Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-13
CARNEGIE COMPLAINS
tronmaster Declares He Is Over.
 taxed Because He's Rich.
OBJECTS TO VALUATIONS.
Greatest Protest Is In Relation to As. sessrnent on Music Hall Which He Maintains For Arts Sake at a Finan- eiaI Sacrifice.

eiaI Sacrifice.
 New York, Sept 13.-This time 1t is Andrew Carnegie who arises and begs leave to protest. Getting the floor, he asked to have 1t understood he is no tax dodger. No, sir; not he. But when man adorns the city with a mansion in Fifth avenue, surrounds 1t with beautiful grounds and builds a large iron fence, between the bars of which a curious public may gaze on the mag. nifcent place; when he puts up large music hall, dedicates 1t to art and leases 1t to managers, to organizers of mass meetings and to schools for com. mencement exercises; when in a still greater spirit of generosity toward art he builds all annex to the music hall. divides 1t into studios and leases them to music teachers and manicures at a good rental; when he does all this and more for the great music loving public of this city, why, Carnegie wants 1t known that he expects consideration from the people, especially as ex- pressed through the peoples tax asses sors.
 Carnegie also wants it understood he is angry. He feels the valuations that have been placed on his various prop critics not only are excessive, but that the effort to get large amounts in taxes from him results from his being rich. Still Fighting Valuation. But these facts, he argues, are no reason why his mansion in Fifth ave nue. between Ninetieth and Ninety first streets, should be valued for the pur. pose of taxation at $2,300,0OO. It was two years ago the city placed that val. uation on the property, and through his lawyer R. l.. Cutting of Nassau street, he began proceedings to have the valuation reduced. The proceed ings still are pending, but Carnegie felt that the assessors this year would deal in more kindly spirit with him With annoying persistence they placed the same valuation on the property however. and again he directed his lawyer to fight the case.
 Carnegie. however, has another "kick" against the rude assessors. Fol several years he has been buying lots in streets near the one in which he lives. The assessors have decided these lots are worth SsS3.500. but Mir Carnegie feels that placing this valua ton upon them is equal to sandbag ging him and trying to take his money He leaves 1t to the public whether he has not been exceedingly liberal al ways in giving away his cash. Why his great object in life just now is tC die poor. But to be helped to ultimate poverty by the assessors is more than he can bear On the lots, Mir. Carnegie thinks, a valuation of $400,000 would be about right, and on his home in stead of s2,3O0OO0 the proper figure would be s1, ,432,0o0.
 No Money In Music.
 But the strongest protest he desires to enter is against the valuation placed on Carnegie Music hall. The authori ties think the land and building art worth s1.4o0,0o0. On the land they have placed a valuation of $T50.00t and on the building S650OO0 Carnegie insists the value of the land is only s630O00 and that the building Is wors, than worthless. He holds the big mu sic hall is an incumbrance on the lant and reduces its value. Should he tr! to sell the property. he insists. the lant would bring less because of the build ing on it.
 The music hall, Carnegie says. doe not pay. and he maintains it for th' sole purpose of helping art in this city The building Is useless for any othel purpose and could not be converted into a business structure. Therefor, he feels 1t is "up to- the city to recog nIze the benevolent motive that caused him to put up the structure and to re duce the valuation placed on the prop erty to less than half.