The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-10-12
TAXATION THEORY.
What the Legislative Conn
mission Has Done and
Discovered.
EQUALIZATION OF VALUES.
The Main Trouble Comes From
Different Estimates in Differ
ent Parts Of the State.

I %Fsf~<e-Fs &fft1x-
ELIZABETH. Oct. Il. 1890 During the
last session Of the Legislature q resoin~
ton passed both Houses providing for
commission TO revise the present tax laws
aad 70 propose and recommend 10 the
next Legislature nsw Law The resolu-
ton provided fer non-partisan Cone
mission to consist of two members to be-
appointed by the Governor, two TO be
selected by the House and rwo BY fhe
Senate The Governor appointed Attox-
ney-GeneraI Stockton and Barker
Gnmmere; the Senate Senators Gardner
and Everitt, and the House Assembly
men Marsh and Voorhees, Brieadiet-
General William Fuller Albeit ana *
Judgaz William r Hoffman were en-
gagged as counsel
The Commission started upon its work
about three weeks ago ana since that
time has visited Monmouth. Midd1esex.
Atlantic, Cape May. Camden, Gloucester
ana Ocean counties At each Of these
county seats the COMMITTEES has held open
meetings and has patiently listened to all
WHO have cared To present their views.
A large amount of useful information
has been gathered by the commissioners,
and they have been compelled TO listen 10
-&G<NA
manned unsaid for all the good it has
done.
WHAT THE COMMISSION HAS DOME
Mr. Foster NJ Voorhees,, VINO was one
Of the orlginators Of the scheme Of re-
vising the sax laws OF the State IS one 81
the asnbsrs Of the Commission = IS 1 8 i,ss
given the subject careful study. and
called upon him this afternoon for the
purpose Of obtaining his views as To what
tne e. Commission has achieved thus Ear
The various laws Of the different
States have been codified = said Mr. V0pr4
hees when had told him me object Of
ny visit, with view of adopting Such
features as may recommend themselves
to the Commission The Commission mas
also considered the reports OF the Tax
Commissions. which have been appointed
IN other States. as this question seems 60
| De one which has engaged the attention
I OF many States other than New JERSEY.
Lately the Commission has been holding
| sessions IN ali parts CT the State. at which
anyone was at liberty 70 present lis
views and make such suggestions as he
1 thought proper. These sessions have
shown that there Is wide spread inter-
| est In the work of the Commission and
| That there is general sentiment thar the
/ present system OF taxation is detective
This shows itself especially in the de-
mand that has been mR1s tor more
| stringent Legislation as 10 taxation en-
| personal property. Under the system now
| in vogue it would seem that there is Just
| ground for the complaint heard il all
\ parts OF the State that q very large pDr-
! lion of personal property Is entirely
exempt from taxation. The burdens of
| tax paying Tins tall upon land holders nr
upon those who are owners of visible and
tangible personal property Bonds and
stocks of corporations, both domestic and
foreign, bank stock mortgages, indebted
ness IN the shape Of notes are the kinds
of property which do not seem 70 be taxed
at all
There also seems to De difference in
the methods Of piping valuations for the
| purpose Of taxing this class Of properly
! In paris OF the State we find that bank
stock is not taxed at all In other Ulaces
it Is taxed upon IT'S par valne, while in
| still others the actual value Is taken Is
the basis The taxation orbank deposits
varies widely We also found that differ
ent basis of valuation were nsed So that
| while IN one county lands would be
| valued at their full market value, IN
| others they we're assessed at only TWO
thirds Of their market value. Di1ferent
valuations were also resorted to for prop
erfy In cities and in townships.
I TAXATION Is NOT EQUAL
For this reason the burden OF taxa
| ton did not fall equally upon the citizens
of the State. As q remedy for these
abuses it has been frequently suggested
that there should be appointed county
board OF equalization whose duty ii
would be to equalixe valuation, and il
has been further suggested chat the per-
sonal property of each individual should
| be listed By him for purposes OF taxation
| In almost al of the States that have re-
Gently adopted laws relative TO taxation
this plan has been resorted to, and from
enquiry we learn it has worked with SAT-
| isfaction, and undoubtedly q law
I containing provisions similar to
these viii be recommended for
| adoption. The question Of exemption
is one which has received attention
at the hands Of the Commission, and no
doubt there viii be recommendations
that the property exempt win be very
much lessened- 1t is probahlr, however,,
that churches, school houses, educational
and benevolent institutions wiz retain 3
large part OF their present sexeiupszon- =
Mr. Voorhees, said that the Commission
would visit Jersey City before IL ccm-
| pleted its labors. The commissioners, he
| said, wonld hold executfve sessions dur
1 ing November and December and pre-
! pare the draft of law for presentation
| to the Legislature when it meets in JRnu
AIRY.