The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-03
DOLLARDSB BAD WORK
The Poor of Hoboken Over
taxed, While the Rich
Are Let Off Easy.
scANDALOUS VIOLATIONS OF LAW
Letter Of the Equalization Board
Ordering the Ten Per Cent.
Ralse-How to Apportion 1t.

James E. Dollard, Hoboken's tax assessor,
is said to be a doomed official. Upon the
very best of authority it was reported at
City Hall this morning that his official career
will terminate with the expiration of his
present term.
Dollard's work as an assessor has been SO
severely criticised for undisguised favoritism
that the Hoboken authorities, it is said, have
decided to get rid of him as soon as practi-
cable.
The true cause of this sudden determine
ton is the following letter of condemnation
of him and the methods of levying assess
ments sent to Mayor Pagan and the Com
mon Couneilmen by the County Board for
the Equalization of Taxes
tSGENTIEMEN:--1 am directed by reSolu-
ton of the Commissioners of Appeal in Cases
Of Taxation to call your attention to the
system of assessing property Ill your city.
The Commissioners trust that when the gross
irregularities and the consequent fragrant
injustice of this system are pointed out to
you and to the people who you represent,
there will bean Intelligent effort made to
prevent a recurrence of these abuses in the
future. e
WHAT THE LAW SAYS.
"The Constitution of New Jersey says,
that property shall be assessed for taxes
according to its true value The law under
which assessments are made in your city pro-
vides that all real estate and chattels sub
iact to taxation shall be assessed at their
true, full and fair value Tn official oath
of your assessor, obligates him to truly,
faithfully, honofabiy and impartialiy value
and assess the ratable estate in the city OF
hoboken.' 1t is the plain duty of your as
SCISSOR, in making assessments, to observe the
-, - - +bnTt na,,StitY1tiOp tho DrOuiSiOn
of the statute and the obligations of his
oath. Yet the Commissioners, after a care
full and minute personal examination OF
properties throughout your city, and an IN
s~pection of the returns made by your asses
sor, find that a condition OF things exists
with regard to assessments which Is alto
gether reprehens1ble.
ssThe assessor seems to awe divided the
city into two parts, the division line being
Bloomfield street. Property to the west of
that street, including the present property
in Hoboken, is assessed on an average of 20
to so per cent. of its value. Property to the
east of that street, undoubtedly the most
valuable in Hoboken, is assessed at about %
per cent of its true value. Thus the better
the property the lower the rate of assess
ment. The result is a great hardship and
injustice to the poorer class of owners. They
are made to bear more than their just
share of the burden of taxation. This is a
state of thing that is manifestly wrong
and oppressive and that ought to be prompt
ly r%elnedied. The Commissioners are elm
| powered by statute, when it shall appear to
them that the value Of the property con-
| tanned in any duplicate is relatively less
than the value of other property III the
| county to add these to such percentage as
shall appear to them good and proper In
considering assessments III your clty the
| Commissioners are, by the facts in their pos
| session, forced to the conclusion that the
value OF property contained in the duplicate
of your assessor is relatively less than the
value of other property i'll the county, and
they nave therefore increased the returned
valuation of Hoboken as an entirety.
MAKING A WORSE.
This action on their part does not mean
tina the valuation of each piece of property
in Hoboken should be increased. 1t does not
mean That a mau who is already assessed for
enough, should be assessed for still more.
The increase should fall upon the VIGOROUSLY
inadequately assessed property. Heretofore,
when the Commissioners had added a pre-
| centage to the ratables of a taxing district
the assessor has without the slightest war
rant of law, or the remotest idea of justice
and equality, proceeded to increase to the
extent Of that percentage the assessment on
each piece of property in his district. Thus
the efforts of the Commissioners to
| cure an evil are prevented by the
dSStSoOlS, AZ ~ " 4tOFtSA oAt
the evil. In your city, for instance, a large
area of property is assessed high enough,
| and another large area, Is assessed at alb
| surdly low figures. The Assessor, in adjust
ing and apportloning the increase ordered
by the Commissioners, should see to it that
the added percentage goes where it belongs,
and that il be applied not to all the property
in Hoboken but to that property which is
now insufficiently assessed. TIL poor people
of Hoboken will not be apt to complain if
the rich people of Hohoken are made to as
sumo their fair share of taxation.
.In relation to personal taxes, the Com
missioners find the same unfairness to pre-
vail. The assessment of personality seems to
be regarded as a mere fiction. The increase
ordered by the Commissioners is not as
much as it should be, but they have deemed
it best to be lenient and conser vative in this
matter IN the hope and expectation that the
authorities and people of Hoboken viii
themselves apply the proper remedy, by in
sisting hereafter upon the azsessmet of prop
erty in conformity with the Constitution and
laws of this State and the plain dictates of
reason and justice"