rate
could be reduced at least one-haif.
Take the Mackay estate as another ex-
ample Mr. Mackay paid no personal
tax In New York, because he claimed
residence in California. If he paid there
we do not know it. II We had the same
laws they have in England We would
know IT. The papers say that his estate
will amount to upward Of $50, 90 900. II
he had been compelled 10 pay at the
same rate as his private secretary, or the
clerks in his Office, the city treasury
would have been the richer by a million
or more every year. There is going to be
an interesting tussle over Mr. Mackay's
death dues" The tax on legacies is
supposed to be paid by the beneficiaries,
and Mrs. DIackay. who VIII receive not
less than one-third Of the money, is
claimed as a resident of England She
has lived for years in Carleton House
terrace, London. and has been in the
United States only occasionally for
visit OF a few weeks. Mr.. Maekay lived
at the Delgravia hotel, New York, and
his only child, Clarence, has city house
in Fifth avenue and another down on
Long Island He will have to pay taxes
on his share of the estate in New York,
and his mother ought to pay her share in
London, but as the death tax in England
is much larger than in this country, she
will undoubtedly claim residence in Gait
fornia. where she has not lived q minute
for a generation.
Mrs c. P Huntington. who inherited
not less than S2O,090.O 600 from her husband
two years ago. was assessed at 100000
originally, but 'swore it down" to $780,
coo on the ground that she is resident
70 California. although everybody knows
that she never lived there. She inherited
one Of the most costly palaces in New
York, and the 100000 is supposed to rep
resent its furnishings and other contents,
although the pictures that hang upon the
walls are worth more than a million dol
lars. She has only life interest in that
part Of the estate. Upon her death the
house and all it contains goes to Yale
college. The Yale corporation do not
know what TO do with it, but it will be
easily rented.
The Plant estate, left to a widow an6
son by the great Florida railway man,
amounts to more than $50. 600 600, mostly
invested in shares of the railroads COM
posing what was known as the Plant
system and the Southern Express Com
pany, which Mr.. Plant started and own
ed almost exclusively. Neither Mrs.
Plant nor her step-son pay personal
taxes in New York, because they claim
legal residence in a little Connecticut
village. And If they should pay what is
their due there, for only a single year,
the village authorities might close their
books and put the money out on interest.
It would amount to enough to meet the
municipal expenses for a quarter Of
century.
The Vanderbilts have always had the
reputation of being good tax payers, and
do not claim nonresidence, as so many of
their neighbors have done, although they
have the finest houses at Newport ana
live there most OF the time. Mrs. Will
lam Astor pays no personal taxes in
New York. She ''swore them off,
claiming TO be a resident of Newport.
Mrs. Alice Vanderbilt, widow O. the late
Cornelius. who has ten times as much
property in Newport as Mrs. Astor, and
remains There almost continually the
year round. pays on s1,OVJ,O00 personal
property in New York. Mrs. Astors dia-
monds are believed 10 be the finest own
ed by any woman in America. They are
worth more than Mrs. Vanderbilt's en-
tire assessment, yet she pays no taxes
upon them. Fred Vanderbilt who
spends most of his time in Newport, and
seldom "opens his old fashioned New
York house, which was formerly the
family home. pays on 100000 George
Vanderbilt. who inherited his fathers
brown stone palace opposite the csthe
dral in New York. and is now having It
done over at an expense of 500, COO. was
assessed for s., 600. 600 like his brother,
but had it reduced to $4,000 on the
ground that he is a resident OF Ashvine,
y. c.. where he has the finest chateau in
America. and lives good deal OF his
time Yet. in his New York house are
dozens OF pictures, and pieces Of bric-a-
brac and furniture. any one Of which is
worth more than his assessment
William K. Vanderbilt pays on s. .ee.-
600. William X. Jr.. on $4,000. Alfred G..
his cousin. on the same amount. ard the
other members OF the family in proper
ton: but John Jacob Astor. VINO is worth
more personal property than all the
young Vanderbilts combined. only pays
on $Saooe having sworn it down" from
s.. ec0,ooo. Reginald Vanderbilt. who is
a student al Yale. pays the same per
sonaI tax as Mr. Astor. and has no pic
lures or house furniture or anything Of
that sort.
Russell Sage pays. on S6ooooA The tax
assessors have little fun with him ev-
cry year. by rating him very sh. and
then making him swear it on" Joseph
Pulitzer is assessed az Ssolonn. William