The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-22
TAXATIONDISCUSSE
Representatives Of Boards
of Trade Meet in Tren-
ton and Talk.
JOSEPH A. A SPEECH
He Urges the Boards of Trade to
Take Up the Subject Of
Railroad Assessments.
A. DEAR'S SPEECH
Speeiar to tho JERSEY Cnu Nssds-

rooms of the Trenton Board of Trade on
State street yesterday morning to discuss
the question of enforcing the collection OF
taxes. The attendance was not large,
but there were representatives from all
sections.
The meeting was called to order by Geo.
w. Jessup of Camden, and Henry G.
Moore. President of the Trenton Passen-
ger Railway Company. was made tenn
porary chairman. For temporary sec
rotary Frank j. Eppele was selected.
Chairman Moore announced that the
meeting was called for the purpose ofcon-s
s:dering the ACCESSIBILITY of enforcing Q
poll tax and more effective collection of
the personal property taxes. These taxes
were evaded to a great extent in our
State, and some means should be devised
for their enforcement.
After reading the call the roll was called
and the following gentlemen were reported
present.
Jersey City-Joseph A. Dear.
Atlantic Highlands-Edgar Fl. Cook.
+ Camden-Walter Wood, George w. Jes-
sup.
Trenton-Hugh Hamill, Henry c. Moore,
Francis B. Lee, Frank ]. Eppele.
Locktown-John F.. Cox.
j. MOnfort
Bound Brook-H. r. Baker.
State Board of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
| Dye.
State Grangers-Amos Ebert.
Mr.. Moore was then made ermanent
chairman, and George w. Jessup OF Cam
den. was made permanent chairman.
As soon as the organization had been
perfected. Joseph A. Dear, of Jersey City,
changed the tone OF the meeting from a
pool taation to an equal axatio one, III
the following speech
To reorganize the whole system Of taxa
ton IN the State is a very big job, |
do not him it is wise for US to undertake
It-st lsstoo large a field. Let us handle
one branch Of Il at a time, Now the
matter OF enforcing the collection of
pool taxation TO an equar taxation one. ia
flea bite when compared with the enor-
nous exemption of the railroads In the
state. For q that you al get Tor tax
f~aeturers out of the State by taxing their
material and plants, and by driving rich
men gu Of the State by inquisitorsal
methods as to what they own, there are
- to be had if the State shall insist that
the railroads shall bear their share. The
S Sota 1os s sss values IN New Jersey are
20 private individuals and about sl35, $50. 56i
The individuals pay .Ao250oo6, while the
property os this State pays $40, 0oo000 and
the other 1ouE pays only 81, 9s0,f 200. The
Board. OF Trade of Jersey City went into
IptS l.d,tsf pretIy and got
the officers of the State Board Of Asses
sors e. separate the property that was
assessed IN the different counties 10 in
alviduaiS and to the railroads, and to
into the communities if It We're assessed aS
the legal rate. In the counter of Mercer
me total valuation of railroad property
other than main stem is s2.5s2.o 900. and the
tax 1t pays to this county Is 5000 NOV
the main stem Is worth SIS. 700,OO ana that
Would nrlng up the amount of railroad
that was taxed you would get On the
main stem alone SGT, 900. The biIl intra-
oqcea ,ssI winter by Assemhlyman Queen
| shoi mgu5 ba prov1ae q thai the main stem
to avoid any objection. it furfher ~; aa : 8
snat n taxation should be made by fhe
| 81 offa o5s an a. the state should realm one-haif
= increased tax in Mercer would h.
soz,iSo. Your total taxation from the rail-
LI ns wosid be increased $50, Oo after pay
me real estate taxation would be de-
ne then presented the figures for Hud-
son county, showing that if the %railroad
properly was assessed as 1t should he The
Ia IA maj county would be reduced near
~ forty per cent.
ttlae are necessary are very simple. First
the tax rate must be equal: next h rn,sS
pc oennlte and then it must be such as
ness and the ordinary affairs Of lie ~
he then explained how the railroad
Rropesiy was assessed in the State, show
depots were not included in the assassl
ments. assess
Secretary franklin Dye. of the state
Hoafd OF Agriculture, said it was a ur,es-
ton whether 1t was wise To sinele ~
the railroads. sAsie WV
several others expressed opinions on the
den. then spoke as follows concarn;ng IN
steady increase in the taxes of the State.
Every movement of any kind, to become
e success; must nave a good cause back
" ~, g interest the public, and L sup
pose every taxpayer In the State Has
watched the steady increase OF taxes on
n.s real estate and the decrease in income
I have a house In Camden with the lay
piils preserved for the past twenty years
f fron .1n tx = sno in 1 fhat the soJt axes have grown
water rents on the same property is s1S
making q total tax of $l06 per year on q
q nou ahre sha ana rents I Sa Io 9 sso q month. which
a year fixed charges, beside the street
and W taxes and general repairs. This
Is not an isolated case; it is general I
only cite his because I have re-. !
4 bills to show the figures
OF course. the Camden City local Cow
ernment mas something to do with this
increase, but / find in going over fhe
State that every locality has the same
complaint to make about the steady IN
crease q taxes = decrease Of values.
real estate, they are killing the goose that
lays the golden egg.
s Ts innstrate w the workings Of unequal
equal taxation, We can cite the case 81
Camden City. In 1891 the State Board ~
Taxation ordered our assessors to Increase
our values from 50 per cent. to 100 ner
cent. which would have been from SIS
y44,2i5 (Which was the assessment that
YEAR, 70 about s22 goo 600 but our assess
the State Board, but would do as they