The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-09

It was placed over an account Of the
meeting yesterday morning of the pro-
ceedings of the Commission TO Investi-
gate Railroad Taxation, during which
the Journal quoted Mr. James B. Vre-
denburgh. counsel of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, as saying that land
in Greenville owned by ex-Judge Blair
never paid a cent of taxes to the city or
the State.
Since this alleged statement conveyed
a malicious attack on Corporation Coun-
sci Blair, all the more unwarranted be-
cause the words ascribed were never used,
News reporter called on the Corpora
uion counsel this morning and directed
his attention to it.
Yes, I saw it, replied Mr. Blair, "and
you who were present know that it is ut
terly false / have just sent denial of
viii, hope, be Published. there is no rea-
son why | should not give it to The
News The letter have sent is as fol-
iows:-
TO the Evening Journap':-
In yssserday's ssue Of the Journal, 2
your account of the investigation Of
he system of taxing railroad property
before tire State Board in Chapcery
gl7amts X, tlle following colloquy appears
oe1ween III. Eduards ana Mr. yTeien-
burgh relative to the taxa ton Of riparian
land at Greenville:-
Mr.. vredenburgh asked Mr.. Carscallen
others present how much was paid
1e1 IRE rspsrian + ghts to the Greenvdlle e
1aey sa trley did not know.
IT ElaFa gfiS here fnapresSvely asked -
Atr. Nfe1enhurgh. how much are John
A I5ia- who owns the property north CT
rle ra aoaa properly in Greenville and
tae PelaE Freeze Company. which owns
the property south of the railroad prop
erty. assessed?'
'Tsley don't pay penny of taxes!'' said
Mr.. Vredenburgh, enphatically, and the
toTrH1iss ssiarers shifted uneasily in their
seats. ''Ihey never paid any taxes"
My answer to the above statement is
that it is absolutely FALSE as the follow
Ing correspondence shows, and which /
ask you to publish, though in hardly as
large type as you did the words blair
Escapes Taxes" in your account Such
publication VIII serve to make known the
truth; may possibly allay the str
created by the announcement, and per-
haps quiet the nerves of the Commission
ers who shifted so "uneasily' in their
seats. as you say, when the above state
nlent was made.
S. H. Smith, Esq, City Collector
Dear Sir--Please state the amount of
taxes paid within the last ten years, and
for what years the taxes are still due on
the following land on New York Bay,
Block LOO, Plot A. FowIer's New Map, be-
ing riparian land in Greenville, and the
same referred to in the above conversa-
ton between Mr.. Edwards and Mr. Yre-
denburgh.
Very truly.
JOHN A. BLAIR.
Office of City Collector. City Hall,
Jersey City, Oct 9, 1896
John A. Blair Esq. Jersey City. N. j.
Dear Sir-In answer to your inquiry of
this date regard .ng the taxes on property
situated on New York Bay. and known
as Plot 4. Block 1900 (Fowler's New Map,
find. November 10. 1883. taxes were paid
to the amount of se1, ,1144s7, and Septem-
Der 26, 1894. the further sum of s25, ,54s q,
leaving unpaid the taxes of 1894 and 1895
only.
Yours truly,
S. H. SMITH.
City Collector.
Mr.. James B. vredenburgh was next
interviewed, and he said
Il never said any such thing about
Judge Blair's land escaping taxation
Why that is absurd. The Journals
statement is absolutely false