The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-17
STORM OF COMPLAINTS
The Tax Appeal Board Be-
sieged By Citizens Who
Object to Assess
mentS.

People from every section of the city
visited the Board of Tax Appeals last
night TO complain that they had been un-
justly and excessively taxed. Never in
The history of the city has there been at
one time such a protest against the
assessments as was made last night. The
total number of complaints reached 40
for the evening. making IT'S altogether
for the year.
When the Board began business at five
O'Clock, not less than fifty persons were
In the Aldermanic Chamber waiting to
state their grievances. Many of these
mad been waiting from one to three
hours, fearing that to go away would be
TO lose chance to complain. AS soon as
the Board was called to order, these peo-
pie rushed to the Commissioners table in
frantic manner, shouting. growing
pushing and all asking to be heard at
once.
President Warner informed them that
each would be attended to in turn and at
his urgency some little effort to keep
order was made.
In the crowd were people of all kinds
Rlch, poor. old, young, Irish, German,
English, French, Negro. Swiss, Ameri-
can born and others every element in
TOO BIG TO HANDLE.
The Commissioners worked as rapidly
as possible; but the crowd increased
faster than the Board could give proper
attention to the complaints. BY seven
O'Clock. at least TWO hundred persnns
We're III the room waiting to be heard.
IL became apparent that all of these peo-
pie could not be attended to last hight,
and the President of the Board an
nounced that the Board would hold a
special meeting next Wednesday night
and every Wednesday night following
until further notice. The regular meet
ings on Friday nights will be continued
as heretofore advertised. Some of the
complaining taxpayers were Modified
at this announcement, and they procured
from the clerk blank forms of complaints
20 be nlled In and sworn to. These left
the meeting to return on Wednesday.
1t was past nine O'Clock when the last
petitioner for reduction of taxes had
hled his complaint and departed. The
Commissioners then proceeded to pass
judgment On complaints that had been
made at past meeting, and they spent
until half-past one o'clock this morning
in this work.
From what could be gathered from the
complaints made, it appeared that valu-
attons all over Uhe city bad been raised
over last year. Once in while COM
plaint would show that the valuations for
1872 and 1891 were alike, but in THESE
cases there generally appeared an euor-
nous increase over 1890, in some cases as
much as 30 per cent.
APPEALS DECIDED.
The Commissioners decided the follow
ing aDpeals:-
William W. Farr1er, Nos s5 951A, 81, 971s
Montgomery street, real property assessed for
$4,000, reduced to $4,000 The interior of the
building, which is occupied by Watson, is not
lathed and plastered. -
James Stelhng, No. 81 Montgomery street,
real property assessed at S28,Oo0, reduced 10
$4,000.
The estate of Edward P Haslan, No. 1872 Bel
mont avenue, real property assessed at $780,
reduced to So. 100.
Wood & Menagh, No. 1e4 Newark avenue, per-
sonal property assessed for S20,OO0 reduced to
S12,0g0. The personal property in this store
until this year had always been assessed for
$4,000
Helen Cadmus, personal property on Garfield
avenue assessed at S2O0, cancelled
Estate OF Flemming, at No. 81 Montgomery
street real properly, assessed at S16 reduced
to.S15.O 900. The Commissioners OF Appeal last
spring acted on this same properly and then re-
duced the assessment from $16,0 900 to $4,000
The Tax Commissioners put the value up again
hrs. A. Platt, No. 81 Stuyvesant avenue, real
property assessed at 81, goo, value confirmed
W. A., Higham, No. 2l5 Arlington avenue,
personal property, assessed at $500, cancelled
Margaret Moore, No. 525 Jersey avenue, per-
sonal property assessed at $500, cancelled.
Ellen peats, No. 81 Erie street, personal pro-
perty, assessed at $780, cancelled
Anton Soyles, No. l75 Runyon avenue. per-
sonal property. assessed at $500; reduced to
500.
c. F. Ocrerhauser. No. 65 Madison street per-
sonal property, assessed at $500; reduced to
$3.50.
z. H. Hanley, No. Al Newark avenue, real
property assessed at $50, 900; reduced to S25 OOO
This property was assessed last year for S22, ,OOO
P. H. Haniy, No. 43 Newark avenue real
property assessed at $20,000, reduced to SlSO00
John Smith, Nos. II and l3 Exchange place
real property assessed at $4,000, value con-
firmed.
Fred Horstman, No. 21o Eighth street. per-
sonal property assessed 500. cancelled.
John Dillon, Jr., No. 1o7 Bergen avenue, per-
sona property assessed at $780, cancelled.
Anna Hendricks, No. 2S4 sherman avenue.
personal property assessed at $500, cancelled
Matte Fisher, Wimot street. real property
assessed $500, reduced to $3.50.
Estate of David Lockwood. No. TO Railroad
avenue, personal property assessed $500 and
poll tax, both cancelled
Joseph Niemeyer, No. 125 Wayne street. real
property assessed SIS, 200, reduced to $4,000; per
sonai property assessed $780, reduced to $3.50
A. c. Totten, No. 296 Varck street. real prop
ertY assessed 81 000 reduced to S6 500