New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-01-13
AGAINST PERSONAL TAX
Lawson Purdy Says 1t Is a Scam
daIouS Farce.
CALLS IT GROSSLY UNJUST
State Conference on Taxation
Opens at Utica-Woodbury'
Wade and Heydecker Speak.

~
r,ents New York city. spoke IN favor OF
lie abolition Of the general personal prop |
cry tax. which he characterized a.
"scandalous farce" at the state 'ontei
orce on Taxation to-day. Such taKduoH'
no maintained, was not only grossly unjust
nut produced relatively little revenue lie
aid in part:
The subject Of this paper means me aoo D-
bt,cr ~ The general property tax on PEI
-onal property II does not mean lie go
Htion Of the special taxes on persona p,Op
crtv which now yield FAR more ae-asa,,ai
than the miserable remnant OF persona
property still subject TO local taXa !'y has
. During the last thirty years d 'a t6a
been imposed sometimes IN hel OF '.e
.,-ronartv tax and sometimes IN addluon 70
n To-day We are obtaining revenue
from various special taxes on re' f frnr,
he general personal tax FersonSS e. no
40 rarely a burden on the rich, but tneg
sometines confscate the meagre income
Of the poor N Is high time we ulaue on
end of a scandalous condition. -. 81
To show how the law is nullhed, the lol-
loving ten cities, Buffalo, LackaN anna
Tonawanda, Niagara , ra,s' 6 5U5ki and
IoCkport have FIVE times the popuidIiioII'
nearly eight times the real estate 49,
but less property valuation man t,1re-
yanv Instances will doubtless occur 10 Agu
az men who prefer TO own taNdpie l ~
Of some Western railroad ana vote IN ~ un
.edo rather than the bonds or our own t Sla
Fsttan RAILWAY and vote IN New hork'
You have doubtless heard OF comes nc ~,
roratiors who have paaual onces III NVi
yort and vet prefer TO hold their annuSi
,..1;n~ in their masters kitchen at Nad-
ing River or Painted fost. ,.,,.or9 Won
Vybv keep I'D the farce any longer 1on
can't dignity what they pa 80. ~ e,foTced
Of tax for tax is a contribution enIot ~. 80
bv sovereign power ana IN tt ms r,om s &c
no rich man need he liable TOT peISoIai
ta1es unless he desires 10 be- You may ~
seio,aiiv force some poor women 10 pay
Tsif their income and call the payment
,sxee hut + don't l call il blood money.
In Some places the law is enforced Ilsoir,
III 'Oi IN so,re II is not enforced at all;
TnfCrcenent produces gross injustice diu
oftan drives away capital On the oIner
hand, nullcation OF any t lsW = are TOO Sc
,.ora in one state. rich men fee 70 anolnt.,
a. ,bev have fed from Ohio ana seLleu ~
%aw York When capital commamus ~
80, ~ 4 or per cent men will not en-
5.,rs i've taking Of or per cent OF
more even when this conhscat'onh - -eror-
taxation Some may he sooqrSb H. sn9 rssB it's Is
ertv and some may move. Inc le0u'' 80
The same the law falls. - ,o,;, aesaes-
ANY one who will read tho ONO asseTfs
rranf rolls and compare the result. lo' o Nc
-, ejvtv wears will agree with the Olto
~ commissioners. who say tnaL lue 49,
Nv with its demand for sen 80
ry sworn itemiZod returns Is a la to tro
q fraud: that il drives capltaI lL III, - 80
80 ir7noseq unjust burdens on JIe HoL
$50 80 and ,5efenceless and makes Ohio COM
mrnlty ot ,s I'd all through, bad in theory
and had IN practice. Tire stronger u l. ''0
worse IL is.
Two Hundred in Attendance
.,.-,,os rorresentinG thirty-fve counties
ID ,verty- cities and villages. hve coHese9
az, .,.,.s-si+ias and a number Of orGaniza-
CIV a.,o,d tho conference. The number
~. ,.to,dance is about two hundred Ne"
-. st.. has large delegation present
r. Woodbury.. chairman OF the state
80 ~ Tax Commissioners, was rnaoe
.,-r,arent chairman. and Edward a. hey
,.,,,- Assistant Tax Commissioner OF
vcv- York City. is the secretary
rs. ct address Of the day was by A
-,..so, eacrotarv Of the New YORK TAX \
-, ASSOCIATION. who spoke on
-. "a NIodernizaton OF the Frese",
- Tax Law" This was iolo"eu
s,-o-sss bv W. Pierpont Nhlte, o
..raxation and the Puohc We
- "a nv r. y Godfrey OF Dlean'
- me state grange, on j ne 1 arm
c-s. Interest in Taxation. ,..,-.,.r md
~, ,b~abar Eorn Thomas hreKe.eI
r-ttinger. members OF the u.'''
-, r-,s+s owners Associations OF Ne"
VI or,eared before the forenoon SesSIo"
- n Eo-r secured the floor ana oe-
,-,-sed why members Of the real e9'd'e
.--.-{.,io,e ~ New York were not 'hoSeh
,.--.o- lie charged that the delegates
- -, work we're single tax champions
sra their object was 10 remove 'he TAX
g., ro~eorsl property and corporations
AVID Mace it upon real estate. Inc char-
MN directed Dr. Korn ~ take MS seat
After the session adjourned the real estate
men declared that the real estate interests
IN New York considered the conference
movement on the part Of corporations 10
get al taxes shifted 10 q land tax
Arthur G. Wade. Of jamestown. former
chairman Of the Assembly Committee Of
Taxation and member Of the state Special
Tax Commission Of 1906, told OF some sub
-titutes for the personal property tax AZ
he afternoon session. He declared that the
property Of individuals and corporations
should be treated alike. What We need"
he said. .is not 4 public control and man
agemsnt but reasonable supervision of cor
porste wealth" Mr. Wade made an ear
nest plea for law listing all property for
taxation purposes.
Z. z. Woodbury., chairman OF the state
Beard Of Tax Commissioners. tonight
made an address on Assessment in Rural
,piStricts' To remove the inequalities 10
Tho distribution OF tax burdens on real
property, AIr. Woodbury. recommended:
The repeal Of Section 10 Of the tax law.
The effect Of the repeal OF this section
would oe 70 place property under the gen.
'ral provisions Of the statute which re
CGires the assessment Of real property 10
20 made In the tax district where II is
t4uated, thus giving 10 each tax district
hted therein
That assessors be paid an adequate COM
Ttn7atfon for their services and be allowed
reasonable amount for necessary eX-
DenSes.
That the provision OF the statute which
Blows the division Of a town for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining facts for assessment
- repealed and the assessors be required
10 perform their duty as a board.
That rule q equalization should be pre-
torihed by law and be required 10 be fol-
lowed by boards OF supervisors or other
t7ualizirg boards in making county equali-
sstions.
He recommended the establishment OF
an adequate and efficient system of super
vision Of assessments, which would clothe
tne State Tax Commission with power 10
order new assessment OF real property in
sny case where there has been a clear
evasion OF the statute by the general I'M
o@r-sssessnent Of property by the asses
tors or where gross inequality is shown TO
prevail. Zach county should have super
VISOR Of taxes, he said, appointed by the
state Tax Commission upon competitive
examination. and answersble 10 the board
Tor removal for cause
Assessment in the cities" was the sub
1fct Of Edward l. Heydecker, assistant tax
commissioner. city OF New York. Chief
HTNOnr daf IN