The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-16

New York, Aug. 5.-According to the latest reports the value of the prop erty in this city which Is exempt from taxation Is about 25 per cent. greater than the national debt, amounting, to the tidy sum of $1.239 S33,7sS, as com pared to $95S. S.S0s,S23. the total of the nations indebtedness. This figure Is just about twice the total of the city's debt. which in apparent endeavor to surpass that of the whole country now amounts to $675.000,000. Poor Father Knickerbocker with his borrowing limit reached is looking enviously at the un- taxed property, but while the returns from 1t, if taxed, would materially as- sist him there seems to be no way of achieving this end. Indeed in a large part 1t would simply mean taking money out of one pocket to put 1t in another, since of all the exempted property the city holds $S00, coo 000 worth. Of this total Central Park rep resents the largest single item. being easily the most valuable park for its size in the world. In addition to the city's share the Federal Government has some s60, ,000. 900 worth of tax free property here, while the churches hold about $31.0o0.000 Tn this latter class Trinity Church is easily the leader. the famous corporation being given an ex- emption of $17,600.00O. A fact little realized is that the subways owned by the city are now valued at 40.000, ,000 The increase in the valeu of the tax exempt property during the year has been $1s3,000.000. a feature which is causing considerable worry to the city fathers Of the various boroughs Man. haitian that is that part of the city below Harlem River. leads all others with $s01 100000 of exempt property.
 
 { The oldest thief in the United States both in point of years and in the length of criminal career. has just been com mitted to the home for the aged in the person of Mary Struhan. known to police officials of three generations simply as Mary" Since 1863, or for nearly half a century. Mary, who lays claim to being the most confirmed crim. inai in the United States. has been leader among New York's pickpockets. She has pilfered valuables from more different styles of dress than any per son now living: the hoop skirt and the sheath skirt being all one to her when 1t came to solving the mystery of their hiding places for valuables. Of the last forty-three years she spent twen- ty-two in penitentiaries reformatories and the like, and iu is estimated that during her career she has extracted more than t50.000 from the pockets of unsuspecting persons. Tn spite of this. however, she has lived in want for more than half a century although her undoubted right to the title of Queen of the Pickpockets" has never been questioned. Of late her wonderful cum ming has deserted her and in compass aion for her great age-she is more than 85 years oid-she was e;iven the comparatively light sentence of a year in the home for aged criminals instead of a term in the State's prison. An all formative fine of $500 was offered her. which Mary. though penniless. agreed for twenty-four hours. In spite of the Iightness of her sentence fin view of her record, 1t Is not expected that the now deposed Queen of the Pickpock- cts will leave the home alive.
 If matters keep on in their present course. future visitors to New York should be neither insulted nor ashamed if, as a special treat, they are asked to take a trolley ride. As things are go- ing now only John W. Gates. J. P. Morgan and a few others of the very rich will be able to patronize the troll ley cars within short time. Cabs are likely to become the means of convey ance of the poor and the old invitation to come for ride in the park in a hanson is likely soon to be looked up- on as a penurious means of entertain Inent This changing of conditions is due to the innnumerable receivers of the city's watered street railways, nearly all of which, under the load of