The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-03-13
Why All the Heavy Manufacturers Have
Left the State Of New York.

Lett inc ONhlC VI WV AVAh'
Albert jay Mock has been writing a
series OF articles for The American
Ma ga zine on the archaic system OF per-
s,snal property taxation. which has been
abolished in every other great nation
10 the world but ours. In the March
issue. Mr.. Nook views the subject as
a matter Of business policy He says:
when your COW walks pp 70 the
barn TO be MIXED do YOU take a whip
and drive her away
"A Canadian farmer offered this prac-
tical criticism Of the personal property
tax Was he right Leaving out good
morals and good sense, is Il good bus
mess policy to tax moyables and make
them run away from yout New YORK
used to have heavy factories, even IN
THE borough az Manhattan, but they
have all moved away Ia 1870 there
were enough heavy factories along the
river frontage OF Manhattan TO employ
100000 skilled workmen. Gradually
they disappeared and went over 70 New
Jersey. The Singer Sewing Machine
company WAS the Arst to 90: Il moved
to Elizabeth N n, in 1878 II did not
want to 70 Jus, then in fact, it tried
hard 10 stay where il was. IL held
conferences With the tax department
Tor three years, trying TO get some
measure Of relief, and finally gave up
and moved. The Colgate Soap com
pany, which had been operating IN New
York since 1906. and the Lorillard To-
bacco company. IN New York since l710,
moved to Jersey City. BY 1898, the
only original settler left on the shores
OF Manhattan was the printing press
factory Of r. Hoe 4 company at Grand
street. which Il there still
What induced all these heavy fac
tories 20 move One could understand
why in the course Of time they might
move out OF Manhattan but why did
I they leave the state Cheap land part
\ ~; still. New Jersey riparian land on
( the bay and the North river was sell
ing at fifty.-dollars a foot which was
not exactly giving il away: and there
\ was cheap land. too, on the New YORK
I water front above Manhattan Dockage
4 facilities. partly still, the pork barrel
might have been tapped for the Queens
water front OF for Jamaica bay, az well
as for Newark bay. Partly 70 get a
direct railway connection with water
freight terminals. in order 10 save light
erage on large quantities Of low grade
freight; still. the immnse stretch Of
staten island shore bordering on the
Kills would have filed this bill Ideally;
Isl would ON il Ideally to-day, and yet
li il Is bare OF factories Standing there
in the midst OF ruined, broken down
residence district and looking over al
the immense factories, y pistol-shot
across the Kills, one cannot help won.
dering why they are all on the Jersey
side Of the stream.
The personality tax in New York
was the determining tsctor that put
them there. Mayor McClellan's advis
orv commission. reporting in 1907
makes the personality tax squarely re-
sponsibe for New York's loss and New
Jerseys gain The Merchants Assocn
ton Of New York, made the same state
ment last year. II New York abol
ished its personal property tax, witt
the transportation facilities it now ha'
in the borough Of Queens the idea
factory stage on Jamaica bay and th'
whole west end OF Long island 'woul'
be covered with heavy manufacturing
plants in nearly the time it would tax
10 build them.