New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-09
WHITMAN STILL in
TRAVIS TAX FIGHT
Governor Has Not Accept
ed Controllers Plan TO
Save Patronage.
INTENDS TO FORCE
HIS REFORM BILL
Willing 10 Come to Open Break
with Legislature if
Necessary.
irrca a s,.r core,ponJ,r, Of n, Tr.bone

iFrca star Correspondent Of Tie Tr.buas
/ Albany, Feb. s.-The attitude Of
Governor Whitman on his bill for re
forming tax assessments and coliec-
tons has been wilfully misrepre-
scented by agents Of Controller Travis.
Il can be authoritativtly stated that
the Governor has never in any man
ner given any one TO understand that
he would agree TO an amendment TO
the bill which would allow the Con
troller's office 20 retain the power Of
assessing corporation taxes.
II was with surprise that friends
Of the Governor and tax reform read
last Friday and Saturday that the
Governor had yielded TO Controller
Travis Tax reformers in all parts OF
the state telephoned to Albany 10 learn
If the Governor had acceded to the de-
mands Of the Controller. They were
told he had not.
The Governor will not accede TO any
demands based on spirit of partisan
ship and fear Of loss of patronage.
lie is ready TO fight for the passage
Of the bill, II necessary. Under pres
ent conditions he will have TO fight
to win, for the friends of Controller
Travis boast they have obtained the
necessary votes 10 defeat the Whit
man bill in the Senate and that II Is
only a question of time when they
will have the required number IN the
Assembly.
Fighting the Governor is 8 bi-parti-
san combination-Tam Hall and
Old Guard Republicans. One Of the
stories circulated by the foes Of the
tax reform bill is that it is the first
step toward the enactment Of a Single
Tax law. It's friends say nothing ~
further from the truth. Then too,
considerable opposition has been
aroused against the bill in the rural
districts by those who do not like
section 176-A. of the bill, which gives
the State Tex Department provided for
the power to review the assessments
made by boards Of county supervisors,
In the Senate. with the Tammany
delegation Of seventeen voting solldly
against il, the foes Of the measure
need only nine Republican votes TO
defeat the bill.
Controller Travis has the advantage
Of the support in every county OF
organization Republicans who hold
Jobs in his Office, or whose political
/ aids hold Jobs there. These-and a
. considerable number are county chair
men-have won their Legislature rep
resentatiyes to the side of the Con-
troller.
These point to Governor Whitman 8
appointments as being opposed 70 all
the ethics of partisan politics. they
cite that he has appointed such men
as Samuel II. Ordway head OF the
State Civil Service Commission and
Edwin Duffey Commissioner Of High
WAYS. The criticism of the latter IS
that he was a Democrat until last
election: and the censure visited on the
. Governor for his appointment OF Mr.
Ordwav is that the latter is clvlI
service reformer who will turn a deaf
ear to the appeals Of the political un'
employed.
The Senate unanimously passed to-
night n resolution introduced by Sena-
tor Ogden L. Mills requesting Con-
,roller Travis to show the workings OF
the Controllers Office in the last FIVE
wears in the assessing and collection
OF corporation taxes.
Il is the prediction Of those CONVEX
sant with the situation in the Con
troller's Office IN this period that it
will be shown the state has lost from
$500. 600 to $4,000 annually through
neglect by employees.
In his fight against the Governors
tax reform bill Controller Travis has
maintained that the collection and as.
sessment of corporation taxes could be
done more economically in his Office.