The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-17
3Oard Assessors vs.. c: R. R. co.

State Board Assessors vs.. C.: R. r. Co..
The total value Of the railroad property
in 1884 was $50, 1871 sas g. whereon they
rate of .7o2; other people paid at the rate
Of l.76. No wonder the courts found
that the railroads had no dust cause of
complaint and upheld the valuations fixed
by the State Board.
In 1885 the total value of the railroad
property had increased to see. 7U5, 1872. and
the total tax paid to 81, sis, 411.24, or at
the rate Of $50 per one hundred dollars
Of valuation; a reduction Of .0g8.
In 1895 the total value of
the ether property ! il s. t6s state
2:036.
In other words, since the opinion in 1884,
the rate on individual property has largely
slightly decreased.
We shall have occasion to recur to his
subject later IN. The tax on railroad pro-
perty is unfairly distributed. This is CON
coded by the railroad counsel, but we wish
70 show the extent of the inequality of
distribution.
Under the present system an undue pro-
portion Of the tax Is taken by the State
from the localities wherein are situated
the great terminals
There has been a marvellous growth of
railroad property in this city and county.
We have e~ndeavored to show it BY the col-
ored maps annexed to his brief. and nave
~designedly taken three dates, 1883, the be-
ginning of this era of development; 1884.
the year Of the passage of the present law,
and 1886 the situation as we find 1t today.
On these maps the main lstem is coiored
red the second class property green, and
the third class property yellow. This last
class etnbfaces property which has been
acquired by the railroads for ultimate use
as railroad property. hui it is still assessed
locally. The details of all this property
are still further shown on the sheets ae-
son Of the map Of 1S6s With that Of 1896
will show how lower Jersey City has be-
come one vaet railroad depoNF In a few
years 1t will all be absorbed.
Exhibit q shows the original condition
of the territory embraced within the linn
its OF Jersey City, and the methods in
which 1t has been improved. The physi-
cal changes are shown in colors on Map 1.
The total area of jersey City, including
upland. salt meadow and lands under wa
ter is 6strets and railroad inciudsd] 10, 1913
acres Whereof there was originally url-
der tide water 1883 acresEof this tide. wa
ter land, $50 acres have been reclaimed
and improved. 800 acres by the railroad
companies, and 1893 acres by other parties.
OF the total area. of the city. 1885 acres
were originally salt meadows, mostly sub
merged at high tides; Of this meadow, 757
acres. have been reclaimed. 1879 remain In
the state Of nature.
Thus, the area of upland in Jersey City
was 1923 acres,
Lands under water. 2.g5s
Salt meadow.....-.. 1886 1884
Balance Of upland. 5.e29 acres
Now Of this total area In Jersey city the
railroads own
Acres.
Main stem (colored red on map).... 1853. 16
Second class property (colored
green1 SzS.44
Lands acquired for railroad pur-
poses but still locally assessed t,6S8.15
Making a total of.......... 2,ss0.75
Or 2S15 per cent. Of the who'll city.
This far exceeds the total areas of the
streets opened and proposed in the city,
which Is l.75l acres. In this city alone we
have 81 miles of the main stem of rail-
roads, with a tota. trackage of 272.5 miles.
as against 2i6 miles OF streets.
In 1868 the railroads owned about 1856
acres, or AS per cent of the present area
of the city; in 1884 this had increased to
/, 403 acres, and in 1886 to 2,980.75 acres, or
an increase of GIG per cent. in less than
thirty years.
In 1854 the division was
Main Stem -...... 29t acres.
Second Glass Property ....:... I9e
Third Glass Property ........ S22
1.40S acres.
The following statement shows the rail-
road holdings IN Jersey City in 1868 in