The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-09
BOWLING EXPLAINS
ASSESSMENT GAIN
Property Owners Are Told
How $85,70O,000 Increase
Is Distributed.
FOUR SECTIONS HELPED
Personal Levy Action Shown
as Necessity-Lower Rate
Despite Additions.

Frank L. Bowling, President OF the
Borough of Manhattan. explained last
night some OF the details of the great
Increase in assessments on real estate
and personal property this year. He
gave figures which taxpayers have been
vainly trying to get from the tax de-
partment since the process of scaling
down the original figures has been COM
pleted.
Speaking before the Upper Manhattan
Property Owners Association at its
annual dinner at the Hotel Astor Mr..
Bowling said the SS5,700.000 increase
oil real estate had been distributed along
the newly developed parts of the water
front and in sections where new build
ings had been put on the tax rolls for
tho first time.
As to the increase OF s110,000,D00 in
personal property assessments, he said
that even 30 the total assessments were
$500, 900. 900 lower than in 1908. The
additional assessments, real and per-
sonal. will bring in about s4,50o.000 In
taxes, Mr.. Bowling declared. The budget
this year is 100000 900 more than last
year. In spite Of this fact the tax rate
Is lower because of an increase In the
general fund consisting largely of So
800 900 from the State school fund.
| 100000 in dock rentals, 100000 in
excise money and the same amount in
motor vehicle license money.
Tax Decreases shown.
After saying that in spite of the total
$21 ,000,0 900 increase in real estate as
| ~ esments in Manhattan there had been
decreases in four of the eight tax sec
tons Mr.. Bowling continued:
in the section between Grand street
| and Fourteenth street. west of Lafay-
cite street and Fourth avenue. there has
been reduction of s5,3o0.00o In the as
sessment values. North of Ninety six tn
! street and east OF Lenox avenue there
| has been a decrease Of s2.250.000.
There has been an increase of 49,
00O. 900 In the section of Manhattan be-
tween Fortieth and Seventy-ninth
| streets, east of Sixth avenue. This is
| due to the fact that the Commodore
Hotel Building is put on the tax rolls
| for the first time and valued at s3.700.-
000 and that there has been an in
crease OF s1.25O.0oO in the Grand Gen.
trail Terminal property valuations. The
| four cornors of Madison avenue at
Forty-second street have been increased
total OF ss50,000. including both land
and buildings The Biltmore Hotel
Building was increased 100000.
"In the section between Fortieth and
Seventy-ninth street west of Sixth ave-
nue., there was an increase of 10000
600. by adding to the valuations OF such
properties as the Hotel Astor. Hotel
Knickerbocker. Riaito Theatre. Fitzger-
aid Building and the Apthorp apart
| ments.
"ln the section between Fourteenth
| and Fortieth streets, from Sixth avenue
to the North River there was an in
| crease OF SS,000,000 in the assessable
| valuaton Almost all OF this was due
! to. the I act that the Pennsylvania Hotel
| property. the new central telephone sta
ton on Thirty eighth street and the new
plant of the Merchants Refrigeratins
Company at the foot OF West Sixteenth
/ street were put on the tax rolls for the
1 first time.
I'm The Bronx there was an increase
| Of $5.679.000 in valuations. OF which
| $4,000, 900 represents new buildings in the
section between 18Th street and Ford
ham road, and $4,000 900 in the district
east of st. AIMS avenue. south of 18Th
street.
Gain Made in Brooklyn.
an Brooklyn there was n total In
crease of $4,000, 900 in assessable valu-
the section bordering along the bay front
| from Prospect avenue to Sixtieth street.
where the big marine terminals are To-
Gated. including the Bush property and
the new Government storage buildings.
There was an increase of 100000 in
the waterfront district extending from
the Wallabout at the navy yard up along
the East River TO Newtown Creek. The
Fort Hamilton district along the bay
front was also increased $4,000. 900. In
the rest of Brooklyn the only increases
were where new buildings had been
erected.
"In Queens there was a net increase OF
Sll 900, 900 In assessment values. or
this S5.000,0 900 is along the East River
front in Long Island City and Astoria
and along the line of the newly opened
rapid transit roads. There was an in
crease OF 100000 in Newtown and
So. 900, 900 in Jamaica, both due TO new
building operations.
"On Staten Island there was an in
crease of s10,OO0,O 900. Five million dol
lars OF that was on the shipyards dis
trict bordering along the XIII van Kull
The Shooters Island plant, for instance,
was increased 100000 the Downey
plant 81, 900. and the Standard ship
Build.N, plant $500. 900. = Tx other mr.
creases in Richmond were on the shore