The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-26
SOME TIMELY SUGGESTIONS.
An interesting Address from President
Datz to the Board OF Finance.

An Interesting ADDRESS Ax0A RosAe
DATE to the Board of Finance.
The following report from President |
DATE of the Board of Finance, was read at |
the meeting Of the Bosrd last Friday night.
We publish this report in full as it con-
tains many valuable suggestions and
recommendations.
aWhen elected President of this
Board. / said that I would, at
a later day, express my views upon such
public questions as are within the scope
and jurisdiction of the Board. We start
upon our duties under very favorable aus
pices. The public credit is upon good
footing, valuations Throughout the city are
being increased by the erection of many
new buildings and there is every indication
that the year will be one of prosperity.
The collections of taxes are very satisfact-
orv. Parties who have been in arrears for
three or four years are paying up and be-
coming taxpayers once more attribute 1t
to the better feeling which has sprung up,
and the increase of confidence In the 6nan-
cial future of Jersey City. 1t devolves up
on us to maintain this confidence and SO
assist the City forward to the time when all
causes for alarm or uneaslness will be re-
moved aud the city will take its proper
position in the financial world. Upon this
will largely depend the ability OF the
Board to make the necessary arrangements
for the funding of the $400, 900 seven per
cent bonds, which fall due in June, 1856.
An important feature of the work of the
Board last year, was the large increase of
values on the water front. The action of
the Board has been certioraried. and the
matter is now in the courts. Believing
that this Board, acting asCom missioners of
Appeals, have full power to increase valu-
atoms when, in their judgement, they are
fixed too low for the purposes of taxation.
I would advise that the assessors be di-
rected to change the assessments of last
of last year wherever increased
bv the Commissioners of Appeal.
During the sitting of the Board last year
as Commissioner of Appeals, several humid
red cases were considered and large pro-
norton of them the reductions asked for
by the petitioners were allowed after THE
Board had given careful investigation to the
subjects. One of the differences, land
principal one) to be drawn from this st
in making assessments the assessors have
been guided by false dates and have failed
to give proper personal consideration to
the matter of reaching just and equitable
basis. On the other hand, casual exami-
nation of the assessment books will show
that in great number of cases property
has been valued as lew as fifty per cent. of
what the law requires "a full value" 1t
il in the province of the Board of Appeals
to correct this injustice to those who pay
tax on full valuation, if the cases are
brought regularly to their notice, but as
this can be accomplished mainly by the
complaint of neighbors it is seldom DONE
All this can be remedied if the assessors
will, under the directions of the Board,
familiarize themselves with local value by
examination of transfers and sales and by
means of the various other channels of in
formation open to them. While on the
subject of assessments, subject which
touches closely the vital interests of all
taxpayers, it may be nos inappropriate to
suggest that some plan be devised and
carried out, having for its object satisfac-
tory adjustment of values, and would ad-
wise that this Board appoint a committee
of experts whose duty it shall be to
examine the assessment books of the sew
eral districts, note such errors or Unequal
tiles as may be discovered, and report to
this Board in detail before the assessments
are confirmed, to the end that such orders or
inequalities may be corrected and thus avoid
controversies or litigation. The Commit
tee on Revision of Taxes and Assessments
appointed last year by this Board and his
Honor the Mayor accomplished no prac-
tical good, as but one district was reported
upon, and the tenor of this report was to
have the assessments of the property
owned by one of the members of the COM
mittee reduced. The work of revision
should be carried out, and therefore sug-
gest this committee of experts. The plan
of compromising assessments, while it has
been the means of turning into the CITY
treasury large amount of money, has also
caused loss, which might be calculated
as an excess in amount of the benefit de-
rived. find that in nearly all cases APP
plication for compromise is deferred until
the interested parties are driven to such a
course by desire to make a transfer of
property, when all such liens must be set
tied. In these cases the loss of interest
has been very large-a loss which would
not have been necessary had it not
been for this system of compromise. On
der the circumstances think 1t would be
wise to peremptorily fix day in the near
future as limit to the time for consider
ing such petitions for compromise. Under
the provisions and operations of the law
for the taxation of railroad and canal prop
erty Jersey Citys proportion is S215, 537.79,
divided as follows:
Pennsylvania r. R. System. s56 400 81
N. Y, L. E. & W. R. R. System. 42340 IA
Phila & Reading System. 40 COG "a
ID. L. W. System. ..........-..... 60S01 Al
Others not classified. 1870 Is
OF the above, the first two named have
accepted the law and have paid
into the State treasury the amounts of
their taxes, and the money will be received
by Jersey City in quarterly installmsnts.
The other corporations are contesting the
assessment, and some delay must ensue
before the city can enjoy the full benefit
of the law. would advise that the asses
sors be instructed to continue assessing
the property of such corporations as are
disputing the law in the same manner as
heretofore, but in the cases of those hav-
ing accepted the law the assessors should
recognize the operations of the State Act.
In the latter part of March your Board or
dered the making of bond of 81 ZOO,
which was turned into the State Treasury
in payment Of certain lands in the South
Cove coded to the city, and the property is
now in the possession of the Corporation
of Jersey City The question naturally
arises ssWhat shall we do with ii? p AS an
easy solution 1 would suggest that after
giving proper public notice of its inten-
ton, the city lease it to the highest bidder
for term of years. The city's experience
in making water front improvements has
not been satisfactory. The interest on the
bonds issued for the construction of the
Morgan street dock amounts to So, $50 an
nually. Last year the expenses of the 4
dock were $3.50. OF. total outlay of $10,-
6O602, and the total receipts amounted to
but S., 213. 49, It will be seen that, as an
investment, the Morgan street dock is a
fail,1rn The dock MIGHT he mazda r,n1rnh