The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-02

Arthur to suspend consideration OF the
that the bill affects Millville, where an
election was TO be held next week, and
the people did not want an Alderman-at-
Large. Mr., Macarthur Withdrew his obs
jeetiops and the motion was lost. The.
bill was then passed. A motion to re-
consider was lest
Then the House again went into Com
mittee of the Whole and Mr.. Edwards re-
sumed his speech. He spoke of the
method In which the rate of one and one
taxing railroad property, and said then It
was L67 Since then the average tax
rate of the State mas risen, while thatof
same. He denied that the railroads sup
ported the State and said 1t was mainly
done by the tax on miscellaneous corpor-
He produced maps to show the railroad
property in Boston, Buffalo and other
las large terminal cities, when he showed
said carried about SO, 600 year, year. and nd
they could well ,g,af seT e pay the $3.50 COG
When Mr.. Edwards had finished, the
railroads tried their old tactics of delay.
Mr.. Derousse moved that further hearing
be postponed until next Monday night
He said the hour was late and the MEM
bers wished to go home.
The motion was vigorously opposed by
Messrs. Klink and Leonard They de-
ciiared cia that the matter had better be
cieseu up Inen. Inc representatives of
the railroads were all there and the mat
with it. Mr.. Derousse's motion was was
lost.
Mr. William H. corbfn then took the
floor, saying that he appeared before the
committee on behalf of the Lehigh Val
ley and Erie Railroad Companies. The
railroads did not all oppose the law of
'S4, he said, and it was only passed after
a careful examination of it by the rail-
was the best law of its kind in the United
states. 1t required every railroad once a
year to submit to the State Board Of AS
personal and real. 1t goes over the rail,,
road like a fnetooth comb until every hit
OF ;lI;onp lpI;TopeFtyl dfl,. Is discovered Fifty-eight
taxes '-'"1e 70 pay
That is equal taxation" exclaimed
MI. Cornia. such as does not exist in
sorts of devices are resorted to to find
property and the result is that every
shilling Of railroad property is taxed. /
introduced into this House what is known
as the Martin act. What for? To collect
SIX millions of unpaid taxes in Jersey
City, three millions in Elizabeth and
similar large amounts in other cities
These were taxes which had been ac-
cumulating for years because you had
not enforced the law against these de-
linquents as you have against the rail-
roads; The system of taxing individuals
Is valued up to about what the assessor
thinks the men will stand.'
Mr.. Corbin then spoke of the EQUAL
Taxation Commissioners and said that
It was proven before these gentlemen
that the railroads were taxed at their
full value, while again and again it was
shown that property was assessed much
below its true value in municipalities
even as low as 80 per cent. He then
spoke of some property the Lenigh Valley
bought which had not paid taxes for
thirty years, and when the railroad
taxesa One check alone was for si25A0O.
Why, 1t was like pouring money into
the lap of Jersey City," said Mr. Corpin
The COMMISSIONS bill was highly aulo-
gized by Mr.. Corbin and the committee
advised to pass it. The Commissioners
found that the railroads did pay their
fair share of taxes, but the trouble was
it was not equally distributed, and so.
said Mr.. Corbin, the Commission pro-
posed this bill He closed with strong.
appeal to the House not to ignore the
wisdom and work of those high moral
and intellectual men who composed the
Commission
Flayel McGee appeared for the Della.
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road, the most abused corporation in the
State, according to the astute FIayel
He also laid the taffy thick upon the
Commission, and said that this question
was one of such magnitude that the con-
clusion of the Commission should be con-
the railroads were paying their just share
of taxation Bill No. 1 would make his
company pay $4,000 more than it did now
Speaking of the fight over the law of
"a in the courts, he said under pressure
of public opinion the Court of Errors
and Appeals had declared the law con-
stitutional. He undertook to pull No.
to pieces and said that he doubted its
constitutionality, but on what grounds he
did not state. He raised the ridiculous
claim that as Jersey City was a great
terminal the water front belonged to the
State and the city had no right to tax
tax and told of the dreadful things which
would happen to the farmers if the bill
should pass
Mr.. De Forrest counsel for the New
Jersey Central spoke briefly. He said
the hearing was practically an appeal
from the decision of the Equal Taxation
Commission He quoted from reports of
the Interstate Commerce Commission to
show that the railroads paid more taxes
in Jersey City than in any other place
Mr.. James B. Vredenburgh began his
argument for the Pennsylvania Railroad
with funny stories and then went back
| to his old contention of previous years,
that If the tax on railroads was raised
| the increase would have to be paid by the
farmer, who would have to pay increased
| tolls on his produce as he sent it to the
markets and increased fare when he made
| a trip. When Mr.. Vredenburgh had con-
| cluded Mr.. Klink asked that Mr.. Edwards
might nave Jle UOOf TO reply TO the rail-
| road mems argument. Mr.. Derousse OBJ
| jected saying that il that was done the
railroad men would have to be heard and
| the hearing would go on indefinitely. Mr..
| Klink pleaded hard, but Mr.. Derousse re-
mained firm. vote was taken and only
| Mr.. Derousse voted against allowing Mr.
Edwards to have the floor.
| Mr.. Edwards wasted no time on pre-
| 1iminary remarks but went right straight
| for Flavel MCGEE. Mr.. McGee, he said,
4 had stated that his road was taxed at
| its full value. 1t was assessed at $34 60O,-
| 600, and Mr.. Edwards showed by figures
| that it was really worth $57, ,73O, $780, In
| regard to the land which the Leiligh VAL
| ley Railroad had under water or consist
| ing of swamps and mud, which Mr. Cor
4 bin had said was worth very little, Mr..
| Edwards showed how the company had
| mortgaged it for $500 600.
why not assess land which at one
| time was under water?s asked Mr.. Ed
wards. 'sWhy, the building in which +
| have my office is on land once under
water and there are many more buildings
| in Jersey City the same, yet they all pay
| taxes. Mr.. McGee says that that land
| belongs to the State and not to Jersey
| City The State doesn't police it. or
| State but the County of Hudson would
be liable for the damage done by the
| rioters
Mr. Edwards remarks, now sarcastic,
now biting, provoked the House to FREE
quent applause and kept the members in
roars of laughter
After Mr. MCGEE had made a feeble at
| tempt to reply, Mr.. Roll made long
| statement on his favorite hobby, how fair
| the committee had been.
| There was some discussion over Mr..
| Elnk's motion that the committee re-