The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-01-17
Governor Abbett's Message.

houses.
Governor Abbett's Message.
Governor Abbett's second annual mes
sage shows that whatever his physical and
bodily ailments may have been, they have
impaired nothing Of his mental vigor, nor
stood in the way of his keeping himself
thoroughly informed on all State affairs
that the people have committed to his
keeping. The deliverances of the message.
CD ordinary State topics may not be as
elaborate and diffusive as they might have
been hid he been in better health; but his
handling of the great topics of
State is as strong and mastery
as it is possible to be, and shows
as much fullness of information and
care Of research, and breadth and compass
as any document that has ever come from
the Executive Department of the State.
Take, for instance, his, treatment of the
Railroad Tax question, which has more
than a mere passing and temporary in
ferest for the people OF this Common
wealth which, indeed. is being worked
out 10 solution that shall stand for all
time. under his guidance and direction
and supervision. Governor Albeit is the
first man who has succeeded in enforcing,
by practical legislation, the idea of rail-
road taxation /; and it is to him that we
naturally look for new suggestions OF
remedies the exigencies of the struggle
between the corporations and The people
require to meet them. After all that has
been written and said about the taxation
of the railroads, and when 1t seemed as
slough the topic had been treated. to
exhaustion in all it's phases and bearings,
he comes to the front with practical
suggestion as to the most obnoxious of the
railroads in the State. The Pennsylvania
road has made its peace with the State by
ready acquiescence in the tax act; the
Central more than half comedies the
validity of the act, and makes its fight
mainly on the ground of the appraise-
ment but the Morris & Essex boldly
fiaunts her irrepealable contract" in the
eyes of the people, and impudently put
ting herself above the State, declares with
offensive defiance that she can't be taxed
and won't be taxed. whatever The State,
through its legitimate channels, may say
about it. The State may yet show her
that she is not SO big as she thinks, by ex-
ercising its legitimate right to take her
charter from her between this and 1890
But the Governor finds other grounds of
vantage for the State to occupy as well.
The road, under its ''irrepealable contract, !"
pays half per cent tax to the State, on
the cost of the road. It returns some
thirteen millions of dollars as the cost of
its equipment but the careful investi-
cation of tie State Board fails to show
more than three millions Of personal prop
erty belonging to the road. Where, the
Governor asks, is the rsst of the 3d.
600, 600. Does the $40, 900, 600 difference
belong really in the taxable item Of cost
of the road Z" And has q necromantic
system of book keeping in the company's
effice taken it out of the taxable " cost
where it should be, into the non-taxable
equipment account, where it should not
bes II that system has been followed,
then, since the 'irrepealable'contractv was
made in 1865-for twenty years-the road
has swindled the State out of .one-half of
one per cent taxes ON SIC, DOC, 600 worth of
her property out Of, in other words, q
million dollars, in round figures, of money.
The Governor suggests that the Legis-
lature might make enquiry into this sub
ject, and that, if by a false system of book
keeping, taxes have thus been evaded,
suit be entered by the State against the
company to recover the amount yet re-
manning unpaid. A million dollar suit
against the railroad would be an interest
ing piece Of litigation. 1t would enrich
the State, and show the road at the same
time. that the State is not to be trified
with. By all means the enquiry should be
made, and if there is any ground for
action, suit should be instituted at once.
The Governors presentation Of this
point not only shows the extent to which
he has the interests of the State at heart,
but shows also the thoroughness of his iu-
formation on all live State topics. In
treating generally Of the question Of rail-
road tax question, be brings the import
ance of it home to every taxpayers
consciousness and shows the extent to-
which each man who receives tax bill,
is interested in it, by practical Illustrations
that establish The fact that if the railroads
bore their equal share Of the public bur
fIens, tax bills in Jersey City that now are
81 so on the hundred would be 81 80 on
the hundred. So that every man who
pays tax on $4,000 worth Of property
pays 800 tax that the railroads would
nav if they were assessed at the same rate
As individuals. The Message states that
s81 600 900 and upwards Of railroad prop.
erty IS exempt, from taxation, in one part
~ the State or another which is equal to
one-sixth of the taxable property of all
kinds ii the State and that upon the bal
ance. the roads are required to pay only
~ per cent Of the amount that would be
exactea Of the property, if j were in the
1,ands of individual taxpayers.