The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-10-19
NEW YORK LETTER

New York, Oct. 8, 1915.

AulS SpeHutHTllL Guy, uelldAuluS
and obtaining elaborate and costly
public improvements, rejoices IN
bond issues, but not in taxes. On
the same day that the Public Service
Commission announces with pride
that it had spent $103,O0O,0 900 on new
subways which will not be opened
ment disclosed list of taxahles
showing that they have valued the
personal property of 82,625 residents |
of the city at $3,704, sO5,965. This is
an increase of $2,S44 ,665,S25, or $50 |
per cent
Straightway there was dreadful
howl, not over expenditures covered |
by bond issues, but over the effort on /
the part of the city administration
to make personal property pay its
share, according to the law, OF the
expenses of government and Of the |
huge interest charges fastened upon
the city.
And the persons assessed began
forthwith to swear OFF, their taxes,
with such success that the first IS
who protested had assessments to-
falling $2,6O0,700 reduced to beg
carly $4,000 By the way the tax on
personal property is the only debt
that a 'man can ''swear Off. Real
estate is not so favored 1t has to
pay, pay, pay.
Now ii the city were to collect on
the personal property assessed 1t
would take a quarter off the taxes
on real estate, but this first serious
attempt to tax personal property Is
going to be howled down and real
estate will continue to pay, pay, pay.
Negotiations have been going on
for year between the United States
and Great Britain over the right of
this country to trade with neutral ma
tons, over the seizure by England
of more than 1000 American cargoes
and over the general principles of
warfare at sea affecting the rights
| of neutrals And the result Of all
| this expenditure of diplomatic
| phrases has been absolutely nothing
! The American Government has sent
notes without avail England has
not complied with a single demand;
| in many cases England has not even
| taken the trouble to notice the rep
reservations of America.
During the negotiations over the
loan of half billion dollars to Great
| Britain and France it would have
/ been easy for the American Govern
ment to have brought such pressure
upon England as to have compelled
] the naughty Mistress of the Seas
| to recognize Americas commercial
/ rights, but this was not done.
i And now that the great loan has
been made there is an increasing dis
satisfaction on the part of the ordi-
nary public and the trade interests at
this failure to seize the psychological
moment to force England to yield.
Il YOU ordinary mortal might have
reason to go up in the air over the
high cost of living II you had to
live in the new apartment house that
is going up just east of Central park,
where flats will be let for the modest
sum of 100000 a year, which is the
income at five per cent on 100000 a
year But this is cheap compared
with the price the family of the late
Senator Aldrich will pay for fur
nished house on Fifth Avenue The
rental is 100000 a year or $3.50 a
day.
That there are kindly hearts under
the blue uniforms of the police has
! been shown by the philanthropit
work that the force did last winter
: during the season of unemployment
. under the leadership of Commission
| er Woods. They provided for The
necessities of 791 families, clothed
| $3.50 individuals and found employ
| ment for 2,S11 men and women.
| The "Alimony Club" is likely tt
| lose its quarters. The club house II
| the old Ludlow Street Jail in which
| men who try to dodge alimony pay
ments are locked up. Sheriff Crit
| enhagen figures out that it costs tn
city 81 per day for each prisoner, ant
| he suggests that the city prison Il
good enough for these men who fai
to meet their liability for their wives
The real neutrals are now asking
: a pointed question of those who hav
i. been SO eager to denounce German,
for violating the neutrality of Bel
gium Why, they inquire, If it wa
all wrong for Germany to make
path through Belgium, is it no
equally wrong for the Allies to max
highway of Greece in the face o
the protests of the Grecian govern
ment. The only difference. it woul
seem, is that Belgium resisted. Will
Greece is merely protesting and
divided against itself on this issue.
AT last an artist of real eminenct
| Carroll Beckwith, has voiced the pro
| test that has been in many minds. H
attacks the perverse ways of moder
art as the worship of ugliness, char
acterizing the perpetrators Of tn
monstrosities that pass for art a
insane schools of mental maniacs
A factory operative who refuse
to take part in fire drill, has bee
taught that the city is in earnest
its work of fire prevention He hs
been fined twenty dollars
Positively the most peculiar for
Of criminal ALTERATION is that r
vealed here of a woman OF rein