The sun., 1916-01-08
TRAVIS CALLS SALARY
CUTTING BY CITY SILLY
State Comptroller Rdcules Mayors Economy Policies
in Address at Real Estate Association Banquet
Also Fires Shot at Prendergast.

Building requires only hf;y-s.N. DO these
conditions renec, economy In admins
trstlon?'
The Comptroller referred TO the old
quarrel between city and up-S,ate, say
ing
1T is frequently asserted tha, the
city OF New York pays 20 per cent. OF
the state tax. As matter OF fact u
S IS per cent. And the reason that the
citys proportion is 80 large Is that the
city has been gradually advancing the
assessed valuation Of real estate In or
der 20 permit the issuance II additional
bonds. Extravaganza in city sdminlstra-
ton mas been responsible for the issuing
Of bonds which require these Increases
in valuation. Some ~ the city people
found fault with the direct tax. A large
portion of II was 20 provide money 20
| liquidate the cost OF rebuilding The canal.
u Is we'll known that the people OF The
| city forced that siOi. 900. 900 upon the
state and that the upstate people voted
| against the referendum BY large ma
jority'
| secs LiGht Ahead.
| Comptrolle~ Travis saw leh; ahead
, despite a gloomy past.
The developments OF the last fe~
months justify more optim.st!c view OF
| the future than prevailed some months
| ago. ne said 1T is my belief that u
| any direct tax is levied by the present
| Legislature IL will he a small one. Bu.
would not have you infer from this
|! that We arc permanently relieved Of a
| direct tax The people OF the state. by
| their vote. have irrevocably committed
| themselves 90 great enterprises and i'm
provenen,s. the cost Of which has passed
1 ha ~ hs IN sg.i
they elect. All the latt.- con do is TO
De- dilig.rt IN economy Rut a; best
this can only be measured In thousands
OF dollars. while the rNsi ool'g atoms i'm
posed by popular vote Increase annusiS
by millions.
Il firmly believe tina. tead!ustmen; in
some OF our present plans OF taxation
Is desirable and will accomplish good
The most important OF these readjust.
uents would be to adopt the recon-
mendations | have made regarding the
tnhe ritance tax. The provisions OF the
law as it existed prior to 1911 should
be restored so the estates o: non-resi-
dents could be taxed. IL this were done
the State would receive additional rev.
| enues OF about s5.o0o.ooo annually.
Let me tell YOU about on estate
shich Is now being PASSED upon by the
| representatives OF the Conptrollers Of
nce- This estate is estimated to amount
to tiOO 0oo 900 and - composed eA.
clusively ot stocks and bonds. This mar
made his money IN New York. he KEEP
his money here and ne lived herr. Bu
presumably for no other reason than ic
escape taxation he claimed Kentucky a:
his place OF residence. He never votec
ther. ana never lived there. - the lau
were now as /, was In 1871 the Sta,'
, would cole; more than s. oo0."oQ ss in
her.i4rce tan from that estate
Ionf~r~n nee aud Lsnrheou.
Real estate in.r from all parts Of th'
. state heard Comptroller Travis an'
: other speakers At tn. banquet and At
tended the midyear conference an,
= luncheon earlier IN the day Alfred Ii
r WsEc hartman Of tie board of man
: ayers presided at the conference AM
the principal address was made ny |.
T. Woodwork, president uf the sssocia
tion. Tne excessive burden OF taxation
y carried BY real estate owners Was IN
subject OF his address. He called upoi
. the members OF the association TO rgh
for efficiency ard economy in govern
9 men;. national. State and city. ard 70
q a more equitable distribution OF the ia!
a burden.
? Chairman Wagg said rea! estate me
/, Of experience are convinced that regu
| lation OF the business oy the state
:. lneNltab.. unless some decisive action
taken by the real estate lneu ihemseive,
. He favored a D.l. 20 slandaTdiIs bus,
. ness methods.
Martin SaSe. head ot the Tax DE
partmen'. said 10 one can question tn
Il absence OF u Utonsl. logical and uni
n form taxation system N this ana othe
\ States.
/. Among the other speakers were Waite
: Liudner OF the Title Guarantee al
VI Trust Company. NJ. Morsenthau. Jr
}. Charles l.. Nanicrre. j ;. Edelnan. Rot
! ert u. koan Raymond T. Crag.i
2 James Frank. II l.. E-cI. Jerema
j.. Wood. James V. BAi-!, simon Adler
J. Rochester, l~,urenc" Mcclure az
!, Charles +. k..hoffer u Buffalo.