The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-20
equal TAXATION.
The.State Commissions Ses-
sions at Woodbury--In-
come VS.. Valuation.
speeial 70 the Jerseu ON Ne1cs.


WOODBURY., Sept. 20, 1890.-The Tax
Commission created by the New Jersey
Legislature last winter. with view OF
preparing bill to be presented at the
next session Of that body looking to the
equalization of taxes as between the diff
ferent counties, held their third meeting
at the Court House in this city yesterday.
These meetings are being held in each
county throughout the State for the pur-
pose of gathering direct from the people
their views on the question of taxation,
The commission isErying to accomplish
the object for which they were appoint
ed, and are gaining much valuable infor-
nation from the taxpayer, who hereto
fore has had little voice in the matter.
THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
The commission is made up by Barker
Gummere. of Trenton; Attorney General
John p. Stockton, Senator John j.
Gardiner, of Atlantic county; Senator
Moses K Eyeritt, of Hunterdon, and
A5semblyman Frederick S. Marsh and
Foster NJ. Voorhees,, of Union county.
Judge William L. Hoffman and William
+. Albeit, Of Jersey City, are counsel for
the commission and j. II. Clothier clerk.
Only three of the members. Attorney
General Stockton, Assemblyman Marsh
and Judge Hoffman, were present at the
session here today.
The Assessors of the various townships
were presentation w. Cattell, of Wood
bury; Mark Clement. West Deptford;
Parks, Glassboro; Eli Heritage, Harri-
son; j. Clark Helms. Logan; Jacob
Ballinger, Greenwich; Samuel Nicholson.
Washington; John Mcclure, Monroe,
and Samuel Avis. of Woolwich. A num-
Der of influential citizens of the county
also expressed their views.
President John Ii. Broadway, of the
First National Bank of Woodbury.. made
some telling suggestions on the subject
of bank taxation. He said that the new
law should lead to the equalization OF the
taxing of these institutions in the differ
ent counties.
Assessor Parks suggested that the law
relating to the taxation of parsonages
needed revision, as the law now requires
parsonages not located directly on church
property to be taxed. while those located
thereon are exempt.
VARIOUS VIEWS EXPRESSED.
Joseph L. Reeves, of the Farmers and
Mechanics Bank, of this city, was of the
opinion that farm property should be as
sessed according to the income derived
from it, not from its actual valuation.
This was not approved of by the commits
sion on account of the great variation
which would occur in the yearly revenue
derived by the State from this source.
Colonel G. G.. Green made suggestions
on the taxation Of foreign mortgages. He
said that the houses of The wealthy were
at present taxed at rates beyond their
market value
DR.. Wallace McGeorge called the atten-
ton of the commission to the unequal
valuation of property in different coun-
ties He favored a suggestion of Mr..
Marsh that it could be obviated by State
and county boards Of equalization. The
State Board would equalize values be-
tween counties, the County Board be-
tween townships.
Assessor Cattell thought that the old
tax law, which was cumbersome and not
easily understood, should be repealed
entire, and that the new one should be of
a far more comprehensive character.
Attorney General Stockton, in thank
ing the gentle=-f for their opinions,
said:-"We have started out without
ideas of our own to gather suggestions
from the taxpayers themselves, and much
of the information already collected will
form valuable basis upon which to
frame the proposed new law.''
Other members of the commission ex-
pressed themselves as we'll pleased with
the progress made at the meetings al
readv held