The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-29

alA advance or 30 per cent. over the as
would be to be taxed only at the rate Of
| one per cent.
II for the next ten years the tables were
turned AND the railroad property assessed
| at 2.75 and the Individual property ait one
per cent, what a boom there would be in
corner lots. And yet 1t would take several
| Secades at this rate to balance our
oooks ana bring the allied companies In
as creditors In simple terms, the rail-
roads own over one-fourth of the city In
! area and one-tllird In value; they pay less
@ rnan ~ per cent. OF the cost Of govern.
uhe area (including the streets and two
thirds In value, but they pay 80 per cent
81 me cost OF government. Do you won
oer tnat the people cry out for a change?
In 1896 Mr.. Queen stirred up this aues-
Ion oeIore the Legislature in mastery
styie. The allied companies fighting for
| uelay ana hoping to befog the question,
secured the appointment of a special COM
mission to consider and report upon the
question The Governor appointed a COM
mlsS,sston. hs,si consisting in the main of men OIL
| torney-General Jersey City was ably rep
resented in that body by Mr.. Black, to
| whose persiStency, patience and faithful
ness tribute to high cannot be paid. If
case of Jersey City, which was In truth
| tne case OF the people of the whole State.
Would be presented before that commits
sion in perfunctory or slipshod style
l -, y,
/ with the approval of the Board of Fin
| ance, Mr.. William D. Edwards was re-
tanned as special counsel for the city, with
/ Mr.. Edlow w. Harrison as the engineer.
| NO expense was spared in the preparation
| or the case; the records were ranssacked
| TO snow the extent of the railroad pro-
perry ana the prices paid for the same;
| maps were prepared to show the spread
| OF railroad holdings throughout the city;
other great railroad centers were visited
and investigated for purposes of compari-
saft son' no detail was omitted; nothing was
Even the railroad advocates were com.
| PEELED to admit the thoroughness with
which the city's case was presented. The
| city was shown. The railroad counsel
were forced to a defence of the system as
| a whole; everyone of them in answer to
me inquiries Of the Attorney-Genersd were
Iorced to admit that in the distribution of
the tax this city was wronged. The COM
mission has reported; they were many
men n1s OF many minds, but on one thing they
measure, however, of that relief
eney disagree. They recommend how
| ever, that the State reiinquish ito the
municipalities its share of the tax on sec
ono class property; this means an annual
increase to Jersey City of about s115. 600
| we need and shall insist upon more Per-
sonally, | favor the plan of increasing the
TAX on second class properties to two per
cent as suggested by our special counsel.
This would mean an increase of about
S2so QUO per year. Even this would be far
| from equal taxation and would give us no
snare In the taxes ON the main stem; but
still think it would be unWise to attempt
TO disturb that part of the system 1t has
pecome imbedded in the tax system of the
| state; to disturb 1t would necessitate a
| State tax
| While a State tax would benefit this
county 1t would not be tolerated by the
| rural counties. We cannot hope for more
than approximate justice. If the two per
cent. plan cannot he obtained 1 would try
| no be satisfied with the plan outlined by
| Mr. Black in his supplemental report
tax the second class property at local rates
through the State Board of Assessors
giving to that Board powers of euualiza-
tlon Then assuming that our local pro-
| perty ls assessed at only 70 per cent of
ITS value, and the railroad property at full
| Value, both of which assumptions l en-,
phatically deny, the increase to JERSEY
CITY under this plan would be $1S0,00O per
annlIm. Ii either of these plans is adopt-
| ed next years tax bills would show a re-
duction to each taxpayer of over 10 per
cent. upon his bill. But to procure the
passage OF any remedial legislation our
be upheld by our citizens, by this Board
OF Trade; meetings must be attended;
| committees must be instructed; the news
papers must continue their valuable sup
| port. We have a well founded grievance,
| but eternal watchfulness Is necessary. I
| pledge the city officials to do their part.
| ana ask you gentlemen to do yours, with
out jealousy, without DIVISION with
| whole heartedness. I only wish that YOU
mad been able to procure the brilliant ad-
| Vocate of the city in this matter to ad-
dress you Then, indeed, you would have,
or and endure.
| With this will close. The prosperity of
our CITY is certainly assured with even the
partial success accomplished by the re-
| port of the Equal Taxation Commission
regret that / have so imposed lI.,on YOUR
time and good nature and thank you for
| your attention.
The Rev; John J. Tighe followed the
Mayor on Present Problems For three
| quarters of an hour he held the undivided
| attention of the company. Frequently DUR
| ing that time he undertook to stop, but
ceed. He said in part:-
NOT since the march of time began have
so many problems been seeking solution,
problems which sound the depths of social
Life and touch the highest interests of HUI
| mantty. That solution, very probably. will
| be found in America, for here the forces
now at work in society are most untram-
melled In their action The world demands
| mand grows most dnsistent. This is the
meaning of PopuliSm. To gauge the force
and nature of that demand to deny it or
| 90 grant It, are among the responsibilities
| republic can endure unless 1T serve to
| benefit the people. All cooperating fac
tors must cherish mutual goodwill and find
| IN its operation common benefit. The SOW
ereign good of all must be preferred to the
| advantages of any section. The energies
| OF States must be exerted for the euuit-
able adjustment of social rights and du-
| ties. When possessions are absorbed by the
| few, the general standard of living must
| decline, culture must decrease, scowls
I supplant smiles and songs be succeeded
| by groans. The hawk cannot be king in
| the poultry yard, Tor the wolf stalk in
majesty among the sheep.
| The contest for existence pervades the
whole animal creation and all the vast
| Kingdoms bcneath. In human society.
swayed by intelligence and freedom it
assumes complex forms, but in principle
| 1t is one. Once it was a contention for
! political liberty; now, with ullfaltering
tone, 1t cries for social liberty. The strug-
/ gle for freedom is transformed into
battle for bread. Reason furnishes no
sanction for progress wrought By conflict
| and suffering. To deny it were to bay the
moon. The individual groans under the
] tread of society. Reason bids him care
| for self and the present, not for others and
| the future. Reason dictates that he must
| not postpone his comfort for the benefit
| of millions yet unborn. He is close kin to
| the poet who composed an ode to posterity
and hoped the song would never reach It's
| address.
/ OF the age-long feud between the unit
and the social organism science has no
explanation. 1t has sifted the bowels. Of
the earth, dived into the recesses of the
sea, corrected the stars in their eternal
| courses, plumbed the walls of the uni
verse, and scanned the heights and depths
| OF space; but Huxley tells us its sociology
| Is all Mt sen and links for a friendly cor, a