New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-24
FRUITS OF REFORM RIFLE
OBJECT LEMONS IN GOOD GOTERNuENT S1ou,,, NM
1 eoAfdhISON OF DEPARTMENTS IrNDrp
T1NN4NT IND UNDER LOuv
DEPARTMENT OF TAXES AND ASSESMPNTS
T.fMM4NT'S RECORD.

n the Department % Taxes ana Assessments
--~--a-y had az excellent chance 70 favor f.s
oa-u and an equally good chance TO take II
cu,~ of its enemies. Tammany conducted the
Tax Department as a secret organization: its
secrets were 20 he known only 10 the initiated
Graft VAS plentiful and was almost as p-of-
fable there as in the Police Department. The
assessors we're sworn TO value property az its
sun market value. They die in few cases
where they had some score TO pay OF. or where
~ owner did not have pull" with the ro,i-
-icans Inequalities were palPable II the re-
o-6s could have been shown. hut this was the
one thing Tsmmsny was most careful not 10 do
TIE assessment rolls were n great measure
r,e-e COPIES 81 the rolls Of previous years. but
ne Taurnany men were always favored.
When the fusion Tax Commissioners came
i--o power on January /. 1902 the tax rolls FOR
1872 were already made Up. and they could do
little TO remedy the inequality they saw on
every page q. the records
A compilation OF some OF the gla-ing instances
q ra,o-itisrn has been made and a FEW OF them
s-e reproduced here. They show how Senator
George TX. Plunkitt. Tim Sullivan Perry Bel
mont. :. Sergeant Cram. Richard Croker John
: Phelau and other good Tamrnany leaders. also
TIE New-York Edison Company. received ia
vors worth thousands OF dollars at the hands
a the Tammany Tax Board. Equal taxation in
those days was not name TO conjure With
There were not a few instances in which people
vere taxed 20 the ezl value Of their property
r. ~ days. when full valuation was not the
cust
Tn 4 property belonging TO the New
To-i Olson Company IN Rfde--ave nea- one
huud-ed-and-fo-tieth-st.. which in 1892 on the
Ts-nula-y rolls was assessed for $4,000. Ac-
co-sirE 20 estimates made by real estate men &
vas worth S2n0 600
The property belonging 20 Perry Belmont. al
Fifth-ave. ard Ninetv-second-st.. worth S1s0.-
co. was assessed ct SGoOoo. There was other
Ber1onr property. d waterfront parcel worth
$50 00e. which was assessed al s2oQO0.
Then there the land at Aqueduct-ave.
and ne-hul6-ed-and-ni netieth-sJ. which rent
Cd 70 the city Tor $1,000 a year Il was as
sessed AZ $4,000 but its owner would not take
10000 for il
E1-Dock COMMISSIONS John J Phelan had
some property which was assessed al S.. 500.
but vas valued at from $1,000 10 S150oe0
Tie p-opertE AZ Nos. ! .9G7 and l-2,9 East
One and-eiEhcie-h-st owned by d well
know Tauluany alderman. vas assessed az
g lo0 but TIE alderman said il vas worth S15.-
Cou1a-e those cases with the property Of
J = Won Beesten. IL G1eene-ave- Westches-
-. which vas assessed al 81 600 and its own
- offered - sell IL al s. 500 There was con
siderable inequality
J. Sergeant Cram owned nice house al No.
: Eas, Thi-ry-uiuth-st The market value was
s:5rs 5u- since NJ Cram was an Influential
MAJ n t1t -sllrna-y coC1sels the assessors let
him 90 win S27."po.
Another rather influential Taurmany chief.
ore Richard croker. now Of Vantage. owned
--o Cast Sever-z--fourth-sr- which val
80 .l S--I,sa The assessment was $4,000
.lf 1fs-T frrn Is razr-
cottage. should b. Observed in justice TO M
Iru5e.. aas 1ri7e more than some Of the
Utas- Ter--larT men were paving.
Properly n oIi--ave and Station Place. In The
Bronx. was assessed az 5000 when il was
valued al S7"wH This year It's assessment is
Tn Dewey Theatre fin which Tin" sullivan
heavily Interested. assessed al SI2.es.
uhe- .-s market valve was sISaee0 The as
sessr-er- VAS ~ per cent Of the valuation.
Senator PlunkitI too. figured IN this scheme
for getting out easily. He had property at
NJ l--51G East one hundred Ia h-st-.
Efl-- D. rented - the city for 800 year
I was appraised a. 5000 by well known
yea estate man The assessment was S3iles-
The- there was 10. 80 East Forty-eighth-st-.
assessed a. $1,000. worth S32".i Another
pTnQe-tv which Senator Plunkirt leased 20 the
CIV vas Nos co. and 60 West hundred
ar --r-i~-ie-h-s-- The rent was 5000 year; the
rslue S-5|s'. the assessment $1,000. % per
cert ~ -he -alue
D. Brooklyn conditions were much the same.
InHueuce pull" served 20 obtain low vaiua-
tiCr property. but r i was lacking the prop
g. was assessed nearly ~ its true valuation;
r some more than the market price
Property ar -he northwest corner OF StXteth-st-
a-1 Fort Hamilton We worth S4'-fss'. was as
sesTeC $1,000 - per cent. while No a.
NCs-ra -6-e-e whose owner evidently was with
ou- ne raIe was assessed Al $500. when IT'S
"a he oulv 500
s. 7-}-727 NErrie-ave. Was assessed az Sl"-
co. hen VAS worth only Sl-.ese. Vet prop
e-rv ~ Surf-arc. and West feminist. Coney
Island was assessed a. $4,000 when Il was
worth S31oesb about 20 per cent.
A waterfront ~ Conover-st- Brooklyn. was
worth So 600 The =sessn1ent was Slow. or
- gn- cent Of the value. The Henry-st- SIP.
n the t10WanuF Canal. was worth from N.'se'
g. Si6esa I was assessed al $500. l4iz per
cert u The same block parcel assessed
a. 3 - l3lz oer cent OF its value II rs as
s:.aepp this year