The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-13
EQUALIZATION BOARD.
Ugly Wrangle Over the
Assessment of BaYonne
For This Years
Taxes.
JERSEY CITY NOT READY.
Mr.. German Asks a Few Days-Big
Decrease in West Hoboken's
Figures.

At the meeting of the County Board
for the eq ualization OF taxes held at the
Court House yesterday afternoon. a neat
scheme developed to obtain possession of
the assessment books which were given
to the Board at the last meeting by As
SCISSOR Murray. The books are es present
in the Sheriff's Office, and Jacob II. John
ston, the new Assessor. will make a de-
termined effort to get them.
ALI the members of the Board were
present. President German Of the Jer-
sey City Tax Board was there, too. and it
was believed that he was ready to report
on Jersey City's valuation. The other
Assessors present were Dollard of Ho-
noken. Curry of Bayonne. and McDer-
mott of West Hoboken.
Clerk Connolly reported that he had re-
ceived a letter from City Clerk Hamilton
of Bayonne. stating that Jacob II. john
ston had been elected Assessor and quail
flied. Mr.. Hamilton, besides being City
Clerk of Bayonne, Is member OF the
Board of Equalization. On motion. the
letter was received and placed on file.
Some lively discussion was occasioned
when Clerk Connolly said that he bad re-
the new Assessor of Bayonne. The report
stated that there was in Bayonne SO. .707,-
157 worth Of real estate and S59S, ,166 per-
sonal.
"We have nothing to do with the re-
port" said Commissioner Morgan rather
warmly.
Mr.: Clerk, where are the assessment
books for BayonneH
"They are in the Sheriff's office in the
custody of the Board,o was the reply.
81 don't think it within our province to
recognize the new report In fact.
should hesitate to recognize either. The
Board had recognized and accepted the
report of the old assessor"
Commissioner Cleveland turned to the
ana asked, why did you accept the ro-
port of the old assessor?"
BAD PRACTICE.
"Well, he had the books and we want
to get hold Of them," frankly confessed
Commissioner Hamilton.
"Well. should say that was q very
bad practice" said Mr.. Morgan. "If the
city of Bayonne had any desire to pro-
test, it should have notified the Board at
its last meeting. The books were received
without a protest with the clerk of the
city here We had the same trouble last
year. It looks to me as though job was
put up to get control of the books aud de-
feaat the purpose OF the law. johnson
could not make a proper assessment now.
Assessor Murray has made a proper as
sessment and presented his books It
would be ridiculous for the Board to at
tempt to ask questions and the new man
cannot be expected to answer them in
Jelligently."
President Van Reipen said that the au-
thorities of Bayonne ought to settle their
disputes outside of the Equalization
Board.
1t was finally agreed that as the new
Assessor was not present to swear to his
report. the re port would not be recognized.
Commissioner Morgan favored returning
the books to the Assessor, who had given
them to the Board.
WEST HOBOKEN DOES BETTER.
Assessor McDermott of West Hobos en-.
whose low valuations of West Hoboken
property caused trouble at the early meet
ings. said that he had made a more care
full estimate and was prepared to make
an amended report He offered the fol-
lowing:-