The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-09-13
TEE Lawyers STRIKE a sNAe.


The Central Railroads certiorari suit has
been progressing steadily during the past
three weeks. notwithstanding the fact that
Mr.. Robert W. De Forest, the railroad
company's attorney, has been rusticating
In the Adirondacks. His absence, how
ever, has not materially delayed the case,
as before leaving the city he arranged for
the cross-eaamination Of the local assess
ors, pursuant to stipulation. 1t was at first
thought by the railroad company that this
portion of the testimony, while it may not
materially strengthen their case,-to wit !:
valuation based upon the returns of the
local assessors,-it could not possibly work
to their disadvantage. Had the company
thought 1t wonld work TO its disadvan-
tage, their attorneys would probably
never have agreed to the stipu-
lation allowing the State to call every local
assessor whose assessment had been mem
toned in the testimony of Messrs Holmes
and @. M. Benjamin, the experts for the
railroad. A glance over the testimony of
the assessors, however, is sufficient to
satisfy the most casual observer that what
they have sworn to. demonstrates to the
unbiased mind, that a valuation based upon
their assessment for local purposes is to say
the least very uncertain quantity, as most
every one of them swore that the assess
ment value of property is somewhat under
the true value. OF course they all swear
that they have valued all the land in their
respective distr cts by uniform rule or
of value the land of the rail-
road company, not used for railroad pur-
poses, in common with the property of IL
dividuals although one assessor said he
made distinction in one instance between
the value of a piece of railroad
and the farm adjoining
putting the lesser value on the
railroad land, because he did not think it
was worth as much The lawyers struck a
"snag," however, last Tuesday All the
assessors had been sworn except the New
ark men. Tuesday was the day set
down for their examination. The
three assessors whose lands touch
upon the Central Rrilroad, were towed to
the Office of Sites d Harrison by Mr.. @. M.
Benjamin, of this city. Only one mana
Mr.. Rossnagel-however, was sworn, as his
testimony developed the fact that the New
ark assessors have nothing whatever to do
with placing a value on property. They
simply report the names of owners with
description OF their properly TO the Board
of Tax Commissioners, who place the value
upon the property. The Assessors claim
to be only assistants or what may very APP
be called ''field men," The
testimony of Mr.. Rossnagel was objected
to by the counsel for the company on the
ground thatthey had been laboring under
! misapprehension in supposing that the
witnesses subpoenaed were the men who
lad valued the property in their several
wards. Judge Hoffman in all probability
will consent to have the testimony of Mr..
Rossnagel stricken out upon the produc-
ion by the company of the Newark Tax
commissioners for cross-examination. Mr..
De Forest will return this week and the
light will be renewed with fresh ylgor. The
criminal land will be the next bone of
contention and the testimony on rebuttal
promises not only to be voluminous but
in the extreme. 1t is strongly
limited, even, that the railroad company
lot satisfied with the case in the present
hape, viii turn around on new tack en-
irely, in which event the case cannot
possibly be made ready for argument I'M
IL the February term of court.