New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-09

UOCLD 4BOLTSH PER
SONAL LEFTES.
Moyor Asks Purdy for Figures
Shozcing Effect of Change
He Holds To Be Needfut.

Mayor C3avnor took steps yesterday
looking 10 the possible abolishment OF
personal taxation. Calling the law crude
and unscientific and its results gro
tesdue he addressed letter 10 Presl-
dent Purdv Of the Tax Beard embodying
his ideas and asking 10 be informed no"
much the tax rate would be raised by
the adjustment of personal assessments
and as to whether it were not true tha1
the persons who paid taxes on real estate
did not pay a substantial part OF the
personal taxes collected.
The Mayor saws he is taking this &C
ton to arouse intelligent public 0ls-
cussion of the question, so that after q
full consideration of the matter a bill
can pe drawn to do away with what he
terms an evil, if public opinion should
seem to demand it. II would not be
timely to introduce such a bill this year,
the Mayor believes.
one Of the strongest points urged Dy
the Mayor against the present system OF
personal taxation is the tangled condi-
ton of the city's finances that has re
suited through a failure 70 collect
most Of the personal tax leyies.
AS shown in The Tribune, less than
half Of the personal tax assessments
since 1901 have been collected But the
expenditure Of the whole levies has been
authorized in the yearly budgets. and
the Controller has taken millions OF dol
lars from corporate stock receipts IN or
der TO meet the budget expenses that
have MT come in from tax collections
This has done much to bring about the
unsatisfactory conditions surrounding
the city's debt.
It is understood that Commissioner
Purdy is fully in accord with the Mayor
on the subject Of personal taxation. He
would not talk about the subject last
night before replying TO the Mayor, but
it Is known that he has long chafed
under what he believes 70 be the in
equalities of the personal tax system.
The Mayor opens the question in his
letter by referring TO complaints of those
who have been wrongfully assessed
through no fault Of the Tax Commits
sioners. but because the latter have no
adequate means of discovering what
personal property a man owns. He
says:
I am receiving daily complaints Of per
sons whose names are put on the assess
nent rolls this year for personal taxation,
although they have no personal property
liable TO taxation. This great snnoyance
has been going on for years. Many have
been driven to establish their legal resi-
donce outside of the city by IT, and IN that
yvav their votes are lost in our city eleS-
ucns. am aware that you have lesseneq
this evil, for We hare worked IN accord
to that end In past years But It is I'M
possible 10 do away with II under the pres
ent crude and unscientifC statute provid-
ing for the taxation of personal property
in this state. including money IN terms
vhich is q medium for the exchange OF
The teeth Of this statute have been. con-
stantIv fled down by assessing officials all
over the state No law can be enforced
effectuaIly against the will OF the COM
munity. The assessing OF personal prop
erty in this city is necessarily a n1atjer
of guessvork. worked out through the CITY
directory except in the case Of estates
which fall into the Surrogate's Court BY
death and are thus fully exposed. Ihese
latter are taxed in full, while the personal
property OF others is not reached or as
sessed at all or else in the most unequal
manner
really zrotasque. have before me notices
OF personal assessments Of $1,000 and up
against
ertv and never had while others rich IN
personal property are not even listed Tor
personal taxation. I am not stating tnls IN
cersIre- The statute prescribes no test or
T7rocedTIre 70 enable the assessors TO ascer-
tain the amount OF personal propertE
owned by individuals. II leaves them TO
guess at II as best they can.
The Mayor then speaks of the confu-
sion in the city's finances caused by the
inability Of the City TO collect a large
part Of the personal tax Ievtes. saying:
In addition 70 general Injustice and "a an
71nvance and the opportunity for eXtoruon
an5 h-iherv which il presents, this loose
method leads TO constant disorder in our
.xag frus levied are collected The result
Is an ever recurring annual deficit, which
has 10 be funded and added 70 our Pernla-
vent debt or else relieved year after year
~ the annual budgets. There IS such 2
deficit OF about $50, 200 now in process Of
being funded
The tar rate in Manhattan last year
was 1.67s. It was said last night that
l. the money actually collected in per
eoraI taxes we're not counted in making
~, the rate il would have been advanced
only q few points
Persons familiar with the personal tax
law call il a farce Any one able 70
get competent legal advice has been able
ro evade the law. and has made no secret
NJ his purpose 10 do so.'' said one well
informed man. The city usually collects
nersonal taxes on estates for one year,
the one after the schedule OF the estate
il fled with the Surrogate. but executors
have felt they were derelict in their duty
if they did not convert the estate into
nou-taxabIe securities or into real estate
before the next years tax books came