The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-12

you will find they made mistake In
fayor @ Of the railroads of .8oo
at the rate of one hundred cents on the
dollar unless we do 1t ourselves. The bill
* clear; We are perfectly ready to take
that that medicine shall be administered
to US by the local assessors. We are
wiling to have the railroads own board
give US just what the rate shall be. If
the other property In Jersey City Is Only
assessed at 60 per. cent. of its value,
We are getting now. low and a' we do don't de- de-
serve IT. We only. want equality That
Is al we ask; Before a commission that
the same Justice that you do for them.
We, do, not want State tax. We are
perfectly willing to drop all this available
prop,era5y, q ,na s,a Show me railroad that has
bay ana VIII show you a railroad that
ls ..abs = successful ressa paying property;
sey ss 40 Of ~ the railroads this year were about
S4V,oVoooO. Under the plan proposed by US
there would be an increase in taxation
OF OF sleC.ooo a year. That would mean
rates That means that for every car
load OF stuff sent from Trenton to Jersey
city, which now costs $40 a carload the
raliroads aso n0 81 would be compelled to charge
bankruptcy that is staring these rail-
roads In the face in case they agree to
our proposition. Last year the railroads
IN IN the hs,,. United @ States paid for dividends
IN New Jersey 1t was 1888 per cent, the
highest percentage of any State in the
Union: If this bill passes, which proposes
to put tax of Q per cent on the rail-
roads. how much do you think that divi-
dend would be cut down? 1t would be
reduced from 3.S8 to 1882. In other words
1t would be reduced one-twentieth of one
per cent. And ask you, is it fair that
the State of New Jersey should compel
struggling city like Jersey City to de-
vote 50 much property for the use and
oeneht OF the other States? That is ex-
actly what this means.
Ihe average tax rate in New Jersey
has grown from 1.76 in 1884 to 2.03 in 1895
It might be said that an average tax rate
cause it takes in lands where they have
no property. But If we take the rate in
the district where they have most Of
their property, then the rate would be-
come IA The railroad companies claim
they are paying as much tax now as they
ought to pay; that they are paying a
full share of taxation upon their prop
erty. do not want the State of NeW
Jersey to put greater burden on these
corporations than other States do. When
this question was argued before the
special commission that was one of the
questions raised by the railroads.
The railroad companies insisted that
we were taxing them a great deal more
than any other State In. the Union. They
va wanted y Us to examine the records of the
chusetts Of course there is greater
than in any other State in the Union
They also pay better than any other State
in the Union
'The railroad property should be as
sessed precisely at the same rate as any
other property-no more, no less And
New Jersey, that has prided itself for
now an opportunity to show to the world
that, JUSTICE In New Jersey means justice
road companies as well. We don't ask
for any special exemptions in Jersey
City. But we do ask that that this
committee con n11i shall hear US and shall report
to the State of New Jersey, I can prom
Use YOU that the Legislature for 1897 will
get rid of one of the most troublesome
ghosts that ever came up. 1t will be
absolutely laid at rest If this measure is
adopted. And once laid at rest better
feeling will come. up between the State
and these companies'' ~
Mr. Edwards spoke for over two hours.
and when he had finished he was heartily
congratuiated. The hearing will be re-
Sumed next Thursday