New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-08
"Accelerating" the Direct Tax.

"Accelerating" the Direct lax.
By signing a measure appropriating APP
proximately $4,000 900 for highways Gov
ernor Whitman the other day gave an ad-
mirabe Illustration Of the fashion in which
4 direct tax is to be made inescapable this
year. Some details Of this measure, by no
means accurately described as a bill for
highway maintenance, should be noted by
every citizen and taxpayer of this town.
These details are admirably explained
bv Robert s. Binkerd in a communication
written by him, rs secretary Of the CITY
Club. TO the president pro tenn. Of the Sen
ate and the Speaker of the Assembly ask
ing for a revision downward Of the law,
From this letter the following is taken
We ask that this years highway appropTia-
ton laws be reduced by at least Sl'OoO'uV0'
because, after examining the SuPpoI'Ine
schedules on which those appropriations ar
based. We are convinced that they concern ~
least ST 600 for which there IS no JusV'-
Gcation. ,,
In many instances the supporting schedules
show that the appropriations are 70 DC use"
for furnishing village streets az 'he e~peiIS
of the state; or, under the gulse OF repairs;
are TO be used for the total reconstruction OF
state and county highways. =,
il Is proposed 20 pave the village street o.
Tndicott. BroOme County, with brcK' costing
over $4,000. This street IS less thSn n lle
in length and IS part Of state ROAD no ia
the original construction OF when cost
slightly over $4,000 mile. ~
On Road No. 259, IN PiattS9uTg' , linton M.
County. II is proposed to expend S49o3O on
stretch % miles in length. This ROAD was
buiIt i'm 1906, and its original construction
cost but SS,106 per mile. ,..
on Road No %, in Brighton HoHI0e
County. IL ia proposed TO eXpend over SoV'vOO
on q stretch 2h miles in length. The orig
inal construction cost Of this road was only
On Road No. 68. in Chilli, Monroe County
on stretch less than two miles IN leR sg Goo
is proposed 20 oxpend approximately S-o'OoO'
when the original construction OF the IoSu
cost but $3.50 per mile.
ON Road 40. l72. in Irondequoit' Monroe
County. il is proposed 70 expend over >--'Ovy
on 7-10ths OF mile. Inc orIeln"4 'oS1 ''
this road in 1904 was $500 o.-...
On Road No. 3, in Deerfield, Oneida County
II is Droposed 10 cxpend nearly S3O,OUO on
stretch pa miles long, the original consul NC
ton Of which cost less than S';ovU Per d ne
on Road No 464. in Canandaigua' ontario
Countv. this bill proposes to eXpend aOou-
100000 on a stretch less than 3t2 mics Ios1-s'
constructed in 1906 at a cost OF less than 81
200 per mile. o. r.,.- ODD
Centon. ST Lawrence County, this Dill pro
noses 10 expend 100000 on approximately j.
niles Of highway constructed 10 lSUc al cost
of less than $4,000 per mile.
on Road 10. zoos, in ClarkstoWn, hocN-
1ood County. this bin proposes 10 eEpend Sill
31O The road is IA miles ln lengih ana Is
certified by the State Highway Department as
being in good condition. u his ROAD was con
structed so recently that the contract I0f lts
construction does not appear IN lhe IaIeS'
printed publication Of the state highway De-
-
The sum total Of all such instances pro
,ided for by this years highway approptla-
tion is in excess Of Sl,OOO,OOO.
or the million to be expended in building
roads in upstate communities New YORK
CITY will have to pay about three-quarters.
Not one cent will be paid by any rural com
nunitv for the improvement Of Broadway,
Fifth Avenue or any metropolitan street
The bill which the Governor has signed
renresents a barefaced raid on the city's
+expavers. slightly but Intellectually dis
guised as an appropriation for the main
tenance" Of highways.
The facts set forth in the document
quoted above should be put beside those
which Corporation Counsel Polk supplied
through The Tribune the other day TO show
how New York City was robbed to pay the
taxes OF upstate communitiee along the
aoueduct. But perhaps nothing vii. strike
the average New Yorker as more unjust
than the fact that after this city has been
bled to pay the taxes and build the roads
Of upstate counties a Governor coming
from its own boundaries should one day
lecture the city administration on extrava-
gance in refusing to let it save some mill
ions of dollars and on the next consent to
mulct IL S75OOOO TO build roads in st.
Lawrence and Broome counties.