The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-08

RAILROAD TAXATION
Mr.. Vredenburgh Arguing
Before the Stockton
Commission for the
Poor Corpora
lions.
PENEsY'ssPRoPERTY CLASSIFIED
The Fault is All With the Wicked
Citizens Who Neglect to
Pay Personal Taxes.
PEkEsY'ssPRoPERTY CLASSIFIED

The severai railroad companies having
terminal property in Jersey City and
Hudson county had their innings before
the state Board to Investigate the Tax
alton of Railroads and Canals this MORN
ing.
Attorney General Stockton, Messrs. w.
\ II. ~vredenburgh, Charles c. Black, General
Roebling and ex-Sherif Reynolds repre-
scented the Commission, which sat in
Chancery Chambers. The railroads were
represented were as foilows:-Pennsyl-
vania, James B. v~redenburgh and Charles
B.. Thurston: Morris & Essex. Flavel Me-
Gee; Central. George Holmes; Erie. James
Allen. Ex-Judge Blair and w. D. Ed
wards appeared for the city. Messrs. J..
A. Dear. Il. W. Condict. Garwood Ferris,
Edlow S. Harrison. ex-Jndge A.. Q. Car
retsen and Mungo Currie were also pres
ent.
The argument was opened by Mr.. James
B. Vredenburgh, for the Pennsylvania
Railroad. At the outset he said the reso-
luton passed in the Legislature when the
Commission was formed. said that the re-
suit of the present system was that
private taxpayers paid more taxes than
the Weather corporations To refute
that statement Mr., V~redenburgh said he
would show by comparison that at least
SO far as the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany is concerned, the fact is the con-
trary; the railroad "a more than the
individual. Counsel, continuing, defined
the divisions Of railroad property. They
were. he said
First-Main stem over which the traffic
of the road was conveyed, from point to
point, and which was about 100 feet in
width, and paid a tax of one-half of one
per cent.
"Second-Lands and buildings outside of
main stem, freight stations, ETC., paying
8 tax of one per cent. and a half.
ssThird-All personal property, rolling
stock, f~erryboats, cars. etc.. paying one
half of one per cent.
eFifth-All franchises, etc., paying one
half of one per cent.
"AIl this property is taxed up ITO its
full value, without any reduction for
debts. Why, the filling, the materials to
fix up the road, is put into the values
and assessed at its full value. In one year
alone the road paid 1901, 900 for these ma
t~erials, and we make full returns under
0~@%~F 1870 64S 44OO0tC VI LA Z
ports of our personal property. What
individual is taxed this way. The local
assessors tax at the rate Of 40 to 60 per
cent, while l can show you that the
railroad property is taxed to its full
value. In this State we can show that
railroads pay more taxes in proportion
TO their earnings than the individual. In
our personal property we include signal
towers, rails, ties, bridges, tanks, over
mead bridges. and these are taxed to their
fun value.
v1ot-
IN Somepset, Hunterdon, Warren and a
part OF Cumberland. where the practice
10 REQUIRE sworn statements as to values,
ana where the land has fallen in price,
much as these farmers when their tax
value varies from SIZE to 81 107"
Mr. Vredenburgh replied that in some
respects the farmers paid their full value
assessors was very different in the coun-
try. A horse was assessed at its present
value and not at its cost, which is the
case OF the railroads.
Besides, these are not the people COM
plalnlng,' interposed Mr.. Flavel McGee.
referring TO the farmers.
ina cuts no ice with this Board" re-
piled Commissions W. H. vredenburgh.
We are here fer the whole State"
MT. James B. V~redenburgh, continuing
ms argument, showed that the value of
farming lands increased because profits
We're largely eaten up in conveying their
qTeisnts TO the railroad. As a proof of
the reduction of cost of CARRYING q bushel
o. wheat IN 1884 from Chicago to New
acrk was 50 cents. while today it cost IL
cents. Again, in 1884 the rate was 2 cents
q mile. Today the Chesapeake and Ohio
Hailroad carries one ton four miles for
Counsel read reports for assessors of
Ysrlous towns, one of which. Tenafy,
eaid that IS per cent. Of all the personal
stepe[fy IN the Cities escaped taxation.
l1at we pay up 10 the full value of our
PERSONAL property" added Mr. Vreden-
euIsn, ana then TO show what taxes the
nua he called MIR. Benjamin w
C~arskkaddon, who had examined what
me pennsylvania pays In taxes. That
gentleman produced q Statement which
showed that in 1895 the Company paid to
the State $518. t59. S6.
New, gentlemen" said the lawyer.
,onirseen millions are raised annually for
purposes, and Of this
amount the Pennsylvania Railroad pays
9ne-IourEeenu part of that sum. The
S Seae olty TAX levy imposes the tax Of
szss Tor each individual acre, white the
saItToSas pay 800 Per acre and the Penn
sylyania Railroad pays per acre s752. Our
main o ste s1as in Jersey City pays at the
class of property pays 1855 per acre and
yet we are told we don't pay our share
OF taxes"
the main stem through Jersey CITY Is
taxed, and called Civil Engineer Gardner
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who sssd
enat In the whole State the yaluation az
the tangible property of the IL
spout 5000. COG, and one-hf<h of this is
me tangible value In Jersey City. One
T nav per cent. ct that is sac, 551. the. tax
Mr. ": D. Edwards
az, gardiner on his figures of values. He
tMr Gardiner) admitted that in his esti-
mate Of value he had not included 400
acres Of ground under water and 40 acres
OF land on the surface at Greenviile.
Thai land in G~reeayale.y asked Mr.
yredenburgh, does not belong TO the
United Railroads. of New Jersey. ana 10
ASSESSED by local assessors, is it not?o
Yes replied Mr.. Gardiner.
Where do you get your figures of
man stem?" asked Mr.. Edwards.