The Washington times., 1915-10-03
President Of Commission Re.
fuses to Discuss Rumor Of
Federal Revelations.
INCOME BOOKS IN QUESTION
Figures Made Up on August !
Were Suddenly Changed.
T. dodgers" Warned.

NEW YORK. Oct. 3.-secret inrorma-
t9on supplied to special Investigators
Of the tax department is responsible
for the startling Increase, in the tenta-
tive personal property assessments for
1919 OF more than 5000. .oOc.o 900. 1t is
learned.
Il IL admitted at the tax department
that the Investigators secured this
knowledge recently. and. acting on 1t,
the tentative personal property ASSESS
ments for 1916 which already has been
made UP were changed Immediately and
the huge increases were made.
The tax books showing the personal
property assessments against corpora
tions verified that the figures which
were made up on August 1, 1915. for
1916 were suddenly changed. In some
cases the latest increases range from
100000 to 100000 over the original
1916 assessments.
Lawson W. Purdy. president Of the
tax hoard, admitted that a corps OF in
vestisators had supplied the basis for
the unprecedented boost In personal
property assessments.
He refused absolutely. however, to d.
vulge the source Of the investigators
Information.
Federal Books in Question.
He was asked II the city agents had
been given access to the books of the
Federal Government showing the
amounts paid by New Workers in in
come taxes. He declined to answer the
question.
Some idea may be gained OF the i'm
mense increases in tentative assess
ments for personal property against
corporations by the fact that for 1916
the books show a tentative assessment
OF 1887 corporations Of 1857 .7C9. 900.
The tentative corporation personal as
sessment for 1915 was approximately
$ll5. 900 900. and the entire tentative as
easements for personal property against
,n'sds1s %ers spnro.'.ssyp sna . last
year. as has been published. the total
persona rec no mn property assessments are
The phenomenal increase in the tenta- =
also was caused by the secret figures
ciaIs Dy Inc investigators having this
Information; the Significance Of the
President Purdy that tax dodEing and
perjury" would be vigorously dealt
with. can be comprehended.
Corporations Are Hard Hit.
A study Of the tax books revealed
that in many cases the tax commission
ers had on August l approved Of tenta-
tive
Of between $1,000 and SO. 900. When the
reports Of the Investigators were sub
mitted these figures were crossed or
and the amounts were jumped In some
cases TO N.oo0.0Oo. and In hundreds Of
cases from minor amounts to $500 O00
On top OF the sensation caused by
the huge increases In personal and real
estate values, II was learned that the
legislative committee headed by Sem
ator Ogden l.. Mills. appointed at the
last session Of the legislature to investi-
gate the finances Of New York city and
inquiry Monday morning in the offices
of the Merchants Association, in the
Woolworth building
The first matter to be taken up by
great increase. and Mayor Mitchell
Comptroller William A. Prendergast.
and State Comptroller Eugene NJ. Travis
have ben subpenacd to appear before
SOtiIliltee.
City to Collect Every Dollar.
Purdy asserted that he is confident
the city will be able to collect every dol
. lar due 1t for taxes, even under the in
creased assessments.
This was his reply to widespread COM
ment that the city had undertake en- a
hopeless task-that 1t never had col
lected anything like the personal taxes
due and never would.
1--WE expect to see the tentative as
sessments reduced considerably" he
said. "ln 1915. for example, our tcnta-
tive personal property schedule was
$S5a,64 40,140 and when taxpayers were
through swearing or 1t was only $685.
06l.755. Swearing off will not be so easy
this year, and even allowing for 1t the
schedule will remain much higher than
last year. The valuations have been
made 80 carefully that the department
will be certain. when 1t is through, that
1t has eliminated the uncollectible
amounts"
Protests already have begun. In the
rain yesterday many taxpayers ap-
peared to register complaints.
mo one need fear overassessment II