New-York tribune., 1919-03-30
Long Delayed Relief From Unjust Tax Burden
Now Promised Real Estate by State Legislature

mends a personal income tax as the
core of the proposed system. This
will be levied at per cent on aIl in
comes, with exemptions Of $1,000 for
single persons and $4,000 for married
with 5000 more for eacn dependent
child. The revenue obtained from this
tax Is to be shared equally by the
state and the municipality where it is
collected.
Personal property is to pay fxed
rate of one-half Of one per cent on
all tangible property in excess of
$4,000 worth in any single ownership.
Hitherto personally has been charged
at the same rate as realty, but in this
state with so many exemptions that
but little of it has been taxed at all
1t is the belief Of many economists
that q fixed rate of half OF one per
cent will encourage Il much wider list
ing of personally for taxation and so
result in a material increase il The
revenue from this source.
The third source from which the
committee seeks to realize increased
revenue is the incomes of mauufac-
turing and mercantile corporations. AS
TO these incomes the rate is advanced
from the present 3 per cent 70 AZ
per cent.
Bills for these three maiu sources
Of revenue were introduced by Senator
Davenport in the Senate and by As
Hcmblyman Franklin II. Judson in the
Assembly on Friday. They are 10 be
followed BY other bills early next
week. one of which is 10 clotbe mu
nicipnlities with authority 10 levy q
business tax or nn occupation ta'
wherever either or both are deemed
necessary 20 supply any possible Do
lciencies IN the local revenue. There
may be also one or more bills repeal.
ing present exemption Of personal
property from taxation, bat of this
feature of the proposed Legislation
Senator Davenport's statement did not
treat.
These bills are The results of nearly
three months of dilgent and attentive
committee work, in dealing with
problem of extraordinary difficult;
Not only have state and municipal
expenses grown beyond all precedent
partly as the direct effects of war con-
ditions, but both state and munlclpai'
lty have lost large sources or revenue
IN the legal prohibition of the manu-
facture and sale of intoxicating liquors
Other sources of revenue had 70 be
established to make up for these losses
Unless something IN the dlrectiV'
taken had been done there would nave
been 10 possible escape from ruinoas
increase IN the direct tax--the tax OF
real estate.
The trend of legislation, IS ind,
Gated by the scores Of bills presenteu
in the Legislature, was in the opposite
direction, however. the great majority
of them having had in view more OF
less drastic measures for beating tae
personal property bushes, nobody' no. !
even Controller Travis. having sag'
gested an increase of the tax rate o"
real estate.
Indeed, the entire discussion from
the beginning has been directed to .hs
relief of real property from the dlss
proportionate and unjust STRAIN o.
taxation OF recent years. In thls re-
spect the Real Estate Boards b'ii ~ ~
minimum per cent rate ana -.
vigor with which it was pressed uPys
the Legislature have unGuestionAoy
been fruitful of good results. 1t. =.
least. served TO fix the main pufpVss
of the legislation in view, so that ths''
was no escape from it.
1t is too much TO expect that even
body Will be satisfied with these oniiii ii
but fair-minded people in general WI.
agree that the committee has done ~
work well. The problem was net a"
easy one. the contentious of extremlsss.
doctrinaires and selfish interests J'Ss aa
it being distracting in the extreme VIZ
the small political fry persisted -
their endeavors to make partisan esP'
tai out OF it. There was really dahsss
at Que time that party considera','~a+ ~
would prevent action of any kna -
this session. When on Wednesasss.
however, United States Sonata, o"ioss
threw the weight o. his advice an1
opinion into the scales party eqhs1u .h,
erations were swept aside ana Ws
committee decided to take the eoulss
recommended to it by all the
perts consulted.