The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-28
QUEEN BILL MURDER
Committee Postponed the
Equal Taxation Hear
ing at the Rail-
roads Request.
LOWERS SHALLOW EXCUSES
James B. yredenburgh and Flayel
MCGEE Argue for the Rail-
roads Side.

Specialfo the .5erSey CITY ,-escs.
TRENTON. Feb. %. lS96-The Commit
tee on Railroads and Canals yesterday
gave another hearing en- the equal taxa
ton bill IN the House OF Assembly. 1t was
the inning of the railroad companies, ana
they were ably represented by Mr.. James
=. v~redenbuFgh and Mr.. Flavel Niece
The people were represented by Assembly
man Queen, the Introduce of the bill.
and Assemhiyman Hoos, H. V. Condit,
Louis V. Booraem. W. Cudlip ana George
MeEwan. of Jersey City. Aside from
these gentlemen, each of when spoke,
there were few others present. The hear
ing began at two o'clock. and it was near
" six O'Clock when the committee adj
journed.
The hearing will be resumed at 1880
O'Clock next Tuesday night. at which time
Judge Fort viii be heard in an argument
against The bill. Mr.. Queen objected to.
a longer delay in reporting the bill and
told the committee that another hearing
next Tuesday night would mean that a
report would not be made until the fol-
lowing week. Such a delay. he argued,
might prevent a consideration of the bill
by both Houses before the final adjourn
ment. Chairman Lower replied that it
was only fair to permit everybody to be
heard. and assured Mr.. Queen that the
next hearing would be the last. He also
intimated that the committee would report
the bill next Wednesday.
In opening his address, Mr.. Vreden-
burgh said that he appeared before the
committee in the interest of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company. He said
the bill had been drawn in the interest of
Jersey City and tfEt the impression that
the Pennsylvani /Railroad Company did
not pay that cTy large sums for taxes
was incorrect. /The property Of the COM
pany in the State, he said, is assessed by
the State Bfard at 500. 100000. and that
the taxes Hre paid. Besides this, a local
tax of slf.eso is paid to Hudson county.
Every y4r. ne sale, the company paid
Jersey city $4,000 for water alone. He
said thd company owned 1S9 acres OF
ground Ehere.
He claimed the company owned one
fourth iof all the ground in Jersey City
and paid one-fifteenth of the taxes col
lected there. He said the company paid
more taxes and received less benefits
than hny individual in Jersey City. The
private citizen. heA said, has his sewers,
boul3vards and parks. while the railroad
company mas nothing, being only a high
way or improved turnpike.
OF the assessment Of $780, COG made
by the State, SIS. O0O, COO. he said, was
for the good will or franchise or the right
to do business. He said that Jersey City
didn't tax private individuals for conduct
ing business there, although it has a right
to do so. The State assessment of rail-
road property is higher. he held, than that
of n u ;n1i,-fd,,aI o15 +11x - roa..+s.--
were given for indebtedness.
In corroberation of his claim that rail-
road property is assessed three times
higher than. property. of individuals, ne
cited the opinion OF Chief Justice Beasley
in the Central Railroad Company's suit,
wherein ne held that such g valuation
across the State.
only because they were being operated
and # trains should cease running the
railroad property would ave little
value. He said every piece of personal
property down to q five-dollar coal box
4 was taxed when owned by a railroad
company. while personal property worth
faSe4N When the existing law became
hope was held out to the
mrN he said. that i they paid their
reign forever. He said the companies
1 had complied, and that Jersey City now
\ sought 10 treble the amount paid prior
He held that tne bill sought to conis-
Ncate railroad property and said the com
NAMES would not submit. 1t is a good
MI for the lawyers, he said. Sor il it
passed it would furnish litigation for
years to come: In the end, he said. the
people VINO ride on the cars and the
farmer who ships his produce would
pay the oils, as the railroad companies
would shift ne expense by increasing
The bill proposes, he said. to make the
: farmer pay for Jersey City's sewers.
parks and bousevards.
In closing. Mr.. V~redenburgh protested
against forcing such a burden as the bill
provides fpr Upon the companies in order
II the city needed the money SO badly
the proper way for it to get it, he said.
was to pass 2 law calling upon the State
to refund to Athe city the taxes, on rail-
road property situated there, which rad
'heen paid into lthe Treasury by the COM
panies during the last five years:
ware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Company, opened his address by charg-
personal property g Of ia adi'dts except assep
such tangible chattels as can be seen,
while the water fronts owned by rail
times the sum paid for them. He claimed
that the value OF balese possessions
would be almost nothing if used for other
The policy of the STATE. Mr.. MCGEE
said. has not been to anNagcnize eorpor-
10 i've. Ths result Of salseKAs tp reat me- tng he
Ia. u 3 the atssT Gni Sss@ with 5a1sfk i aed r' Moffh
off than in other States. If the policy is
changed the prosperity Of THY State, he
said, would soon vanish.
The civilization of q State. heAsaid. was
shown by the perfection of its Aystem OF
transportation and that New Jersey Is
fan fsnaea I for h b yoad the he f best s # taes sg9 faeili-
except the Pennsylvania. the D.. +. and
Y. and Central. he said is paying 4 diyi-