New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-14
$I5.OOO.OOO and What Ii Means.

Albany dispatches announcing that the
Republican leaders have fixed at Sl6,-
100000 the direct tax TO be raised this
year should leave the taxpayers Of this
town without any doubt as to what such
a programme means for them.
II this tax is levied it will be necessary
to curtaiI expenditures for new schools
IN this city. There will be more children
on part time. Parks, the Health Depart
ment and the Fire Department will have
to be run on reduced expenses and at q
lower efficiency. Activities which affect
the safety, the comfort, the legitimate
happiness of the less fortunate will have
to be abandoned.
OF the $4,000 thus levied in direct
taxes New York City will pay approx
mately s12OOO,OOO. Several millions of
this will be used to pave streets and i'm
prove roads In st. Lawrence, Clinton,
Rockland and other upstate counties. The
work will be done by Republican voters
and the doing of the work will make Re-
publican votes in their communities.
Several millions will be expended upon
canals. Hitherto canal expenditure has been
made from the proceeds Of bond issues.
But now it is proposed to obtain 1t from
the receipts of direct taxation. These
millions will provide patronage for Re-
publican county leaders along the canal,
among whom it will be apportioned.
Upward of 100000 Of the S15,-I
100000 will represent available patronage.
The money will not be stolen. No question
of profit in any illegal sense arises in con-
nection with this money. Republican lead
ers will not make pecuniary profit for
themselves.
What will happen is that S12,000,0O0
will be withdrawn from this city mainly
to put Republicans at work In rural dis
tricts. On this patronage upstate Repub-
lican leaders declare with perfect frank
ness they rely to get their organizations
in shape for the next general election.
The theory is that the inhabitants of
New York City being Democrats for the
larger part, depriHng them Of this money, |
needed for their schools, their parks, their
Health and Fire departments, will not
result in any real loss Of votes. But this
money applied to rural roads and canal
construction in upstate counties will enlist
Republican voters in those counties.
If there were no question Of politics,
no desire on the part Of upstate Republi-
can leaders to strengthen their organiza-
tons and mend their political fences, no
direct tax would be necessary, no city
money would be demanded for rural activi-
ties. The S12,OOO,OOO represents the
tribute to be levied on captive city by a
successful party machine. 1t is partisan,
not personal, plumber
AS Republican newspaper The Tribune
protests against the present proposal. 1T
believes it is bad morals, bad judgment,
bad politics. Such policy may make hun
dreds of Republican votes upstate, but it
will make thousands Of Democratic votes
in this town. 1t may seem a statesman
like proceeding to put children on part
time in New York City schools to build
and repair roads in Irondequoit and Chill;
but do upstate Republicans actually be-
lieve that this opinion will be held in Man
haitian and The Bronx, in Kings, Rich
, mond and Queens?