New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-13
MAYOR SHOWN HOW II
INCREASE CITY REVENUE
Special Committee He Appoint
ed Last Year Points Out Many
Financial Chances.
WOULD TAX ALL VEHICLES
Advises Levy on Hackstands,
Conduits and Billboards-
Tells How to Add S4,-
100000 at Once.

Recommendations for new sources Of
ri,y revenue incorporated in the report OF
,ue special commission Of citizens APP
roiutod los Mayor Gaynor the first Of last
year to look into that subject appear to
le comprehensive and in some instances
quite radical The report was sent to the
MAYOR yesterday and was simultaneously
given out by Controller Prendergast
chairman Of t.e budget Committee OF the
Loard of Estimate and Apportionment
with which committee the special COM
mission cO-opCrdtcd.
Ia the preamble To the report the mem
lers OF the commission pay public trio-
ute TO the memory of Edgar j. Levey,
chairman OF the commission, who died
when the conclusions reached by the com
mission were being put into tentative
shape But the report contains no i'm
pouant recommendation to which Mr..
Leyey had not aSsented, the commission
SAYS The other members Of the commits
sion v ere Joseph French Johnson. William
Jay Schefeln. f. :. Tomn and Robert
; Rinherd.
Speaking i'm general Of the report, the
.,r nave not narrowly construed the
.,>BIC ssiOn new sources Of city revenue
W . have treated further utilization of eN-
i,ting resources. and in few cases the
leSsenng or stopping OF waste IN pubht
expenditures as sources 'i new or Of
additional revenue.
I'm mis- connection we beg to suggest TN"
advisabiity of the appointment OF a com
mission for the special purpose OF report
ing upon further possible economies, a.
thngnnUhlN
I'm view Of our primary purpose. We nave
recommended a decrease IN the Tatt OF
taxation on personal property IN oIu'i
that the complete revenue system OF ulr
civ should have the largest amount OF
certainty and the smallest amount O.
uuCOllectible or eNaded taxes. ,,,
Nevertheless our important I'C",iii-
lrerdations il adopted. would immedl-
..eiy add about 100000 90 the cIty's IN
come and this addition would increase
uv over 100000 a year. prOdu'lnS III ~
tenth year ABOUT Sl1,"vv anu ~, wy
twentieth year nearly SoOOp,NcJ additlohdi
CITY revenue Underlying all regOHlnlcu-
cations for distinctly new sources Oh re,
eDue will be found. We believe, a CONSIST
eat theory Of taxation.
City to Profit by Hack Stands
Among the more radical recommends
,fcns are the imposition Of fiat un-
earned Increment tax on future increases
I'm land values: the repeal Of Section Is oil
-b, tax law. which provides that any
payment I'm the nature OF tax shall
"a. deducted from the tax paid by any
public service corporation Upon the Nai"'
Of lis franchises the doubling OF the state
automobile tax within the city ana the
r,f.rd.ns Of the increase by the state 10
the CIV for the maintenance OF It's n'Sh-
WAYS. materially increasing the license
II hack stands and recognizing by leglS-
lstiou the privilege of conducting s"ch
hacl, stands AS form OF valuable prop
artv and taxing it on the same OASIS as
real property. the licensirs OF All amman
drawn vehicles: amending the law so 'ha'
10 form OF real property. Such a.
churches or cemeteries. shall be exempt
from assessment for local improvements
and that all money now diverted to the
nepsioo funds of various Departments, III
.,,,1 line the Police Department appar-
entity. he / aid directly into the city treas
ury
The list Of recommendations IS ten lh
number. and. except for miscellaneous
commentators follows in part:
First-Requiremen Of adequate annual
pavmcnts for the privilege ol tieC''HS
nd maintaining DlIiDOdlbN anu Si7l''''
Secoud-Requiremeu OF adequate an
mai payments for the use of the cry
TbirdHRepeal OF Section IS Of the tax
"t,ourtb-Imposition Of a fat unearned
increment tax on future increases In lana
values. ,- ,;..,si,,,,
mowers upon the City OF New YORK.
SiStb-New or Increased miscellaneous
sources Of city revenue.
Seventh - Miscellaneous recommends
lions. Including city's power OF excess OF
sdditional condemnation; higher rate OF
interest on deposits of Citys money, ah1
selling to better advantage garbage ana
other forms Of city waste.
Eighth-That the personal property tax
he reduced to three mills on the dOnai,
with no offset for Indebtedness
Ninth-That the payment OF count! on
GERS bv fees be abolished, that ices re-
ceived be turned into the city treasury :
Tenth-That the mandatory legislative
acts prescribing the pdyrOlls OF county
offices be reuealed and the Board Of tstl-
mate and AppOrtiOnment be made ieSpoh-
Siple FOR county appropriations
In discussing in its report the recon-
mendations for an unearned Increment
tax on future increases in land values
The commission SAYS in part
The proposed tax should not be levied
upon any Increment which results from
tho labor or expenditures OF the owner.
n land aDpreciateS because Of improve
ments paid for by the owner. such as
grading and clearing. or connections FOR
water. light and sewage, or street open
iugs paVings. etc, such an increment 10
trc extent that IL represents capital in
vested by the owner. would not be sub
fert 10 The tax. We propose, III short,
mat the tax shall be levied only upon The
.uncarDcd" Increment, which results
from the growth OF the city and from inn
proVemeuts made by the city OF 10y Oth-
rrS than the owner himself.