New-York tribune., 1902-08-18

time of payment C9 our city taxes to meet this
State tax. The city. however paid the State taxex
of 1901 in the early part OF the year 1902 as re-
quired BY law. but will not collect the amount
thus paid from its taxpayers until October Of this
year The total amount paid by the city was
si,515.569 q.
OF course the larger the difference Is betwss,
the income and the appropriations. the larger
will be the State tax and the greater the valua
of the assessed property: for equal amounts to be
raised by taxation. the smaller the rate The as
ssssed valuations are however. fictitious 50
that the annual variations in the rate actually ,n
dicate whether not the State is raising greater
or smaller sum by the State tax II. now. by Judi
cious pruning of expenditures and wise revision
of the tax laws, the State tax can be reduced the
taxpayer may benefit to just the OF that
reduction He will be benefited. if the State can
ind new sources Of income. without injury to the
public at larse, as was done, for example by the
imposition of the inheritance tax. the increased
LIQUOR tax under the Raines law. the tax on trust
companies and banks, etc
OF course, a person or a corporation on whose
business a new tax is imposed will sndeavor IN
and usually will succeed in his endeavor to- make
his or its customers pay the tax by increasing the
nrices OF his goods increasing the interest on loa
or reducing the interest which Is paid on depos-
it's and numerous other methods But. even So
the public at large Is more justly taxed under
wisely constructed law. properly extending the
scope of state taxation to just the that the
burden Is distributed over larger numoer Of per-
GOVERNOR oDsLLs POLICY.
1t was Governor Ode!rs avowed OBJECT to do
away with the State tax, Tar possible by
legislation and in this he with active co-opea-
lIou on the part OF the legislature He has sue
ceeded in his endeavor, and wnen experience has
shown where the laws recently passed de-
fective. may well be the case II viii be sim
pIe matter TO correct them. It may De. and uu-
doubtedly will be. necessary TO pass other amend
nent abolition Of the State tax. and neace the
governeEt in iT the shape Of The state Board S
Organization; for. OF course re" counues are
County rule. least or AL 10 aoOHsn the Stale
tax, the legislature had TO censl9eE Wnat property
state exclusively. without injury TO the counties
formerly taxed BY ioeaI tax boards could 6e taken
away, ana tne locality MADE to suffer oy reason Of
ject TAX directly 70 tns state so much valua6ls
in Certain localities that the remaining property
would have to be assessed at higaer rate than
been well considered and has not occurred in thls
s5at rS sxeep5 n te% 6a5sS M Of ccua
After the most careful deiIoeTatlOn, the following
principal acts relating to State taxation other than
cussed az some ether time. were passed:
Chapter i2S relating to the taxation Of Bank Stock
theretofore differently taxeS zsz amended -, r.r,
1902, Chapter ~ relating 70 tne laXatlon OF ne
surplus OF Trust Companies heretofore not taxed.
Laws 1901 Chapter III relating to The taxation
These statutes have been so recently discussed
in the public press. and are 50 simple that II
seems unnecessary 10 so into any great details On
The tax in 1891 the last two classes as @ Of cor.
poratious alone amounted 20 over s-v9vtN an or
State and the local taxpayers portion o. the
in the recently published statements the Repu5
lean State COMMITTEE anu nee1 not oe reptS-a- ser
selves show much OF what has been accomplished
in this respect. and how much IN state taxes Is
n u
injury 70 the county. s.
tas 4 t the aiHli eaHu ass 0a The the ss
thusastiS tax retorEneTs sem 70 60 81; ~, ce e.
assessed values shah not be subject 20 criticism by
b STATE Goa5q TSeaer aap 'n Nr Pury oa opoa
tax system or not Of course the canal @ asoI Tax ss1
that the language Of the constitution is not anas "a
s5pte so Ss is " other insos s obtained and not "
THE SURPLUS
have referred above to the application Of TIE
States surplus toward the payment of its anural
aporop-iat t,o7s surplus is a feature OF all gov
ernrrert Frances which is often trouolsscne. h
is NOT always easily obtained. and il is often only
too readily expended There are various causes for
its existence Thus it can readily De seen that TIE
State az the end Of the fiscal year (Ssptenoer 90
NAV find that throush Increased income trosa @ ne
several sources esp9-la..S I,S 1--.- ~ tSs
Governors vetoes. after the legislature sd1ourns
tain works. there may result surplus oi greasss
or less magnitude In fact. il would oe tnpossios
10 collect on.y the exact amount needed ana I.
would not be wise: for while the State has 70 neea
OF sgs6gS & o O. sTaat >, ~ 4Sa ena Of hs Year The
surplus can as have said be applied by the legis-
20 GonsiaeGa2is eH.ei S55rct,on WITH this Is
the temptation to be extrevas ant. oIt that slls
.ion Ihe Rsop4e can cro d ~ St 1s ne Isgis.aturs
is deaf 10 public opinion.
LOCAL TAXES
While on the subject Of amendments 10 the TAX
laws ii Will not be out Of place 10 consider sons-
what the questions OF taxation Of real ard pelSoA-
property in counties and cities and other nliAo NM
Subdivisions Of the State. The system OF ra-slnS
taxes is not quite the same IN all the counties oa'
it is not necessary to go into the deras o. me t
laws as "a hapPsd i 9T & &ez2g e e9qaISs 31d Sos he
ML!oIS IN a a = ,,ti@ TLa result IS the
same. and the State enters into ne makeup ,Ss
taSes 6iS ua are '3a nally y collectsd .-.,,sl
property gross Injustice IS done Is only 700 ~ =
and that persons are heavily oveF.a xai,o9
Ss9 as vel 6no"S sSv sS tn2t eod have been
Eest9d to to- do away with n62 5hs sa s5Sn Ingenuity
far devised tax system which eVeES9'@'
TAX ON MORTGAGES
Our own legislature made various efforts 10 cure
some of the defects in the local tax laws anu o
kind OF personal property. namely, mortsasss ~
the subject OF numerous suggestions oui4'-s -
sessions of IS99-02. Several bills were Ellou. .s-
at e3cn SESSION 10 exempt 4IioI l5aSSS "-
(by Mr.. Slater and Mr.. Seymour. for exaInpls'' .
the Legislative Tax Commission OF lsss , Ie
rnended somewhat cumbersome method oLas5 OF e. by
taxation by ;he State, which was not aPpi0'
the legisla rure .,rnpIe
Last winter senator stranahan propose, siS Sy
method OF levying a small tax on mortgSSs he
stamps at the ;ine of record, for the oentH
State. This bill which did not pass the lssI1s IN
but which the faiTest and most pEaSss-- 70 be
The minds OF many provided moEs77@SSs y some egis-
lators. and just energeJically ea.SSsS~ Srourd
Others. II was opposed by some On & lJ T1r0ras
that IL would deprive the counties OF my ,rtgages