The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-18
So, 0Oo, 600 GONE DURING his TERN
srccsal to The jersey Citu wees.

TRENTON, Feb. II, 1296.-A large dele
cation of Jersey City's citizens, headed
by Mayor Wanser and Reuben Simpson,
President of the Board of Aldermen, ap-
peared before the Committee on Rail
roads and Canals yesterday afternoon to
advocate a favorable report upon Mr..
Queens bill, which seeks to nave rail-
road and canal property taxed at the
same rate and in the same manner as
individual property. In the delegation
were State Tax Commissioner Charles
G. Black. Frank Stevens, Myron Furst,
Joseph A. Dear. Chauncey Holt, William
Cudlip, Henry v. Condict, j.. R. Condos
and ~Assemblyman Edward Hoos, repre-
senting the Jersey City Board of Trade;
William H. Speer. ST.. George McEwan
and DR.. Isaac N. Quimby, James s..
Allen. a New York lawyer, appeared for
the Erie Railroad, which was the only
one of the corporations interested rep
resented. Mr.. Queen, the introducer of
the bill, was the first speaker. He briefly
explained the provisions of his measure
an6- read a letter from Charles L. Corr
bin Of this city. Mr.. Corbin said
THE system of favor in taxation to
the owners of railroad roperty in New
Jersey is maintained not because it is de-
feasible, but because the powerful prop
erty owners who profit by it have the in
huence to retain it.
The present railroad taxation imposes
the reduced rates on the sole ground OF
use. 1t is not all property owned by
railroad companies, but all property used
for railroad purposes which is favored.
The purposes of a railroad are merely
to carry merchandise and passengers for
hire; it is merely the business of a com
mon carrier, different from that carried
in the greater magnitude of its appliances
and operations. Clearly there Is nothing
in the nature of the business nor in the
land and machinery used in it to war
rant favors in respect to taxation. 1t
we turn TO the advantages received from
the expenditure of public taxes, few tax
payers derive more benefit than the
owners of railroad property. The i'm
movements of roads and streets aid IN
bringing custom to the station as we'll as
to the shop and store. No property needs
the protection of police and courts and
all the other Of civilized gov
We are SO used to the protection OF
county and local government and take
it as a matter of course. and forget that
the security and value of all our prop
erty depends upon our municipal organi-
cation, powerful to keep order by its
our counties and towns costs money. Why
should not the owners of railroad prop
erty. VIII share the prtection, also share
There is no argument for the exemp-
ton of railroads from local taxatlon
: which does not apply with equal piausi-
p Dll4ll / - It06l IA LIN RAOPNA y
taxed. The early railroad companies
chartered in New Jersey We're given tax
t privileges meant to be temporary IN
= order to introduce a new and useful, but
costly invention. The invention has long
since ceased to be experimental or to re-
quire aid. The railroad business has
become by far the most profitable and
extensive carried on in New Jersey. and
embraces more capital than any other
1t is a business done for cash and IN
which bad debts are an unknown item OF
expense. The owners receive from the
State not only the. ordinary, advantages
of taxpayers, but the valuable additional
: rights not enjoyed by other property
owners, of a public franchise. and OF
power to condemn, Iney receive b m !,
pay more rather than less to the tax COLI
i@estqrs; oon,nar orr tax laws with
those of other States we find that we are
giving privilege far beyond those given
elsewhere, although our State is the very
should never be forgotten that every dol
lar taken off the railroad property IS
a dollar imposed on the other taxpayers.
State when he knows that a tax is put
upon him in order to relieve another and
richer owner from paying his fair share.
No injustice ankle like an unfair tax.
THE immense railroad wealth in many
cities of our State If taxed for local pur--
poses would place them among me most
Had a just system of local taxation been
established twenty. or even ten years
ago. TUCSON county WOQiQ IOW bC Tx
pride and not the reproach of the State.
and scores of towns all over New Jer-
sey would show those signs of public and
private enterprise and prosperity which
impress us when we visit our neighbor-
ing States, and the lack of which we
deplore in our own Tha the advan-
tages to many of our railroad companies
of such prosperity Of towns they serve
! would be greater than their additional
! tax I have no doubt # a bill for local
the home of $500. COO. that is but another
way Of saying that other taxpayers are
bear. we can hardly expect our towns
to prosper like those of our n~eighboring
: States. when we put u burdens upon
them"
Mr.. Queen then introduced Mayor Wan
ser. who said
Il appear in this matter. on behalf Of
Jersey City, / need not tell you that there
is an overwhelming sentiment in that city
in favor Of equal taxation. Jersey City
world. and with the exception Of the New
York Central Railroad system. all the
great railroads have their terminal here.
vaI ia water front which should be-
.1ong to the city and the public: they nave
.s crown : nd in m1,ght 10 an Bear p0 their 9 1ust 1 proeor.
ton of the burdens OF our local govern
.ment. -
this subject which will be of great use. 7
think, to your committee in reaching a
just conclusion of the, whole matter. /
fS4alt refer lUrtuclA dt tt1o thA "
@The total area Of Jersey City is about
10 1925 acres: of this land the choicest and
most Valuable part to the extent of LBS
acres, has been taken up by the railroad
creasing; The total values Of the real es-
ars, amounts to 100000. The value Of
the railroad property within the city linz
It's may be figured as follows
9Th State Board of Assessors value the
second class, being all the property used
for railroad purposes outside of the main
stem and passenger depots, at s22. 800, 600.
The length of the main stems Of the rail-
road In this city mounts to sixty-tWo
miles; & low value on this property would
assessed for railroad purposes sS22. s00a.
If this property we're assessed locally.
as other property is assessed. the revenue
to Jersey City therefrom would amount to
over $S00-000 persyear. As a matter Of fact
Jersey City receives only one per cent.
upon the second-class property. or about
k225s000 per year. So that our city loses
least S550n00 per wear. This has a very
gexious effect upo the other real estate
8 ~ f4<fSt Ea