The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-09-23
The Tangles of Unequal
Taxation That the State
Board Must Unite.
HAPHAZARD ASSESSMENTS
Protests from Towns and Complaints
from Private Parties-A Noun
tain of Work.
special % the Jersey en- Neaes.


best describes the many appeals which
are hanging upon the desk OF Secretary
Thomas Usher for the Tax Commission
to consider and adjust.
Tho complaints of the taxpayers as they
are brought to the ears of the court, for
the Tax Commission is nothing more or
less than court of appeals, show that
tax affairs are very much mixed in this
State When citizens of whole town.
ship, and frequently two or three. are
forced to band together and make
common cause against the discrimi-
nation of assessors in adjoining locall-
ties, it shows state of affairs that
invites the closest investigation. Ihere
has been riled within the past few days
number of appeals of this kind. The
most notable is the appeal of the citizens
of the township of Kearny. Here the
Board of Township Commissioners take
exception to the rate imposed on the
township by the county and set forth
very plainly that they are taxed nlgher
this year, that Jersey City may be taxed
low They complain in their appeal that
the Board of Equalization of Hudson
County has increased the assessed valu-
alton of the real estate and personal
property of Kearnv for 1891 by adding
the assessor had already increased the
valuations four and half per cent over
last year. The township appealed to the
Board of Equalization but without effect.
It is alleged that the real estate OF kearny
wss already assessed proportfonately
double that of Jersey City, and that the
personal valuation was proportlonately
more than double of Jersey City.
The town complain.that personal prop
erty in Jersey City has been undervalued
by the assessors of Jersey City fully 40
per cent, and that the real property in
Jersey City was relatively less and very
much so than property in other parts OF
the country. The Commissioners feel
satisfied that they can show that the AS
SCISSORS of Kearny tax the property in the
township relatively higher than similar
property is texed in other parts OF Hud-
son County, and very much higher than
similar property is taxed in the city. OF,
Jersey City and that the adding of so
er cent. was unjust. The date has not
not been fixed Tor hearing the appeal.
CAMDEN DISCRIMINATION.
Edward Burroughs, the President of
head OF a movement in three townships
in Camden county. where the residents
are burdened by heavy taxes and their
neighbors get off lightly. The people
who complain are in the townships Of
Delaware, Haddon and Centre. They
by the State Board They believe that
their list will be found all right and that
the valuations are as near 10 the real
value of the property as could be ascer-
tanned, and they charge that in some OF
the other districts in Camden comfy the
valuations are too low. They cite the
following localities; City of Camden,
C ty of Gloucester, Borough of Merchant
vile and Towns hip of Stockton. The as
sessed valuations in these districts do not
represent the true value OF the taxable
property The property is only assesseei
from 35 to 65 per cent. This they claim is
imposing unequal and unjust taxation
upon the property of the citizens who
petition. This appeal Is to be argued be-
fore the State Board on September 20.
H. G. Morefort, the assessor for Ham
monton township. at the instance of the
people from that locality appeals from
the unjust valuation imposed by the
County Board of Assessors. He claims
that this township is assessed too high,
and that the assess ment in Aosecou. Eggi
Harbor, Galway. Weymouth. Pleasant
Vile and Hamilton is too low. and works
Il hardship on the people of his township.
They in creased Hammonton from 5000, ,425
in 1890 to 81, ,317, 800 in 1891. which is big
increase considering slice has been
taken off of Hammonton to make the
new township of Mullica In Cumberland
county.
Assessor Herbert OF Marlboro, Mon
mouth county, has written to the Board
asking that day be set aside to near
argument in the case of the assessment OF
Marlboro township, where the assessment
has been raised by the County Board OF
Assessors from 81, ,000,0 600 TO 81, ,200,0 900. AS
the taxing district is altogether an agri-
cultural locality, and one In which the
chief industry is that of farming, now an
Improbable business, he says the
farmers are justly indignant at the
- hoc
vet fixed the day. PRIVATE APPEALS.
w. Bedford of Philadelphia, agent for
the PENNSYLVANIA Guarantee Company,
appeals from an assessment IN Camden
City, and in his appeal he shows tnat his
property is outside of the line OF city I'M
provements, and yet he is taxed at city
rates and not rural rates. His property
is valued at Sc. .075, rate 50. 80, yet the
original cost was only $l2, 500. The Cam
den custom has been to assess at sixty
per cent. of the value, but now it is
eighty per cent.
The Lakeview and Building Company
of Paterson own 231 lots. Some are
under water and others nearly. They
were purchased at $50. l3 1-2 each. The
company in their appeal say that they
cannot market those lots until they make
improvements of filling and draining.
This will cost $15, 600. The assessor, how
ever, has assessed the lots for what they
will bring sooner or later in prices rang
ing from s25 to SIS and some few at over
Sl0O They appeal on the ground that it
is not fair to assess real estate on what it
might be worth some days in the future
There are number of cases from New
Brunswick. Isabella Martin has prop
erty on Church street assessed at $4.700,
which was purchased for $4,000, and she
accordingly appeals.
John G. Interman of the First ward,
owns lot No. 7 of block No. 106. 1t has
been assessed at 81 200, but he claims it is
only worth $780, DR.. G. +. Applegate
owns 25 Livingstone avenue 1t has been
assessed for SIS, 600. but he claims he only
gave S11. 500 for it from Mrs Nina V. II.
Vail and that she had no reason what
ever to sell it.
The Union Building and Loan Associa-
tion own the Masonic Hall at the corner
of George and Albany street, and it is
assessed at $4,000, but if put mp at sale
they claim il would not bring 100000.
Walter Pratt, of Railway, mas property
in the Third ward of that city which in
1891 is valued at $4,000. which in his
opinion is too high, as it would not
bring $85, 600 at sale.
Secretary Usher states that the Com
mission will De overburdened with diff
cult problems
WORK UP TO DATE.
ssThey have been obliged to journey all
over the State" he said, $50 as to get
comprehensive idea of the various locali-
ties, so that when these appeals come in
they know something OF the country.