The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-30
HUDSON'S TAXES.
Suggestions From Citizens
As to Municipal and
Local Taxation.
MORE LEGISLATION NECESSARY.
General Praise for the Wcrk
Of the State Board Of
Taxation.
MORE LEGISLATION NECESSARY.

An interesting feature of the annual re-
port of the State Board of Taxation, a
synops S of which appeared in Yesterdays
Jersey City News" are thel opinions
of citizens in response to a circular letter
and suggestions of citizens in response to
a circular letter sent out by the Board
for the purpose of obtaining information
on municipal or local taxation and the
work OF the State Board.
The circular letter asked for replies
TO these questions:
What remedial legislation, If any,
should be passed by the Legislature on
the subject Of municipal or local taxation?
What has been the practical effect of
the legislation that created the State
Board Of Taxation?
in what way can the State Board of
Taxation be made more useful under ex-
listing legislation?
Among the many answers received, all
of which are recommended to the Legis-
lature for the suggestions contained
therein. are some from well known cit
liens. The salient features of these let
tiers are as follows
Charles j. Roe. of Jersey City, thinks
that the machinery of assessment for tax
alton in the county is very crude and un-
satisfactory. Assessors are elected from
the inhabitants of townships with their
assessing power over those townships.
The valuations. ne said. are made by
these assessors Of the property OF their
immediate neighbors and friends. Ordin-
arily they have poor Judgment as to
values of property not pertaining TO their
Their own sphere. and are naturally in
clined to favor some class Of people and
o -. n ~ M IN a nnthar LIZ ct1 ocraSt I h. 4
the Office should be abolished and the
office OF assessor should be a county
office. He further suggests that the Com
missioners of Appeals in Cases of Tax
alton in every township should be abol-
ished. ~They are of the same" he says,
"or if any thing inferior to the assessors,
/ governed by almost the same principles,
and an appeal to them amounts to a
farce
Ex-Mayor Abram s. Hewett, of New
York. is a large property owner in
New Jersey. He praises the State Board
of Taxation for the evils 1t has remedied.
He thinks that personal property should
be exempt from taxation as we'll as idle
monies. AS to railways. he thinks only
| roads which earn a surplus over and
above the expense of operation and main
tenance should he taxed. He says a rail-
| road which does not earn its running ex-
penses has no taxable value and it is
| against the interest OF the State TO i'm
pose se,d 5asati 1pa pn sue g. rG @aIier # Jersey
City thinks that all the statutes on tax
alton should be redrafted and codiied
for the State Board; but says that the
local Boards of Appeals are almost al
ways controlled by the assessors max
ing the assessments.
Counsellor William A. Lewis of Jersey
City says his estimate of the value of
the State Board has increased. and the
and relieving parties from unjust as
sessments merit general appreciation;
Counsellor Flavel MCGEE Of Jersey City
| SCISSORS should be abolished, and the
legislature should appoint one Board of
Assessors for the whole county. I.
Bayonne. thinks that 50 far as Bayonne
Is. concerned legislation is sadly needed:
three years and his appointment should
rest with the Common Council of Bay
onne. The effect of the State. Board.
further legislation IS needed 70 add to
its powers He, complains that appeals
made through the State Board are
which, while proper. is not 80 satisfac-
tory, because owners keep in the back
| ground. He adds that the State should
values.
The report has some interesting facts
] to relate about forest fires and taxation.
| 1t says that where a certain sum of
money is to be raised by taxation, any
Impairment or destruction Of any part
of the assessables throws a heavier bur-
den upon that which remains. This fact
alone makes the destruction of property
| by forest fires closely allied to the sub
ject of taxation, and a matter of great
Importance to all who pay taxes.
1T is a matter of general knowledge
that the great and prolonged drouth
summer, as well as in adjoining States,
has been conducive to forest fires, which
seem to occur periodically, each year,
so that the fires of last summer rave
and unparalleled for rapidity of progress
and ierceness of combustion in the his
tory of this State. The acreage burned
over is large, the destruction complete,
IS not geographically. confined to any
one portion of the State, although the
southern portion of New Jersey has been
the greatest sufferer, where valuable
timber, cedar swamps, cranberry boys,
sawmills and buildings have been con-
sumed, and farm-houses, settlements
and even whole villages threatened and
from negligence, carelessness. Ignorance
or accident, and are frequently of IN
eendiary origin. Certainly they do not
arise from spontaneous combustion.
The penal statutes of this State seem
to be well directed efforts for the pun
ishment of the criminal offender, after
the damage is done and If the offender
Coming down to the subject of Hudson
county rataDies, the report presents
these tables