The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-30
ABOUT RAILROAD TAXES.
rs THIS An OUTLINE OF GOTERNOR
ABBETTvS POLICY.

A Trenton Lover Cuts His Head or
Cattle Poisoned by the Buffalo fly
other State News.
5 An exchange says:-'Soon after the
Legislature convenes, in January, Gov.
ernor Albeit will cause to be introduced
in the House of Assembly a bill making
radical changes in the corporation tax law
of 1884. It will assess railroad property
wherever located at the local rate, the
valuation to be arbitrarily fixed by the
State Assessor. The discussion of the
question will bring up the whole subject
of taxation, and the existing system will
get an o~verhauling. The railroads Will
insist upon the State taking charge OF all
assessed valuations. There shall be no
more Sinking of taxes by individuals.
Equal taxation shall be equal taxation
and no mistake. The local assessors shall
have all their valuations passed upon by
State Commissioners. The immediate
effect of this will be to more than u
the assessed valuation of private properly
in the State. At one per cent. tax this in
crease of tax would be six millions. AS
the doubling of the valuation woul de-
crease the average rate the Ultimate effect
would be to make individual properly
pay from S0,UUU, UOU 10 S4,UUU,UUU ulolS II
annua taxes to the municipalities and
townships. b,
1t is alleged that the valuations assessed
in many taxing districts represent only a
percentage of the real value of property.
While real property is thus valued for
assessment at absurdly low rates, person
atty almost wholly escapes assessment.
The established rule is hat the personal
and real property in a community are
about equal. In Hudson county only
about Z per cent. of the personally is
assessed for taxes; in Essex the percent
age is about twelve. The total assessed
valuation, real and personal, in the State
in 1874 was $619, 057 ,908. The total assessed
valuation in 1883 was in u numbers
5000, 900, 600. This assessed valuation of
the State outside OF railroad property is
actually less today than it was in 1872.
The last valuation made by the Board
of State Assessors approXimates $2O0,00O,-
000. The entire capital stock and bonded
debt of the railroads of the State amount
to $3.50, 253, 1896, representing a cost equal
to S121. sol per mile of track. The cost is
excessive of course, but the State Board
OF Assessors have actually valued the
property of the railroads at within about
10 per cent. of the most exaggerated
figures of cost.
In sixteen years there has been a vast
growth of property wealth in New Jersey.
Railroad enterprise has opened up regions
that AVE been uninhabitable and filed
them with thriving communities. The sea
coast places, with all their great wealth in
valuable land and houses and hotels, are
the growth of these years. Places like
Montclair and East Orange, in East Jer-
sey, have sprung up from poor struggling
villages into rich suburban towns, filled
with thousands of elegant dwellings
richly furnished. So have the large
cities of Newark, Camden, Trenton, Jer-
Sey City and Paterson increased in popu-
lation, houses and manufactures. In five
years from 1880 to 1885, the increase in the
number of dwellings was 1854. At an
average of 50, 900 this would represent an
increase of 500, 72S, 600 IN five years. The
population has increased over 100000, and
settlers from other States W. brought a
vast aggregate of personal property with
them. And yet the assessed valuation of
individual property in New Jersey is no
higher today than it was in 1872. What
is the reason for it? Simply that the
local assessors 10 not return for valua-
tion more than a certain percentage of
The property assessed.
One plan of relief is for a State Board
of equalization, the same as in New York
and Pennsylvania.
Buffalo Fly Poisons Cattle.
DR.. w. B. E. Miller, one of the State
Veterinarian Corps, is very busy just at
present among the cattle of the rich
agricultural region known as Cream
Ridge, embracing portions of Burling-
ton, Monmouth and Ocean counties,
which are now undergoing q siege of
cattle disease.
The milk and butter product is the
leading source of revenue of the large
farms on the Ridge, and one of the prin-
cipal freights between Hightstown and
Pemberton is milk for the Philadelphia
marRaf EV-Sanat0r EmsOp Wh0 owns
three or four farms in Ocean and Mon
mouth counties, is one of the sufferers by
the epidemic. Forty of his thoroughbred
cows are now ill of the disease, and a
half-dozen have died. The entire herd
does not produce more than a pint of
milk, and it is unfit for use, being bloody
n emitting an offensive odor.
DIR. Miller ordered a COW slaughtered
and made a scientific diagnosis of the dis
ease, which he pronounced bovine fever.
The primary cause of the disease, accord
ing to the veterinary, is the bite of the
buffalo fly. This insect was very numer-
Gus in that section during the summer.
Cut His Head Almost OF.
John Sweeney, a mechanic, twenty
eight years of age, committed suicide yes
terday afternoon by nearly cutting his
head from his shoulders in the dining
room of his parents home at Trenton.
He has been on a prolonged spree, and
was affected with m~elancholia. In the
morning he sent his ~fiancee, Miss Mamie
Duffy, a postal card saying
"MY DEAR Miss DuFFY:-
s'Come down at once.
Yours, lovingly,
John SWEENEY"
He was annoyed at Miss Duffy's nom
arrival, and took a razor and began slash
ing. A policeman, attracted by the
screaming of his parents, rushed in and
disarmed him, but his head was then
nearly off. He died an hour later, and
Miss Duffy arrived too late to see him
alive.
The Toy Pistol Again.
Arthur Heller. aged seven years, who
lives with his widowed mother at No. s
Halleck street, and Thomas Gardner,
aged eleven years, who lives at No. 4
HallecK streek, Newark, were playing
with a toy pistol yesterday afternoon, the
property of young Gardner. The pistol
contained a 22-calibre bullet. While
Gardner was fooling with the pistol it
went off and the bullet struck young
Heller's face at the bridge of the nose and
passed into the orbit of the eye. Doctors
Jayne and Kipp probed for the bullet,
but were unable to locate it. 1t is prob
able that the boy will lose the sight of his
eye.