The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-11-25

W states making the problem
Of taxation ACUTE the eyes
of the country are focused On New
York state, where there is at work one
Of the most competent and hardWork-
ing committees that ever have tackled
the veXed taxation problem. Taxation
experts all over the country are wait
ing to see what New York will do.
Meanwhile the committee, Of which
Senator Ogden L. Mills is the head,
expects to reach some tangible result
where committees Of other years have
failed to accomplish much.
Public hearings have been arranged
for in many Of the big cities in the
Empire State. There have been a real
live publicity campaign and an ear
nest effort to get the views of the very
best minds. Condensed reports Of the
plans suggested have been sent to
newspapers in the state, with re-
quest for editorial opinions. There
have been a campaign Of education and
a seeking of light. In former years
the taxation question attracted not
more than ordinary attention. This
year, however, with real emergency
confronting the big cities and the state
itself, the public mind is aroused as it
has not been in years. Senator Mills
and his coworkers are going right to
the bottom Of the matter and are hope
full Of accomplishing a great deal.
Associated with Senator Mills on the
committee are Senators Sanders and
:Boylan and Assemblymen Everett,
%Machold, Chase, DonOhue and Gillen.
Every member Of the committee is
giving up a great part Of his time to
the work in hand. In their respective
communities they have delved into
tax books, and today any one Of them
could qualify as a taxation expert.
Grandson of Darius o. Mills.
Senator Mills is a son Of Ogden
Mills and Il grandson of the late Da-
rius Ogden Mills. He was graduated
from Harvard in 1905. His sister, Miss
Beatrice Mills, is the Countess Of Ora
nard. Senator Mills represents the
Seventeenth senate district Of New
York city, comprising the Twenty-fifth,
Twenty and Twenty ninth as
sembly districts. He was the personal
manager Of John Pnrroy
Mitchell when he ran for mayor of
New York city.
For the last ten years every state In
the Union has given the matter Of tax
alton serious thought, and when the
committee of which Senator Mills is
the chairman was appointed they had
something to start with. They got in
touch with tax officials in every state
in the Union and received from them
the result Of their labors and how the
ideas which had been adopted were be.
ing worked out. They wrote to taxa
ton experts all over the country
They wrote to many of the people who
attended the New York tax confer
enceS.
Then they went through the state
and picked out certain counties and
made careful examination Of their
tax rolls, particularly with reference
to corporations. With the cooperation
OF manufacturers associations through.
out the state they sent out blanks to Sc
lected lists Of corporations to find out
what they were paying. They had va
rlous committees Of real estate men in
New York city and up state real estate
associations prepare careful tables to
show accurately the burden of taxa
ton borne by real estate. They consult
Ell with savings banks, trust compa-
MES, civic associations. They intend to
call before them the mayors and the
officials Of the largest cities in the
state
They prepared list of questions
which We're sent to the officials Of all
the cities in the state. They inter-
viewed and questioned the state comp
troller, the attorney general and the
chairman Of the state tax board. They
interviewed in person and by letter
many Of the prominent tax experts in
New York and other states
A Tremendous Increase.
Senator Mills and his committee have
shown by figures and tables how the
state government increased 40 per cent
at an average rate Of 8 per cent per
year. It is held that even if the
state succeeds both in stopping the in
creased cost Of government and keep
ing its general administrative expenses
at the present figure it will be neces-
sary to impose during the next five
years a direct state tax Of from $14,-
100000 to $19,OOO,OOO.
One Of the hardest situations con-
fronting the committee is that. which
exists in New York city. According to
the testimony of Mayor Mitchell, even
If 1t IS assumed that the cost Of gov
eminent can be kept at it's present
level, the city will have to raise lex
elusive Of the state direct tax for the
purposes Of interest on serial bonds,
redemption of serial bonds and the
quota Of public Improvements and be-
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