New-York tribune., 1911-12-07
HIGHER LAND TAX LOSES
Anti-COngestiOn Plan Fails in
Merchants Association Meeting.
CITE SINGLE TAX PRINCIPLES
Eapid Transit Urged as Better
Way to Encourage Building
in the Outskirts.

1t was case of the camel and the tent
yesterday at a meeting held in the audi
torium Of the Merchants Association 10
discuss the Sullivan-Shortt taxation bill.
The ayes called the meeting TO listen 20
two OF their number and the noes outtalkcd
and outvoted them. The count Of heads
which defeated resolution offered in favor
Of the bin ended an emotional afternoon.
The Sullivan-Shortt bill. which will come
before both houses OF the Legislature this
winter. was drawn up bv tho Congestion
Committee of the Merchants Association.
and. It's friends say. is designed solely as
. means Of relieving congestion IN the city
of New York Il provides that by grad
uaI reduction of 10 per cent year for five
years tho rate OF taxation on buildings
shall become half Of that on land, the OBJ
sect being to make the holding Of unm-
proved land for a higher value Improbable
and 10 encourage its Improvement, par
flculsTly on the outskirts of the city.
George White. who presided at yester-
days meeting, opened the discussion by
citing tho single tax argument in justi-
1cation of the proposed discrepancy. John
7 Hopper, builder. elaborated il. Both
men said that land values were creation
stand q greater burden OF taxation for the
good of the community than buildings.
which were the creations of individuals.
Mr.. Hopper was sure that the passage OF
the bill would greatly encourage building
on the outskirts.
Joseph L. Buttenwieser. a real estate op-
orator. asked him II il wouldn't also en-
courage the building of more and greater
skyscrapers in the heart of the city by
enhancing the value OF land. and thereby
defeat its own purpose. Mr. Hopper
thought the stimulation OF building further
out would offset the increased congestion
due TO skyscrapers in the centre.
Duybin Van Week. city tax assessor,
arose to tell Mr.. Buttenwieser. and inciden-
tally, the rest of the audience, that some
sears ago, when he was assigned TO
Brow nsville, he remarked the crowdng of
100 ia miles on TO a ten-acre lot, with two
miles Of vacant land stretching behind the
buildings TO Jamaica Bay. Such a condl-
fion could not exist he declared, under the
provisions OF the Sullvan-Shortt measure.
Mr.. White then called DR.. S Adolphus
Knopf, who said he worked among the tu-
berculous poor of the East Side. The city
held forty thousand consumptives, he said,
owing largely TO the congestion Of popua-
iion. and that while the congestion con-
tinued the millions spent on hospitals were
spent in vain.
An attentive listener on front bench
dumped up and asked the physician If he
knew what caused congestion and when
the doctor had declined TO be drawn into
discussion Of any phase of the question ex-
cept the medical, his questioner shouted
that IN could show him ''g-g-rows and
C-g-rows Of vacant houses"
How much rent 90 you charge inter
Tupted somebody else. whereupon 7. W.
Pollock eaped into the breach. yelling as
he shook bis finger at the chairman:
I've got houses in Brooklyn of five rooms
snd bath that l can't get so a month for.
Better rapid transit was the cry OF both
real estate holders.
Charles r. Root. president Of the Root
Newspaper Association, said he was hold
ing unimp )ved land for rise, and would
continue TO do SO as long as the law al
lowed him. but would welcome law which
would prevent his doing 50. He favored
the passage of the Sullivan-Shortt bill
and also of a bill limiting the height Of
buildings 10 meet Buttenwieser's objection