New-York tribune., 1910-02-14
FINE,SAISCARNEGlE
PRAISES MAYOR ron
T4I ITTTER4NCES.
In Characteristic Letter Says
Real Estate Should Be
Tart Herier.

Andrew Carnegie has sent letter TO
Mayor Gaynor thanking him for calling
attention to the folly and injustice" OF
the personal property tax. Mr.. Car
negie's letter is full of appreciation of
the Mayors suggestion that the tax be
"abolisht--and Of other examples IF
condensed spelling. The Mayor in his
reply. confesses TO feeling -'con1peid" tn
compliment Mr.. Carnegie on his spelling.
Among the many communications re-
ceived by Mr.. Gaynor bearing on the
matter OF aboitshing the general personal
tax Mr.. Carnegie's is the only one that
submits for considera ton taxi hevier,
"Welthy citizens "renewd." "assest,'
etc Mr.. Gaynor says in his reply that.
like NJ Carnegie, all correspondents
on the subject are in favor OF doing
away with it. If the intelligent will of
the community" calls for immediate ac-
ton looking TO the repeal law the
Mayor promises Mr.. Carnegie to have It
prepared and sent 10 Albany.
Mr. CARNEGIE's LETTER
Nj. Carnegie's letter follows:
a. contributor to the personal tax
10 itS folly and injustice. An eXanna ton
or the list of those who pay reveals the
fact mat these are ComparatIvel- few and
upon surprisingly small amounts. Ine ab-
sence OF many names of rich citizens Is
equally surprising, but these are not the
greatest evils of the tax
Every year communications appear in the
press denounCing rich citizens tor defraud-
hg the city BY paying only upon a mere
fraction Of their personal property. Few
understand that the law only requires indi-
ylduals TO nav upon what they are assest,
levied upon the whole personal property OF
nllhonaires they would be cornpeld to &C
GuiTe residence outside the city and thus
laWll!lF escape paying anything, s many
already do. There are several other lawful
modes Of escape' but none that seems TO
sometimes not strictly right
HELD Up FOR REPROBATION.
Speakers in New York every now and
then hold me up for reprobation before
audiences beca use ! only pav upon i've
millions personal property. seemingly igno-
rant of the fact that this is all the law
REQUIRES Il is the assessment made by
the commission.
In your speech last evening At the un-
yelling of the JeS3In statue you very prop
erly rehuked the slanderers Of our city.
who seem TO eEult in deiaming her. but I
am disposed 70 believe that no charge made
a2alnst our acknowledged or imaginary
evils -eils so banefully upon her reputS-
ton. both At home and abroad, as the
charges made yearly that even some OF her
best known citizens evade city taxation. I
have had II explain the matter IN Europe
by giving my personal experience, and seZ-
eTai times I have intimated TO my legal ad-
wiser here that I might have seriously 70
consider FIXING my residence elsewhere taS
many do tho still residing herel, not 10
escape taxes. but 70 d1spet the general m
pTesSiCI that J was not chewing but eTddIng
The personal tax lax by paving upon only
has aIways been: Believe me. intelligent
people understand perfectly you best serve
New York b. giving her yearly about $50. :
TGTGDI12l X. EGStaI OF nGlllnE, anu
advised against a change.
But II Is important that The masses IN
dersrand what miiionaires do. We must
justify our existence
DOESN'T WANT DELAY.
! earnestly hope, AIr, Mayor. you viii not
postpone action until next year, as pro
posed. You have put Your hnEer upon on" one
Of the greatest sources of diScredit to our
city, and the sooner it j. removed the bet
ter By ali means let our city real es!dLg s5
be taxi hevier or the needed sum raised
otherwise and the personal tax ne abouShI
as inca pable Of just assessment or eclIec-
tion and the inevitable source Of grave sus-
;piciou OF many at our NeitHT citizens, even
of such az obey the law keep title OF all
their nerSonaI property, hold city residence
and pay the personal tax aSSest without
murnur.
pectad TO understand or to remenber the
difference between tax covering only
what iS asSeSt and one which requires q
statement OF what man owns. nor should
rnev he required to under stand 50 foolish
and pernlclorS tax as ine IOTllel- II
should moi exist
With renewd thanks, and wishing you a
public career which ends a. well as If has
begun.
QUOTES NEWSPAPERS.
?. ST cUI the following from TINS morn
ing'S press which proves thai II can be
relied on 10 rise above party when the
ri+v'.; interests are involved. Surely no
ATavor ever obtained more cordial support
Than here accorded il an effort 10 abolish
an unjust and unenfOrceable law rh1cn
discrediJs the city.
The Sun. The present system IS wholly
The The World The system is wrong from
besinnirg to end II Is grossly unequal II
itl applica ton. It LEADS TO wholesale per
The Times: For more thar three decades
tire principles Of that New York Tax Com
missioner David \ Wells, have been &C
/ ceufed and advoca ted by the soundest writ
ers The Navor'S letter to Nj. Purdv IN
dirate,s that his honor has given enllghJ-
ened study to The subject It il time th2 :
nc farce OF the personal tax Wa ended
tn Tribune "The Mayor has gone a bout
il in the proper way 10 show the desira bill
i+y of a holshing personal taxes They con
,Ti,Ilta = mere driblef to the stream OF
TuIIuici-ai revenue The administration or
INC -aX on personality is groteSque. as the
AIavo- saws 1t has been tested TO- many
Years and :ts results have been everywhere ?
Unsatisfactory The bulk OF personal prop
errv escapes taxation In its application
/ me tax Is grossly unjust