The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-27
POOR WEST HOBOKEN
Persistent Efforts to Dodge
a Fair Assessment for
Taxes.
UNFAIR IMMUNITIES.
Equalization Commissioners Nor
gan Makes Some Notable
Comparisons.
CURRY'S WEAK WRIGGLING.
How Hoboken aad Jersey City Are
Injured by the Criminal NAL
feasance of Rural
Assessors.
CURRY'S WEAK WRIGGLING.

Assessors.
The County Board for the Equalization
Of Taxes had lively meeting yesterday
at the Court House. It was announced
in plain terms that West Hoboken kickers
would not be allowed to shirk paying
their taxes. Clerk James C. Connolly in-
formed the Commissioners that he had
served proper notice on Assessor Curry,
of the Township of Union. to be present
at the meeting. He came in late, accom-
panied by Judge William D. DAILY. his
counsel. Clerk Connolly then read the
following opinion of Joseph M. Noonan,
counsel to the Board:-
Gentlemen: In case you should, in conformity
with the statute, increase.the valuations of any
taxing district, it would II think, be we'll to i'm
press upon the mind OF the Assessor of such
district what his duty is in the premises He
should not arbitrarily add the percentage Of
increase to each Individual assessment. For it
may be that the original assessment In some
instances is adequate, while In other instances it
may be grossly inadequate, or while all indi-
vidual assessments may be inadequate, some
may be much more so than others. The duty of
the Assessor is to equitably apportion the in
crease ~ ~
After this, to use the language of the Su-
preme Court m the State VS.. Eckerson g Vroom
$3.50, when the Commissioners of Appeal in
cases of taxation meet on the Tuesday of No
vember in each township, every taxpayer has
his right of appeal from the valuation of his
property as it then stands upon tho Assessors
duplicate, This valuation tie Commissioners Of
Appeal may increase OF diminish according to
the circumstances, in pursuance Of the provi-
sions of the general tax law, but this cannot
disturb the quota of State and county tax which
has been apportioned to the township by the
special Board, that is to say by your Board.
In the cities there are Boards whose powers
and duties are similar to those executed by the
Commissioners Of Appeal in townships The
language of the Court which | have quoted
should render any mistake or confusion impos-
sible the part Of the Assessor or the taxpayer.
WEST HoBoKEN KICKS.
When this communication had been
read West Hoboken citizen said he was
one of committee that had been appoint
ed by the taxpayers of the township to
present grievances to the Board. He
handed the clerk voluninous document
which he declared to be set of resolu-
tions adopted by the taxpayers Of West
Hoboken at mass meeting held July 23.
The substance of these resolutions was
printed the next day in The JERSEY CITY
NEWS In brief, they set forth that the
County Board last year Increased the
rateables returned by the Assessor Is per
cent, making the actual taxes collected
between 5000 and $1,000 more than the
property had been assessed for. The reso-
lutions charged that the present Assessor
had been ordered to make still further
increase. The resolutions insisted that
valuations had decreased in West Hobo
ken during the past year because of the
failure of the North Hudson County
Railway Company to construct an
elevated railroad, and therefore West
Hoboken has not TRANSPORTATION
facilities such as Union Hill and Gutten-
berg have. The resolution insisted that
the valuations should not exceed those of
1890. They also set forth that West Ho-
boken had no representative in the County
Board OF Equalization, and that the
act of the Board in increasing the valua-
tions placed by che Assessor was illegal
because iG was taxation without repre-
sentation. The document was signed by
John Ross and number of others,
When the clerk had finished reading
the resolutions, President Van. Reipen
asked Assessor Edward McDermott if the
Board had ever ordered him, as the reso-
lutions charged, to raise the assessment
of West Hobokep.
mo, sir" was the reply, ''the Board did
not"
GREAT SHOWING UP.
81 cannot,n exclaimed Commissioner
Morgan. 'let this opportunity pass by
ing these resolutions" After reciting
some figures Mr.. Morgan said:-.'You
talk of unjust valuations, why, your per-
sonal property is assessed $780, 900 less in
1892 than it was in 1878, nineteen years
ago. In 1873 West Hoboken was assessed,
real estate. $2,268. .050; personal, $312, $50: a
total of 81, $50, 900. For 1899 you are as
crease in nineteen years of AZ per cent.
Now this compares with neighboring
towns thus. In 1878 Hoboken was as
sessed at real, S11, ,3S4, 200; personal, ST..
751 200; total of $l5. 135, 400. In 1899 the
valuations were placed at $22. 1862, ,65 s.
an increase OF II per cent. If
isas assessed dne real leT Dersona noOa ss
$50, a total of 81, 246. .700 ia 1892 the valu-
alton placed is 81, 585. 600, an increase of
ABOUT 100 per cent, The other townships
have been treated in the same manner.
and as for West Hoboken having been
severely assessed, it is just the reverse.
II has been treated very leniently. In
Hoboken, Town of Union and Gutten-
been taken from the rateables by lrail-
roads. while no such burden has been IN
hicted on West Hoboken. Last year
when the Board found that persuasion
would nave no efectlon the Assessor, and
that he would not make a proper return
Tue DOaru IOunQ ltSelL COM
PEELED to add percentage ia justice
to other towns This, year Assessor Nc
Dermott showed a decrease of $175, 600 in
his rateables. The Board was greatly
surprised at this and returned McDer-
mott his books with the option Of max
ing fair assessment or having the Bogrd
of Equalization do it. There were no orders
TO him to increase and no threats; he was
simply returned his books and he acted
upon his own Judgment and through no
ORDERS"
II desire to say" interjected Assessor
McDermott, who is serving his first term,
that never gave anyone in West Ho-
boken to understand that was COM
pelled to increase valuations by threats
on the part of the Board Of Equalization.
made the increases this year because
deemed it to be for the pest interests of
the town."
A BOSS KICKER.
Charles Galbraith. leading member of
the West Hoboken kickers, at this point
intimsted that he desired to make his lit
tie speech. He had prepared for thfs
event, for the rest Of the committee
looked to him as their Noses Mr.. Gal
braith is big man in West Hoboken.
He said yesterday that he was weslthy.
He is a Kicker of The most vigorous SOFT,
and would have been an ornament in
Judge Rankin's i'll fated Jeffersonian
parry. Mr. Gaibraith unfoldsd paper