The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-21
KEARNY'S TAX MIDDLE
The Victory of the Thread
Works Corporation May
Prove Worse Than
a Defeat.
SUPREME COURT ASSESSMENT.
officers May Have to Swear to True
Values and That Will Not Work
the Way They Desire.

Many taxpayers in Kearny and through
the county in general, have err oneous
ideas about the effect of the dec ision of
the Supreme Court last week in the case
of the manufacturers who contested the
increase in their taxable valuations last
year. Some folks think that because the
decision is favorable to the contestants,
in that the increase was set aside, that all
persons who have paid their taxes for
1891 will have the increase returned to
them. Others fear that the victory OF the
corporations will cause an increase of the
tax on all other owners of property.
Both of these ideas are wrong. No
taxes once paid to a township or NUM-
cipality eau ever be recovered by the tax
payer, ana the taxes of people outside of
the corporations will not be Increased one
penny. The for last year already
paid by the corporations cannot be re.
covered by them. even if they were paid
by mistake, or if the assessors made an
error in fixing the valuations. This is
the law of the State.
A REVIEW OF THE CONTEST.
In order tnat the kearny taxpayers
may clearly understand the situation. it
is necessary to briefly interview the his
tory of the increase in valuations aud the
contest made in the courts by the corpor-
ations. The County Board of Equallza-
ton of Taxes. after a careful inyestiga-
ton, determined that the assessors re-
turns from Kearny were relatively less in
value than those Of any other township in
the county
The Board then added fifty per cent to
all the property valuations of Kearny
township. The Clark Thread Company,
the Mile Emo Thread Company, the Mar
shall Thraah CnmnQnu and fho Moirr
Linoleum Company decided to contest
the increase, but other property owners
promptly paid their axes, Judge Knapp
granted the corporations q writ of Ger
tiorari on condition that the corporations
pay two-thirds of their assessed taxes and
leave one-third unpaid, pending the SUI
preme Courts decision in the case.
The corporations paid the two-thirds Of
their taxes. and they sought to hsve the
court set aside the increase. But the law
of 1881 provides that no tax levied in New
Jersey shall be set aside by any court for
any irregulariry or defect in form IN as
sessing such tax, if the person or prop
erty on which the tax is assessed is liable
to taxation. But the Supreme Court has
power to review the alleged Irregularities,
n 1t has power to determine if the assess
menG is excessive and fix the amount at
which the property shall be valued.
VALUE OF THE COMPANIES PROPERTY.
LIZ LAO OCSL1u1Ouy udhcn III Gu0 SOuEb
| proceedings in Jersey City, witnesses
gave testimony for the Kearny corpora
ttons as to the value OF real estate and
personal property of each corporation.
The valuation OF the Clark Company has
been increased from $475, 900 to 5000, 900.
Witnesses for that company testified that
the realty owned by the latter III Kearny
was worth at least 50. o7o,0 900 and personal
property $500, 900.
The Mile End Company's valuation
was placed at $780, 900 by the Board Of
Equalization. In Court 1t was testified
that realty of the company was worth
$500 and the personal $500, 900. The
Marshall Company was assessed $500, 800,
but the evidence was that its realty was
worth $375.0C0 and its personal $500, 900.
The Linoleum Companv's assessed Valu-
alton was $1S7, 800. but testimony gave its
real estate as worth $3.50, 600 and its per-
sonal property as SIZE. 900.
FACTS o R STATE TAX BOARD.
These figures show that the four cor
porations are not assessed near as much
as they should be. even with the fifty per
cent. increase added in 1891, according to
the rule made by the State Board of Taxa
ton for levying assessments upon taxable
property. The decision of the Supreme
Court will not, therefore, benefit the cor
porations, for it will direct the attention
of che State Board to the fact that the
four kearny corporations have real aud
personal property worth a total Of 81
750, 600, and that it is assessed for only
81, 947, 300. The State Board has decided
that all property must be assessed at its
full value.
The decision of the Supreme Court
does not say that the Kearny corporations
shall not pay the one-third of their taxes
which they were permitted to hold back
pending the decision. All the Court de.
cided is that the assessments were irreg-
ularlv levied, because no notice of any
kin was served last year on the corpora
tions about the 30 per cent. increase in
valuations.
But the Court did say that under the
act of 1881. proceedings may be instituted
in the Supreme Court to have the taxable
valuations determined and fixed by the
court after an Investigation.
THE COURSE TO PURSUE NOW
Therefore. the course which Hudson
county or Kearny township, orr both, will
probably now pursue will be to apply to
the Supreme Court to fix the taxable val
uations of the four contesting corpora
tions. A reassessmenG of all the property
in the township could be made, but the
other course will be taken, Then the
Supreme Court will be asked to put the
officers and members of the four Kearny
corporations, and their bookkeepers and
cashiers also, on the stand, and a
them swear to the value of their real es-
tate aLd the true value OF the costly
machines and the stock, finished and un-
finished IN their factories.
If the county and township prove that
the proprietors are worth more than they
are assessed, then the Supreme Court
will! undoubtedly, increase the assess
ment beyond the present amoun Be
aides, The State Board of Taxation can be
appealed to to execute its power TO make
the corporations pay their just share of
/ tho tpYQG Tho ann QE iQGno 10 OD1u G1O
600 or $13,00 and the smaller taxpayers
of Kearny think the efforts of the rich
companies 20 make them pay that money
is contemplate.
A KEARNY TAXPAYERS PINTO
"Thess rich corporations claim that be-
cause they built factories in our township,
thus helping 10 develop the place by Civ
ing employment to many males aud fe-
males,' a resident of Kearny said last
evening, that they should pay n very
small share of the taxes. A large numoer
of people employed III the factories own a
house and lot aud pay their taxes
promptly. Some of the companies have
cut down the wages OF these people at
times, thereby making it difficult for
the n to pay taxes and interest on mort
cages and also support their families.
Now these companies, 1t appears to
me, want to make the people pay more
than their share of taxes out of the money
paid to them by the companies for their
WORK 1t is as contemplate as the
threat the Clarks are said to have made
four years ago that il Cleveland was