The sun., 1916-10-20
TELLS HOW REALTY
BURDENS ARE CUT
Martin SAKE Points to Greater
Efficiency i'm Tax Assess
mcnt Work.
BIG SAVING TO n. Y. CITY
Foreign Corporations Which
Long Escaped Now Being
Forced to Pay.

saxe, president Of the state a Com
mission. speaking al the annual con-
vention Of the Real Estate Association
Of New York in the Hotel Nassau to-
day. asserted that effcient administra-
ton has relieved to some extent the
heavy burden resting on the realty
owner.
lie called attention to the increase In
special franchise valuation assessment
which have grown S67.sss.o00 In the
last year to a total Of Ssls.45s.oo0. The
total full valuation assessment Of the
tangible property Of public service cor
po%rations In the streets and highways
amounts to SS1s.30s.o 900 and the total
full valuation Of assessments Of the in
| tangible right Of operation comes ia
sS~3l,143.Oo0.
The city OF New York." he said
received by far The greatest benefit OF
the increase In special franchise assess'
ments, amounting to upward Of 3+s. 900,
oO0."
Mr.. SAKE said these gratifying re
suits were not obtained by Any ar'
! bitrary and un~warranted action on tn,
part Of the tax commission. but simply
by the use Of intelligent and bushes,
like methods.
He spoke Of equally good results ir
the Bureau OF Corporation Taxes
| through which there had been turned
| into the State treasury for the old nsca
year the sum Of ~Si2.5o<.+lt. . gain Of
81. 26s,&50 owe the receipts Of thu
year previous.
1T 10 to be noted he observed. tina
| the total sum for the year exceeds tina
| OF any other year in the history Of tn,
/ state by more than $4,000. Here. too
improved methods OF administrat ioI
brought about the result"
Foreign Firms Taxea.
Mr.. SAKE credited centralized admin
lstration OF the Affairs Of the depart
ment for much Of its effectiveness. be
cause he said. under our system o.
| diverse methods Of taxation. II 70 highly
desirable to rave all the administration
under one head 10 hat information viii
respect to valuations 10 readily inter
c~hangeable."
An interesting phase OF the corpora
ton tax work Of which Mr.. SAKE spok'
was the digging VI Of many foreign
corporations doing business In this Stat
without taking out a license. In thu
past only the foreign corporations will
licenses were reached. A. the tax Law
contemplates taxing all foreign corpora
tons doing business In the State. th'
commission made q careful search ant
all those found doing business withou
licenses were listed with the others ant
compelled to pay taxes.
When the new tax commission as
sumed Office In the spring Of 1915 tn
nrst matter Of Importance II undertook
to agitate was the local assessment worl
Throughout, the State. Mr.. sax said.
I'VE were able to show AZ the END
Of last year a total increase In the as
sessment rolls OF the State. over 1914
Of 100000, 0oe. in round figures" HI
told the real estate men. From the re
ports so far received the indicated In
crease for this year over 1915 will b
upward OF 5000. 900. 900. approximate!
an increase OF 80 per cent. over the in
crease OF last year.
Much Remains TO he Done.
so, you see. we are stepping fairl.
lively toward a full valuation. but
great deal remains TO be done. and II
my humble Judgment Il will take con
siderable time to bring all the tax dis
,~,ric,s OF the State up to par"
Mr.. sake thought the process OF fur
ther Improvement would be compars
lively slow until the Constitution of tn
state is amended with respect to central
ilzcd administration along the lines rec
commended by the Constitutional Conver
ton OF 1915 in the tax article the ,on
vention adopted.
In its work for tho Improvement G
local assessments the commission las
January held at Albany the first Sta
conference of local assessors ever hel
in New York. Nearly 5000 assessor
were there TO receive suggestions. Late
bulletins we're sent out to the assessor
from the commissions ONCE giving add
t.onal Information OF value to tile tn
officials.
4. +. Holcomb. tax attorney for IN
American Telephone and Telegram
Company. read an editorial from tn
news spa per owned by Josephus Daniel
Secretary OF the Navy. In which III
opinion was expressed that rents are nc
high because Of the tax rate, but that tn
rate Is increasing on account OF the stee
rentals. The delegates laughed at thii
and Mr.. Holcomb remarked that NJ
Daniels may be a good Secretary OF III
Navy. but he cannot qualify as a Ia
expert.
]. F. Zoller OF the General Electrl
Company complained that foreign corpc
rations in New York State outnumbe
the domestic organizations, but that III
former pay practically nothing towar
the support OF the State, Other speaker
were VI. ]. Kunzie Of Buffalo. who score
political assessors. and s. w. Strauss,
New York banker.