New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-24
ftSION'S RECORD.

-
Early tnan by any other method The ,,,,n-o,,a-
4- mace IN the Tax Department Of the city
Hrst time these rolls show property as
al It's market value conservsti,-AIv as,i
Ihateo-not in section Of the city ~ =, -
ooIoush' but in every part and every borougb
!" nat this means 10 the small pronertv gunner
= 1-at ms tax bills are reduced appractabl,-
= DiOoAiyn' for Instance. 80 per cent Of the
taxpayers have smaller bills this wear than last
A"ey appreciate *. too One old Irish woman
came 10 Commissioner Scott. who attends -
tne Brooklyn end, and with tears in her eyes
declared; shu9e. whin I heard all this tax
aoout city improvements thought to u1esilf I'd
. naN'h 10 pay for IL all. but my taxes is a lot
less this year thar they was last I'm goin.
TO make my man vote for Low. shurer
It's tamn shame, It's a tamn 'shanie,'' cried
a frantic little German butcher to President
Wells Of the Tax Board. L got it in mein headt.
yes. waving a tax bin in the air as he danced
around
wen just tell what's the matter" said
NJ. Wells trying vainly 10 calm his visitor.
It's .tamn shame, Mein property is worth
more this year. yes. IN nein taxes. they are
lower They tell me have to pay more: no but
II Is not so It's shame" And after express
ing MS entire satisfaction with his assessment
NJ went on vowing vengeance on the political
"O'Aers VINO had tried to impress him with a
sense Of the Tax Departments .inequity.
while the extremely wealthy whose property
valuations have been raised may not indorse
so enthusiastically the new method Of assess
nent and the honesty with which il is admin
lstered. they know that their property is as
sessed on the same scale as that Of their neigh
oors, and that they are bearing only their Just
share OF the running expenses Of the city. II
they think that their property has been over
Ns-ueo the tax records are open 70 them. and
1neg are a. perfect liberty TO compare the val
Gauons with those Of nearby property Even
more, the department has had enacted a meas
ure- compelling the publication Of the assess
rnents on property, the valuation Of the land
being made separately from that Of the buildings
thereon. so that by inspecting this record OF
valuations in The City Record" any property
owner can readily determine whether there is
discrimination or Inequality
Through the new plan OF valuation at the pre-
vailing market rate the city has reaped many
advantages In the report Of the Tax Depart
ment for the last quarter President Wells sets
them forth in this fashion:
An assessment roll showing for the first time an
assessment based upon the fair market value Of
an indefinite and uncertain percentage OF value
81 ~. si3 tTae SEPARATION ,s by The adoption
property shall De valued for the purpose OF taxa
called upon 20 bear his just proportion Of the
The solution Of the debt limit problem. which for
years has hampered The city. without increasing
tie city has been Increased from about ZOO Oj0
over s4-eofoso. thus assuring the success Of the
A greatly enlarged assessment OF personal prop
e-ty, Due mainly 10 The anticipated reduction Of
A lower rate due 10 these facts in connection
with the large increase IN revenues of he city and
the success O. the SINKING fund reief plan
Lower taxes TO ali except those whose prop
erry has hitherto been assessed below the average
has oee1 ifnpro'eu by nLAoln6 OF mas rapidly al
vanced in value by reason 81 great public improve
unents or the natural growth % the city.
few facts and figures viii also bear test
nnony 10 the advantages Of the new order Of
things.
The total assessed value OF real estate for
1903 is 81 75l 80 s26; the total for 1902 was
81 $50 ca 579: the increase. S1.42n903241.
The total assessed value for 1909 OF the real
estate OF corporations. exclusive y their prop
errv assessed as real estate under the Special
Franchise Law Of 1899 'chapter 7l2). is SIS
9S7 49, a decrease from that Of 1902 OF S1.7OS.-
SO but the total assessed value OF the real
estate Of corporations under the Special
Franchise Law OF 1899 chapter I'D is S235.
1s4325. an increase OF Sli.J64.l1O over the
ASSESSED valuation for the year 1872
The total assessed value Of taxable personal
,-ons-tv for 1903 is $3.50 S6G.O92. as compared
with Sja6 400139 Tor 19G2-the increase is
sI54 49,. 9Js3.
This total does not include the assessed Naiue
%. r. ranftal stock surplus and undivided
rrofts OF banks and banking associations IN
me civ which IS separate assessment mace
- Teerar17ber OF each year. upon which the city
-oII.c-s = tax OF / per cent The assessed
- % This class OF personal property Tor
1ssrs was S202. 'a9.G51-
.--s+a-, or assessment shown IN comparison
.ftb those for 1902. fixed by the Ialnrlahy
49, Even II the budget for l!tIb We're hoI
- han that <0r 1892 the tax rates Wouia
s5,u have been lower than those for the pre-
vious year Reduc-