New-York tribune., 1907-08-24
TAX VALUESI INCREASED
REPORT TO THE MAYOR.
Remarkable Rise IN the Price Of
Land in Queens Borough.

Lawson Purdy, president of the Tax Department,
IN a report submitted to the Mayor yesterday, says
that the cost of the New York Tax Department is
much less than that of the largest cities, whether
the comparison Is based upon area or assessed
value The board includes besides President
Purdy, Frank Raymond. Nicholas Muller James
H Tully. Charles Putzel and Thomas L. Hamilton
The report says that in some cities assessments
are made only in three or four years out the
shifting values in this city make 1t Imperative 10
have new assessment every year.
Among the troubles of the board is mentioned
the difficulty deciding whether some particular
property is to be assessed by the State Board or
by the New York Department and in several cases
double assessments have to be made ana retaiileu
until the jurisdiction is determined
The board reports the increase in the assessed
value of real estate to be sol 57 of which slOo-
as 200 is special franchises assessed by the
State Board N9,O211l5 on the real estate of cor
porations and S3I1.596.542 ordinary real estate
The largest proportonate increase was In the Bor-
ough of Queens. where values have been rising
rapidly says the board. the increase being 3e5
per cent.
The board says assessment districts are much too
large and purposes In 1903 to divide of the dis
tricts and relieve the chief deputy of all assess
ment work. Some deputies in Brooklyn are as
sessing more than 10000 parcels, and additional
deputies will be needed for that borough in 1903.
IF the present development of Richmond continues
the force there win have to be increased That
also obtains in The Bronx.
A particular instance of values is given IN
Queens of a tract OF five acres bought in 1900 for
ss5c0. In 1851 the property was assessed Tor
so50O0. There sales TO indicate clearer
value but this spring the tract sold for Soo.ctC
without any improvement having been made on it.
7 This statement Is made by the commissioners IN
the report:
The value of land to-day in New York City is
so enormous that It is hard to realize its amount
without some comparisons. The assessed value of
land alone, exclusive of improvements In the city
of New York is greater than the assessed value OF
oil the real estate. improvements Included In the
state of Pennsylvania, and nearly twice as great
as value of all the real estate including I'M
provements in the State of New York, outside the
city The assessed value of the land of six square
miles of Manhattan in tho neghborhood of Central
Park is greater than the assessed value OF all the
real estate in the State of Missouri
The board states that for the first time 1t ras
,.ear nresents an ANALYSIS of exempt real estate,
showing the total value OF the property owned by
the United States. the State of New York and by
the city of New York. The figures are: United
states $50 33.Soo State of New York sz1sl6S; city
of New York $sl4 S3S 200: property Of religious char-
liable and benevolent corporations and others s9,-
ois.6s3 total, NI56. .3iS A3-
The total assessment Of personal property shows
n reduction go AS GIT from tho assessments or
last wear This reduction is duo TO the cancellation
of assessments asgregating s2o.coco upon salts
factory evidence that tax could be collected from
the person assessed The commissioners report that
the personal property assessed in New York forms
a much larger proportion Of the total assessment
than In other large cities It being SO per cent OF
the whole while In Buffalo It Is only IL In koches-
ter {. % and in Syracuse 522 per cent
The board states that while the attempt TO ap-
ply the general property tax is universally con-
dernned and it cannot be made fully eHectiVe' ana
therefore cannot be equitable. some Improvement
OF administration be effected The blank forms
upon which corporations required to apply for
the reduction OF assessments were devised years
ago when the law materially different The
coming year new forms will be adopted which VIII
be easier TO understand. They Will he so arranged
es to show the various classes of assets. the ag-
gregate assets the various classes OF deductions'
the aggregate OF deductions and the taxable bal
ance An attempt will be made to conform the
tentative assessments TO the ectual facts
The report also contains figures of comparative
land values. Improvement values. total values OF
real estate land values the square mile and other
items in New York and the large cities OF the
country Some OF these as follows: