New-York tribune., 1909-07-27

Tho tax this year viii be return on total as
sessod valuation agsregating S7,25o,5oo5b9
Al things considered. the rate this year Is a
gratifying to the members OF the Board OF hs-
innate and Apportionment and the Tax Department
officials With the stagnation in business following
the 1907 panic ani the comparatively small increase
in assessed valuations last year 1t looked Janu-
ary as if would be fifteen point raise over
5be last year. 1s1. Instead OF fifteen points
tie increase is only six points
The explanation Of the comparatively small in
crease is that with revival OF business this year
tax OF different kinds paid in in I'M
expectedly large volume. Controller Metz let it be
known last year that he would sell tax liens valued
At sIo.000.o60. The list of properties in arrears
prepared and the sale took place. This policy
resulted in the payment Of very large percentage
of the arrears in ali the boroughs.
The special franchise arrears also have been
pretty well Strengthened up. have large arrears
Of water rents. The result that from various
sources the Controller collected and turned over TO
the general fund for the reduction of taxes from
ss5.00o000 to s1oo0o,o0o more than looked for.
thereby cutting down the tax levy to that ex-
.fent.
> The tax levy this year will bring into the city
streasuTy sI17.145.SSs OF. the total budget being
efse.b62 7zs Ia, OF which aggregate sS42S1. .o62 81
swill ne turned in from the general fund.
= The official tabulation gives the assessment as
follows: Manhattan and The Bronx. $54eS,51e5 5ee {;
Brooklyn. s1.4so,142OSe; Queens. sS17.7S5SO5. and
11chDond- sGo.26o-le5- The Increase IN some OF
the boroughs is accounted for by the charges for
county purposes the expense OF which has 10 be
sustained By the borough benefited.
The official rate not fixed yesterday without
- spirited controversy. President MCGOWAN threat
ened the recaIcitrant Republicans who. acting
advice OF their leaders refused to on record
an adopting the rate. which finally sanctioned
by Democratic votes Alderman Flanagan. Of
Queens Democrat voted with the Republicans The
sesult showed 81 ayes. i and 10 unrecorded.
:. The Board had difficulty in the beginning in mus
1ering quorum Finally when enough members
We're gathered in the report of the Finance Com
s1nittee Incorporating the Controllers report was
Tread. Some Of the members protested they were
.unacquainted with the document, as they had not
been furnished with advance copies
Alderman Dowling. the Tammany leader in the
absence OF Little Tim Sullivan explained that
the final figures had been computed only the night
before and the printer had not finished work it
However" remarked Bowling, IF the Republi
can members want 10 have It read, will ask that
every one of the $50 pages in the full report be
read"
The alternative overosrpe the objection.
= The rolcan the motion to adopt the report
-s<horved the Republicans not voting. and
-4he total number OF votes promised TO fall below
sshe essential forty. There protest by one Of
--;he Democrats. and President MCGOWAN tried 10
scare the Republicans by reading Section s12 of
The charter:
sleElect to perform any of the duties required Of
them by the preceding sections. each member SO
refusing shall forfei: to the city Of New York the
snm Of $500 10 be recovered in a Civil suit ana snail snail
conviction shall forfeit his Office
The threat fell unheeded. On behalf OF his Re
publican brethren Aldermen B. ". B. Brown de
clsred:
THIS rate is based on the budget OF $3.50
pae which the Republicans protested against and
voted against. That section that YOU just quoted
does rule in this instance If You compel Us
70 vote, however, Re snail vote in the negative,
President MCGOWAN did not press the point. Ry
This time the Tammsny bad managed TO get
the necessary number of votes, and the motion
put through with the single vote over.