New-York tribune., 1908-09-25
METZ WANTS ARREARS
after FRANCHISE TAXES
Controller Says He Intends to COL
Iect S75, 900 900.

Controller Metz announced yesterday that he
intended to collect s5,ooo,Ooo in special franchse
tax and other arrears which are SHOWN on tie m
books of the arrears division, presided over by
Daniel Moynihan.
The figures have been sent to the printer, and
as soon as the schedules ready it will be In
order for energetic man who believes that
running a city railroad Is easy to step up and bid
In franchise. Controller Grout tried in 1893 to
sell certain special franchises for arrears of taxes
but afoul Of the law. Mr. Metz says that the
law has been changed since them and George Ster-
ling. Assistant Corporation Counsel. says that Mr.
Metz is right.
The law of 1908, Chapter 4so, amends the old law,
and now the becomes first lien. and the re-
cording of the lien will permit the city to go anead
and sell without any redress on the part of the
owners in Mr.. Metz will have to adver-
tise for three months and this cannot begin until
after october l.
Including personal property the arrears reach
sl22 100000 The special franchise arrears, running
from 1900, s24521 02. Real estate of cor
poratlons aggregate I.11S662, and the real
estate of other s29,S4S. .163. The Controller
cannot collect unless corporation or other owner
is three years in arrears, but most Of them have
not paid for that time.
The Controller sent letter to the Corporation
Counsel regarding his intention in which he said:
Certain OF these taxes were advertised in the
sale of 1866 but for some reason, presume under
the advice of the Corporation Counsel they were
is y opinion p that M the city W should proceed now
TO enforce the collection of taxes and that t1ese
railroad corporations should be made TO under
stand that, so far the city is concerned, no
further extensions Of time in which to make pay
1t is now nearly ten years since the special .pei1!
has declared it constitutional; these taxes have
been levied in accordance with law the companies mes
have paid them in the first instance, and tney
have gone into arrears and have been allowed 20
part Of the city to enforce their collection In the
cases of arrearages against other property e tneae
similar cfrcumstances the collector of assessments
and arrears is required to proceed and SELL
Mr. Moynihan's itemized statement of the un-
collected special franchise includes the fol-
lowing claims:
Borough Of Manhattan Brosdgay @ ssTsnts M Asqse @
Eighth Railroad s56s 900: New York Mutual Gas
1 sh M @ Nsw 9or ksraaa aae@ @ n
saseoSo second Avenus Aver Rairoad $4,000 sixth
600; ssandaTd Gas light coHPay sass o
sss7 Goo Thrty fourth Street cossown RAILROAD
@ oo Psd LIGHT and t2Ts 81
ropotan street Raa g 1 xor GSon SeT com
RaPa as, Tfn R Ra2oad
M Geo. esasai consodated Teesra
Fsr5oaa aroad hs se fnh
street Railway coRpany s256 90"
a noa G3Pa2g S9s53sTn ss 5s oo f n
tesoroggh aaP5d Transit 6omPany $50 600 .,ro., COM
pany 81 900; Brooklyn Elevated Railroad Com
pany 900; Brooklyn Railroad Company,
S. 400; BROOKLYN Queens County & Suburban Railroad
Company, S145 0O0 Edison Electric Illuminating Com
pany, 100000: Nassau Electric Railroad Company
s562 600
Borough Queens Brooklyn city Railroad Company
SIG OG0 Queens County Railroad Company
STA O0o Amsterdam Company, East River Gas
Company. OF Long Island City, SIT. 600
Borough of Richmond: The Staten Island-Mdland
Railroad Company $4,000; the Staten Island Water
supply Company SIS: 600 the Richmond Light & Rail-
road Company. $4,000
Mr.. Moynihan said the assessments for local i'm
provements would amount to s15eoooo or s2ooooOoO-