The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-12
SPECIAL PLEADERS' TRADES


TRENTON, Jam L. 1se7-The report of
the commission appointed by Governor
Griggs to investigate the subject of taxa
ton was presented to the Legislature with
the Governors message. 1t makes a vol
ume of a hundred and thirty pages. and 1t
embraces
niBtee
2-nhe supplemental report of Charles c.
Black of Jersey City.
SPECIAL report No. 2 by William H
Nredenbu'gh of Freehold upon Tax
Equaaization and Reform. .
5-An appendix containing schedules Sc
lected from the various briefs submitted
TO the commission.
To the whole is added a more or less
serviceable index. The general report, Mr..
Blacks report, and special report No.
are prefaoed with Recommendations. !"
Those of the general report are as fol-
lows
Fdrst-That the State relinqush its rev.
enue of one-haf of one per cent or Eve
dollars G5) on the uflousarld dollars of
Ea3uation derived from the property used
for railroad and canal purposes on real
estate either than main stem and known
this property, as returned by the State
Board of Assessors for the year 1885, was
$41, ,1202 216, from which the State derived a
revenue of s205, ,601.08 for the use of the
State This amount so relirnu uiShed ($205,-
.00 to be distributed to the local tax
ing districts IN proportion TO the amount
CT such property located in the several
local taxing districts.
Second-That the act of 1884 as revised
and amended i'm 1855. under which the
main stems of railroads and waterways
of canals the franchises and tangible per-
sonal property, etc, are taxed, be pre-
served. except in the above particular
The following are the recommenda tsous
accompanying Mr.. Blacks report
Fifste-The lirnTtatiou i'm the statute of
1884 under which the real estate used for
railroad and canal purposes, other than
the main stems and waterways is taxed,
alta rate not to exceed fifteen dollars on
the thorsand dollars OF valuation, should
be repealed, such property should be
valued by the State Board OF Assessors,
but taxed at the rates of the local taxing
districts in which such real estate is To-
GATED, giving the State Board of Assess
ors power to eQllaGze the taxes to be paHd
on such property, with the taxes paid by
individuals and other corporations on
their real estate in such taxing d Str1cts
or Nnit the rate so as not to exceed TWO
per cent ON such property.
Secorpd-Proyiyle for the removal of local
assessors from Office by a central or State
tribunal, who wilfuily disregard the plain
mandate Of the constitution, and assess
real and personal property at a percentage
of true value, or refuse to list and assess
adj taxable personal property subject 10
taxation.
.f7Thjrd-Enact an efficient statute, appH-
cable to cities of the first class, under
wf1fcf1 taxes of individuals and other cor
poraHiorfs assessed ON personal property
can be collected-
General Ruslsug's Recommendations are
cry mide-resching. They are as follows:
L That thel State relinquish its tax of
oIle-haIf of one per cent. on second-class
railroad property. and that TINS pc Is
districts through which the railroads
That It would be unwise to disturb
our present system 9f raaroaa aoy ndicated
because well tried and efficient, and equal @
If not superior to that Of most % etner n,.r
States A ike system exists IN % OUT
8. That it, would be unjust and inequit-
able to burden our railroads with more
at full and true value (real, personal and
share of taxes, II not more:
4f That Jersey City herself is much az
fault in respect to her high taxes, be-
cause of her huge debt and costly govern
xnent (both Of her own making), and
are largely in her own hands Her tax
ofIIcers and others remiss. as: to personal
). % That the ofice of State Commissioner
of Taxes be credited with general SUI
peryision Of taxes, assessors, ETC., with
power to prescribe all tax returns, etc.
SO as to secure greater uniformity and
equalization OF x-valuations, assess
ments etc., throughout the State. of
both real and personal property.
II That such Commissioner of Taxes
shave the power to suspend assessors for
iIlcompetency or unfa .thfulness, and the
State Board of Taxation to remove for
cause and fill vacancies for remainder of
That the County Boards of Assessors
be presided over by the State Commits
sioner of Taxes or some other assessor
designated by him.
g. That all tax-returns be signed and
sworn to by the property owner or his
agent.
mot exempt from taxation) be assessed
and tax collected at the home oftice OF
the corpora ton, but remitted TO coliec-
tor of the place where owner resides.
TO- That better efforts be made to col
leet our poll tax, and no citizen be all
lowed to vote without his tax receipt, <
called for.
commence January and close July {;
tax lists to be advertised and tax bills
10 be delivered in August; Boards OF
able October to December 81, with dis
count d 2 per cent. if paid before Mo-
IT, 1a. That our list q INSCRIPTIONS be
sevised bad reduced d-aspeeially as to