The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-22

Assembly that created the State Board
ders, regulations and directions as they
may deem necessary to a faithful dis
charge OF their own duties, the duties Of
their assistants, and also to secure the
equalization. revision and enforcement of
taxation in this State. 1t would look from
this that the State Board has all the
districts and SO do away with the system
OF one district assessing at SO 1-3 and an
other at 100 per cent. ! would suggest that
this committee ask the State Board for
a hearing and conference on this subject,
as 1t is entirely In their hands.
The most important part of the equal
taxation subject is the poll, school and
personal tax. the practice today is to ig-
more an Of these taxes unless It is in the
same bill with a real estate tax, where
there IS any attempt made to collect 1t
at all they admit that it costs too much
for the amount Of money received, and
then it is not half collected. Some of our
people getting a salary of 5000 a year
and paying SIS to 500 per month rent,
schooling from one to a dozen children
IN the public schools and worth in per-
sonal property from $1o.0 O to over 800, 900,
never pay a cent of tax of any kind, They
want an the protection Of police. light
and good roads to drive their fine teams
on. On the other hand, we have the poor
man who Is trying to pay $1,000 for his
own home through the building and loan
association, who is assessed and has to
pay for the rich mans poll, school and
personal tax. We nave plenty Of both
classes In every community. and we
want to encourage the poor man in buy
ing his home and keep real estate SO it
will cost him less to own a home than
1t viii to rent one, for the man that owns
his own home will never become an An
archist. while the rich man can evade
his taxes It makes the poor man dissatis-
fled with his lot.
We would like a God working commit
tee formed from this conference to for
mnlAte a Doll tar IN the al1hrefffc1 ~
every Board of Trade in the State, and
have them to invite their respective Sem
ators and Asseanblynen to their home
the business men OF the State, and If they
think proper to include a personal tax law
IN TINS seasons work. we would Ike TO
70 see the poll tax law loaded with any
thing likely to kin it.
Mr.. Hugh Hamill. of Trenton, then sa.d
thar the subject was such a large one that
tatives might discuss it for a year. He
therefore offered the following resolu-
Resolved, That a committee of five to
De named by the chairman, be appointed
to take this subject of taxation into con-
stderatfon and report such matters in this
behalf as they may agree upon to a meet
Chair on q date in December next.
Walter Wood, of Camden, spoke strong
" in favor Of the resolution, as did
Joseph Lear ana a. G.. HartShorn. of
Freehold. and it was adopted. Chairman
Moore announced that the committee
would be named later. The chairman and
secretary will be ex oficio members.
Francis B. Lee referred to the com
pilation Of laws just completed, and said
that taxation laws We're almost In q
state of chaos. If anything ought to be
in plain English, 1t is a tax law.
BY motion of H. F. Baker. of Bound
Brook, the committee designated by Chair
man Moore the Ways and Means" com
mittee was increased to seven and a re-
cess taken until 2 o'clock.
AT the afternoon conference President
Moore announced the as fol-
lows: Chairman, Hugh H. Hamill. OF
Trenton; Joseph A. Dear, of Jersey CITY:
q. r. Baker. of Bound Brook: Walter
Wood, of Camden; Edgar Fl. Cook. Of
Atlantic Highlands; Franklin Dye, OF
Trenton, and o T. Cox. of Reading
The convention. on motion of Mr.. Dear.
then adjourned.
Immediately after the convention adj
journed. Mr.. Hamil called the WAYS and
Means Committee together. and George
W Jessup. the secretary of the eolven-
ton. was made secretary of the commit
tee. It was decided to hold the next
meeting on Thursday, October 5. at !
o'clock at the Trenton Board of Trade
/ rooms.
At this meeting Mr.. Dear win make
a special report on railroad taxation. Mr.,
Cook on poH taxes and Mr.. H. T. Bake
on tax exemption.
Mr.. Jessup announced that he had a
skeleton bill on poll taxes prepared for the
Legislature. The meeting then adjourned.