The Jersey City news., 1889-12-20
Waited ON HIS HONOR.
Fourth District Tax Kick
ers Talk 10 the
Mayor.

A. "A. branCk, 4. II. CARING and IhOmaS
NeEwan. Of the Fourth District Taxpay-
ers' Association, held conference yester-
day afternoon with Mayor Cleveland, in
reference to what they termed the 'glar-
ing irregularities Of the present tax valua-
tons and the lack of method on the part
of the Board of Tax Commissioners"
They desired the Mayor to urge the Tax
Board to rectify the many errors in the
tax levy, and in the event of its failure to
do so 20 have His Honor remove the mem
bers on the ground of incompetency, neg
lect or wilful violations of their oath.
Mr.. George j. McEwan, chairman of
the delegation was not present when the
conference opened, President Merseles, of
the Association, fired the first gun. After
referring to the great howl of the tax
payers all over the city, and especially in
the Fourth district, he said that the dele
CATION claimed that If the assessments
were more or less than the market value
of property they were Illegal There were
many cases in the present levy where the
assessments were notoriously high. many
where they were low; there were in
stances where a poll tax had been col.
lected, and others where it had not. This
was illegal. The tax payers had been de-
MED access to the books. This was il
legal.
Mr.. Mercedes did not want to enter into
any detailed account of the list of irregu-
larities in the assessments without hav
ing the assessors books before him.
These were not obtainable for the reason
that the Tax Commissioners Office had
been closed as usual OF O'Clock.
A FEW CITATIONS
But Mr.. Merseles did cite few in
stances. At No. 408-10 New York avenue
was situated property which would bring
at auction "a 1000 One of the vacant lots
by the side of one containing building
was refused at 81, 600, and yet the aggre-
gate assessed valuation was but S., 900.
Mr.. MerSeles was positive of this.
For comparison he submitted the case
of piece of property owned by Mr., Car
ling. one of the members of the delega-
ton, who had purchashed it for SIS.
There had been little or no improvement
to it, and yet it was assessed at S400
AT No. 400 New York avenue was
piece of property worth $4,000 1t was as
sessed for 81 600.
The Berkeley Club House, with two
lots, was assessed at $400 lot. The build
ing rented for $1,000 year, and was
valued at $4,000.
F. d. Kopp owned three houses on
Academy street, near Summit avenue,
that cost 1000. He would not sell for
$4,000. And yet it was assessed at but
$4,000.
Mr.. Merseles alluded to the matter of
collecting poll tax. He did not believe it
right to collect from some and let others
go.
Mr.. Martin Logan said 1t had been the
custom to levy poll tax on owners or
| lessees of property. 1t was hard to col
| lect it from others, because there was no
| way of enforcing the law, which was
| practically dead letter.
Mr.. CARING informed the Mayor that
fe, arfxy. SCI poI1l
assessed for 100 per cent. in excess of it's
market value. He had appealed to the
| Commissioners, but Notwithstanding his
appeal under oath, the assessment had
been confirmed
ENTER CHAIRMAN M'EwAN
Mr. George McEwan, the chairman of
the delegation, made his appearance, and
began the assault with the remark that
he was Democrat and had voted for the
new charter, and he wanted to see the
promises of the new charter fulfilled.
That charter had placed much response
bility on the shoulders of the city's chief
executive. II his appointees proved in
competent for duties of the positions as
signed them, he had the power to remove
them.
His Honor corrected Mr. McEwan by
reminding him that he had asked for that
power and it was not granted him. He
could only make an effort to remove an
incompetent appointee and finally refer
the matter to the Governor. Then Mr..
McEwan asked that His Honor make that
effort.
Mr.. McEwan cited a number of in
stances to prove that the Commissioners
were not as they claimed to be- guided by
the Building Inspectors books among
which was the case of John Flennery,
who put up S4900 house at the east end
of Hancock avenue, which was assessed
at $500; q house on Spring street, owned
by himself, for which the permit had been
issued for a $4,000 building, assessed at
81, 500.
The Commissioners also claimed to
be guided by insurance maps, and he al
luded TO the danger of following such u
guide.
"They tell u.s." he said; that they did
not have time to properly fix upon correct
valuations. Well, they seemed to have
found time to raise them one hundred per
cent. upon one side of the street and
lower them to twelve per cent. on the
other.
CHARGES OF DIsCoURTEsY.
''Besides, Mr.. Mayor, the taxpayers are
not treated coutreously. Mr.. Prigge is un-
doubtedly incompetent. | had him put
his own valuation on my mother-in-law's
house. He made it $1,000. 1t was all
right last year. AS soon as | found it
| had been assessed at 81, 500 for this year.
| hastened to Mr.. Prigge and called his
attention to the fact that he had himself
| fixed the valuation. Get out said he
harshly; don't you know that the Tax
| Board sits in November?
| LAS another instance | complained
| to President Lawrence concerning an as
| sessment which would have been all COR
rect if the sewer that drained the prop
| erty had been properly constructed.
"sWhat shall do about the matter?' l
asked President Lawrence. Go to West
| HoDoken and back up the water was the