New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-08
CITY ECONOMIES
CALLED SHAWS
AT TAX INQUIRY
Mitchell and Estimate
Board Mates Accused
of InsinCerity.
WITNESS SCOFFS AT
RULE OF WEAKLINGS"
MGuire Predicts Conflscation of
Equities 5000 Incompetents
In Jobs, Says Browne.


The hearing before the Joint legis-
IauVe committee on taxation ct the
Merchants Association yesterday wa
enlivened by a double attack on the
city officials and their method Of ad-
ministering municipal affairs. Law
renee NJ. d. Mcclure. president of the
Real Estate Board Of New York, and
stewart Browne, president Of the
United Real Estate Owners Associa-
ton, charged Mayor Mitchell and his
associates on the Board of Estimate
with insincerity in their proclaimed
policy of retrenchment and economy.
MIR. Browne opened the days sessions
as witness, and Mr.. Mcclure closed
them. The latter's shrapnel perhaps
reached the mark with more effect.
causing the Legislators 10 sit at atten-
ton and precipitating a pertinent dis
eusslon between Senator Mills, chair
man Of the committee, and the wit
ness. Mr.. Brown was better known
as a tried and true heckler OF the
Board Of Estimate at its meetings in
City Hall.
How are we going TO relieve this
deplorable tax situation by creating
new sources of revenue, unless the city
officials practise economy" Mr. Nc
CURE began.
Senator Mills hsstened 20 assure the
witness that the committee had no in
tention OF recommending any new form
Of taxation that was not based on the
assumption that economy would be
practised in both state and city affairs
He said that Mayor Mitchell, Controller
Prendergast and other city officials had
given their word that there would be
retrenchments all along the line.
Yes" replied Mcclure, "but do you
know that they talk one thing and act
another? ! want TO say that these gen
tlemen VINO are talking economies here
are not sincere. They should check up
their talk with their votes in the BOARD
CT Estimate"
Mcclure Predicts Failure.
Chairman Mills pointed out that It
Was not a function of the committee to
go into the cost of government. He
said that all the figures submitted by
the city officials were based on the as
sumption that administration expenses
could be held down during the next
five years to their present cost.
But, your committee work will be
a failure" said Mcclure, III you show
them how to get more money and not
restrict them in spending il. They tell
you Of their economies, yet they vote
for q committee TO study port and ter
minal facilities which is 10 get $780,
600 in the next three years. They per-
nit one Of the worst municipal out
RACES ever perpetrated upon the people
in the proposed s30,000000 county
courthouse. Take the College Of the
City Of New York as another instance.
believe in education, but | do not
believe in non-residents coming here
and participating in that 100000
year outlay. Do you realize that fully
65 per cent of the student body Of that
college have fathers who can well af-
ford 10 send their boys to an institu-
tion where there is a charge? 1t is &C
tually an attraction to those not want
ed in the community"
The witness declared that the pres
ent "pay-as- you-go" policy in the city
government would ultimately mean the
confiscation Of real estate equities.
He said that he believed the Real Es-
tate Board had conclusively shown that
economies approximating Sl7,OOO.OOO
could be instituted.
In my opinion, taxation should be
general and uniform through the
state" the witness continued. THE
proper supporter Of government is the
individual and methods should be de-
vised whereby every adult should. IN
some way, feel the direct burden Of the
cost of government. In proportion as
the person is possessed of property, his
or her tax should be higher. because
the safeguarding Of property is an ex-
pense 10 the state. A small tax on per
..~ae
ceptions, or a state income tax might
be devised There is already 1881 ,OOO,-
900 OF exempt property in the city. II
the present state and city policy OF
paternalism is continued and every
mans business and individual affairs
supervised and regulated, new sources
Of revenue must, of course, be found.
The burden is far too great for real
estate TO bear The owner of property
looks for the net return. and any in
crease Of tax would mean. ordinarily.
an increase of rents, which at the
present time, however. is not possible
Weakling, Says Browne.
Mr.. Brownies broadside was hurled
with all its customary aggressiveness.
"The city government is govern
ment of weaklings." he said "ln order
10 support the weaklings 1t is taking
the money out of the pockets of the
strong. II is a penalizing government
and no good can come out OF 1t. There
are 5000 incompetents in the city gov
eminent"
This was only one Of his many gen
tie" criticisms He declared the city
would not need more taxes II its af-
fairs were run on an efficient and
economical basis. He said that the
annual budget could be cut $50. 100000,
hut the administration wouldn't do u
because they were afraid Of losing
votes. There were "lOl' different
sources of revenue other than real es-
tate. he said, but the city administra-
ton and the Legislature at Albany had
not the nerve to raise taxes from any
other source. The witness advocated
taxing every individual directly, based
ON the source Of his income. He de-
ciared that when men felt that money
was actually coming out of their own
rockets they would wake up 70 the