The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-02
Entire City Machinery Will
Enforce Payment. Says
Mayor in Statement.
GIVES REMEDY TO
TNJUSTLY ASSESSED

indicated ny tne MAY VI ia't h's"'
.ollcwing the ,iening OF the personal
property and real estate assessment
books which showed that Sl,6a5 persons
estates and corporations are expected
to pay personal taxes on s3,T0i, j,a65.
Last year 1904 persons. estates and
corporations were called upon To pay
taxes on sSj9,6io.l4o. and only two
thirds OF them so Ear have responded
To forestall those who VII start
to-day TO swear off personal assess
ments the Mayor issued a statement
last night the most pertlnen; part ot
which said.
II may add that when the final as
sessments have been determined shall
see to II II necessary that the whole
machinery of the city government is
used TO enforce collection. | have heard
altogether too much OF tax dolsiuS
and tax perjury
Next 10 the enormous Increase i'm the
personal property assessment, VIII. oh
was to have been expected in view of
past statements by the Mayor. the most
interesting feature divulged by the new
assessment rolls is 4 wide r.ft In the
Tax Department between the Mitchell
, appointees and the commissioners held
over or reappointed from the former
administration over the matter OF
personal property taxation.
In Hands Of Two Men.
Knowing the antagonism OF Lawson
Purdy. president Of the board. to the
assessing OF personal pr perty as IT ~
done now. the new assessment rolls We're
taken as evidence that Commiss iOnel :
George V. Mullan, Mayor Mitchers
/ former law partner. and Frederick Il.
Shipley. formerly cotton goods met-
chant, are the ones who are shaping
the plans OF the department,
That the readjustment Cf real estate
values In New York Is not yet at an
end is indicated in q decrease In land
! values In some parts OF the city total
! ling si24.s05.o7a. This amount Is Offset
! by A gain in other sectors In land
, values and in new buildings, So that the
city shows net increase IN value
amounting to sl43.IS0.721
The new personal property assessment
rolls carry out the idea of Mayor M.;c.el
and his appointees T. the Tax Depart
ment that ways ard means could he
found To place on and keep on the tax
rolls the names of all those in the city
who have $4,000 or more of personal
property During the last few years II
has been the custom of the departneH.
to levy taxes only on m-unts Oh which
il seemed possible to collect. on. de-
string to swear off his taxes entirely o.
to have his assessment reduced was cN-
amined by the commissioners and his
: word was taken in most instances. Now
I the examination Is To be made much
4 =
are MT satisfied with the statement ot
the applicant, further Investigation Will
be made to bring out the facts OF the
persons liability 10 taxes.
More than 500 names appear on the
Manhattan assessment rolls followed
By assessments of Sl.O0u,u00 or more
Last year only seveuty-fve were
assessed for 100000 or more. A.
In past years Andrew Carnegie ano
John ID. Rockefeller head the list al
$4,000, 900 each. Since the enactment
of the secured debts law Mr., Carnegie
has sworn off his entire persona
assessment. OF new names 9,JI3 hav,
been added. with amounts ranging from
5000 to several millions.
Flow of Protests starts.
1t did not take long after the book
were opened for many people who's,
names are down for large amounts T.
start the flow of protests that members
OF the Tax Department expected. Early
Yesterday afternoon the Mayor met th'
commissioners and following the meet
ing statement was issued from tn,
city Hall In which the Mayor eNplainc,
the reasons for the great increase. Th'
statement said:
much misapprehenson exists viii
respect to the personal tax essment
In the first place the figures are merel,
tentative and are subject to great re
duction because OF deductions and of
sets provided by law. 1t is altogethe
too early to forecast what the actua
personal assessment will be until th
Tax Department has finished sitting tn
preliminary figures. In the second plac
the increase does not represent an.
policy or scheme of this administration
but is simply the result of greater car
and thoroughness on the part of the ta'
: officials in the discharge of IA sworl
duty.
plans OF taxation are matters q
State law The duty of the city govern
ment is to administer the law as it find
IT, While personally | regard the per
sonal tax law as faulty and even unjuS
! it plainly makes it obligatory upon Tn
Tax Board to assess personal propert
> at its actual value wherever 1t finds il
"On reading the tentative figures pub
: llshed to-day ] have. however, give
, positive instructions to the cOmmis
:. sloners to use the greatest care to avoi
overassessment and injustice and pal
ticularly to prevent uncollectible take
!, from being put upon the rolls, Will
. naturally in dealing with so large
u population and under the faulty ma
chinery OF the existing law there will
. many errors In the preliminary assess
) ments these can be corrected on tt
:, hearings am confident that publ
. opinion will approve this earnest effol
:, on the part of the commission to dl,
:, charge its statutory duty"
= Purdy Makes Statement.
e Supplementing this statement Pres
: dent Purdy Of the Tax Department mac
n an announcement in which he went eve
: further than the Mayor regarding Ia
z dodgers. by declaring that the Ta
Department Is determined to proces
L vigorously TO punish any attempt at pc
: jury or tax dodging. Mr. Purdy said
z 1.-The tentative assessments have II,
e been made haphazard or by guesswor
Continued on Fourth PdQc.