New-York tribune., 1903-03-12
r,rxTroy PROGRAMME.

rha panubl,csn leaders at Albany nave uoio
1ne ~, --.,-o ,,non the levy of higher liquor
+axes to supply the needed STATE le' T.,
a. 800 much less in this State thaD III
40 - :. h;oh # is far less profitable, ana ho
- ,,,cinoss can so we'll bear heaVy taA
-. borr, to the general comm9nlV. N"
-,ta-.a+iro tn other plans of indirect TAXA
zion considered. all of which woulo ui.ilia,e-'
foil unon already overtaxed real estate, 'n"o
dofootinp their professed purpose OF relie'lne
roaI estate. the liquor tax is 10 De hlsuiS -
mended. and the Governor is entl'leu ~
credit for his openmindedness IN REVISING ,ne
earlier plans to escape a general propei'S
for State purposes z I'LL
Tho nronosed Ifouor tax. 1t is esunlateo' win
nrodrca s1s.OOOOOO instead Of the $12'oOo'oVo
-. ,,oooivAd At present the State gets one
third. or S4,OOO,OOO. and the local treasures
&c ooo 0oo Under the new scheme the DIVISION
will be equal. the State taking $9,OOO'OO, an
;,oraosa of s5OO0OOO, while the localities VIII
cot, e1 ono oOo This new income will pracO-
oour eoIvo the States revenue problem, and II
,-;u no+ give the liuuor dealers any cause Oh
aomnlaint It will raise the tax IN the borousn
., Manhattan from $500 to S12oO; IN nul0io'
pocbester snd Syracuse, from $ooO TO s'oo' III
o,+,ns of from 10000 to $4,000 inhabitants lrol' M
eo5o 70 S475: in villages Of from 5,OOO 10 1o'VVo
fnb.h,tants from $500 TO $3.50; IN smauer Nii
1.oos of over 1850 inhabitants, from $Zvo "
$500 and in country districts from S1oo " "A'o
Roeton. with only one-third the populaloh =.
Manhattan, and with far less OF wealth. "A,.
with far less extravagant haDits ahions od o.
classes Of the people, imposes a TAX ol S@'o00'
Worcester with population little more Cual
roIf +bs+ Of The Bronx, levies tax or Sl,oVV'
moro than three times that proposed for 1ne
Rronv. In st. Paul. Mimi, the liquor tax Is
81 900. In Des Moines, Iowa 1t Is Sl,zOO. 0eol-
gia Nebraska Missouri Utah, MassacnuselCs
and Minnesota all impose liquor ta1es mucn
higher than New-York under the proposed
measure will impose in communities OF corre
sponding population. Yet IN no one OF lnoeo
States Is money spent so freeIy OF Ine pion'
of the liquor business so great
In his annual message the Governor said
eE soo noo of new revenue was needed entirely
70 abolish the general property tax. If the tax
on direct ,nbedtances Of real estate which has
nassed the Senate becomes law Sooo'oOo VIII
no received. according to the official estimates.
rrbat with the S5,Oo0,oOO additional liquor
+axes will entirely meet the needs OF tne
State. 1t is said that mortgage tax Is still
considered and bill will be introduced to I'M
nose one of four mills on all mortgages except
those held by charitable and educational IN
stitutions. including those belonging to savings
hanks and insurance companies. Perhaps this
will only be held in reserve 80 tnar revenue
NAV be provided in case any haW Is found In
other plans. Certainly the $6,OOO'OOo OF reVe-
nue. it would bring the State Is not neeoeo'
The canal Improvement is not yet authorlzed,
and there is no call to finance 1t at present
If authorized, several years would elapse De-
fore the full bond issue would be made, ana even
then tvo-thirds Of the mortgage tax reTenue
,xouId provtde for the whole canal improve
nent interest and sinking fund. 1t Is not good
poIicy to impose unnecessary taxes even II rich
and nroner sources Of revenue have been found,
and we are not persuaded that a mortgage tax,
4hough undoubtedly rich, is a proper source of
revenue It violates the principles OF SOUND
taxation and is only one more burden on real
estate.
Last year we were induced to consent to
small recording tax, to be imposed only once
In the life Of mortgage, as the least evil way
out Of generally bad system OF personal taxa"
ton which is not now generally enforced and
cannot be enforced without great wrong. That
compromise was not acceptable to persons
under the delusion that the money lenders
would pay the mortgage taxes, 30 we have the
old trouble still with as. No doubt the Gov
ernor believes this annual tax would do some
thing to relieve It, but we think the old evils
might better be endured until the people are
educated up to the right remedy, rather than
adopt a vicious principle, particularly as the
tax will not be needed for revenue.