New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-29
Mr.. KELSEY EXPLAINS.
HE OBJECTS TO THE PUBLICITY GIVEN
TO HIS TAX STATEMENTS
IT APPEARS THAT THE BrCKTHoRN FENCE
COMPANY OF WHICH HE WAS TREAsCHhN'
ALSO GOT ALONG WITHOUT
PAYING TAXES.
IpY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRi


TRy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNEI
rr.nton Nav 2s-The Hon. Henry c. Kelsey
Secretary for the State OF New-Jersey. is out WIN
another public explanation OF MS cohnu''
latest exclamation was Issued from 'he ''"'
House to-day. and in II the attempt - "'"'' "
show that Secretary Kelsey is not insoiNeh'' "'"'
the tax returns submitted by him to the trenton
rox commissioners during the last five years. as
published in detail in Mondays Tribune are uuc'
that his wealth is overestimated' tha' ne i''
all the taxes he ought TO pay, ana tha' Inv '''
TON Tax Commissioners had no right 10 permit ''o
nubljc to learn that he paid only 81 tax ahnuan'
while drawing thousands yearly from the "'a'c
Treasury. The letter Will De lou"u III ''0'''N
column. A.
Mr. Kelsey says that during his twenty-five
years residence in Trenton there has scarceiy
been wear when the Indebtedness OF my personal
estate did not exceed my assessable personal prop
erty." personal property in New-Jersey' sa''
President Williams OF the Tax Commission, 10
The Tribune correspondent to-day. is dehhen 10
he ANYTHING movable II Mr.. kelseys Indebted
ness exceeded the value OF his personal properly
and he had he says, no real estate ne i''''
have been insolvent.' And yet MT Messy re-
tanej and specula,ed with nearly $1,000" belong
ing 10 the State in half-dozen OF these years
and his bond is for only $500 Mr.. Messy says
that his realestate taxes for 1894 were SILT a. but
this must be mostly his Brooklyn property ior
Mr. Kelsey's tax the Sussex property "ouh
not exceed one-th.rd that sum.
From 1889 10 1885, Mr.. Kelsey was treasurer and
practically owner of the Buckthorn Fence Com
panv of Trenton. The plant covers several acres
OF valuable ground in manufacturing district
and has buildings estimated by the tax commission
ers TO be worth from $500 TO $1,000 besides peTso-
nal property valued at about $1,000 And yet the
Buckthorn Fence Company escaped payment OF all
personal taxes during the incumbency OF Mr.. kel-
sey. The Buckhorn Company succeeded IN dong
even more than this for several years IL also es-
capped paying upon It's real estate the amount
OF its Indebtedness wiplng out that. too. These
facts record in the office OF the Trenton TAX
commissioners, open 20 the inspection OF any
citizen. and are indisputable.
| In 1892 for instance. Henry c. Kelsey treasurer
| OF the Buckthorn Fence Company. declared under
| oath that the company's personal property was
worth $72 747, and he swore the companys indebted
| ness $4,000. and OF this 5000 Indebtedness
| Henry c. Kelsey, treasurer. swore the company
| owed Henry c. Kelsey. the individual the sum 81
| $40 CO., But when the Tax Commissioners came 10
| examine the return Of Henry c. Kelsey, the in
dvidual for 1892 they found that his Indebtedness
exceeded his sworn valuation Of his personal prop
erty just $l6.Z72 and the city received no tax
from that valuable plant.
| The Buckthorn Fence Company got into other
hands before the closing Of the taxing year of
| 1884, the Trenton Commissioners Informed The
Tribune correspondent to-day, and last year this
same company. which almost entirely escaped taxa
| ton during Mr.. Kelseys management paid taxes
| on upward OF $1,000