The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-02-22
The Queer. Queer TAX BIZ.


boards Of equalization. In homo-
geneous counties, where every town
ship contains about the same num-
Der of people and the same
amount Of property. and where
each pays about the same amount
OF taxes, the plan of having the asses
sors together constitute the board
might work well enough. But in
counties like Hudson and Essex, in
which there are great cities, where a
small number OF assessors represent
vast populations and enormous wealth,
the proposed plan is unjust in the ex-
IRENE
Here is the case OF Jersey City. Her
property is assessed by three tax com
missioners. These, with the ten as
SCISSORS Of the other Hudson towns,
would under the proposed act consti-
tute the county board OF equalization.
What chance would there be for Jer-
sey City in such a combination, with
three out of thirteen votes? And yet
Jersey City pays 81 per cent Of the
countys taxes. or course the advo-
Gates Of the bill will reply that the
State Board will see justice done.
That is really no answer at all. Jer=
sey City should have representation
on the county board proportional to
her population and the amount she is
expected to contribute.
The effect of the b)ll on mortgages
made under the Five County Act. =
seems TO be matter OF dispute. We
are informed that in the majority of
cases the holders of mortgages in Es-
sex, Hudson, Union, Bergen and Pas
sale pay no taxes on the mortgages,
the owners of the property standing
the full assessment. This could no
longer be done under the new bill
The owners of the property would be
exempt from taxation to the extent of
the mortgage. The holders of the
mortgage would be out of pocket the
amount Of the tax. 1t seems probable
that considerable financial disturb
ance would result from such change.
Among other upheavals it would
cause would be reorganization Of
the building and loan association sys-
tenn.
Then there is another feature of the
bill that win not be popular. A man
is regarded as delinquent with his
taxes in year from the date when
they become payable. So far good;
but his personal property may-no,
must be summarilv seized and sold
at auction within about six weeks
from that time. His real estate
MUST be sold at auction within
about three months of the period of
delinquency or within fifteen months
Of the date when the tax becomes
due. Surely this is short shrift. The
bill has no compassion on the poor or
the unfortunate. 1t allows no grace.
Nobody has discretion to grant res
pite. The Collector MUST go ahead
and sell out the unhappy delinquent
with scant notice and no mercy.
Indeed the bill is throughout a
heartless BILL Its motto is every
thing for the State and everything
against the individual 1t is true
there are appeals and appeals. and
the State Board may hold its Bgis
between the taxpayer and the tyranny
of local boards, and the Courts may
protect against the State Board.
Therefore rich men who can afford
the luxury of appeals and writs OF
certiorari are all right. But where
does the poor man come in. He must
tell all he owns and the various
boards may believe him or not as
they choose, and when they assess
him, he must pay and pay pretty
quick too or be sold out, to the watch
out OF his pocket and the furniture
out Of his parlor.
As We read the bin, we wonder il
the commissioners who drafted it and
offered it to the Legislature for adop-
lion We're playing grim Joke on Cne
people of the State. Can they have
seriously supposed for one moment
that any legislator would read it and
then dare vote for it?
There is good idea underlying the
bill. The idea OF State supervision /.
good. The idea of equalization Is
good. The idea Of rigid enforcement
Of a fair share Of the public burdens
against every individual and every
dollar OF property is absolutely just,
wise, and right. But these principles
are interviewer with a tissue OF op-
pressive, tyranical, and vexatious
procedure which would not be borne
BY any people outside the doIninions
Of the Car.
The bills ought to be amended
DOWN to its bones, then clothed ii