The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-05
Collector Smith Making Up
a Schedule for 1895
and Years Prior.
FINANCE BOARD WILL ORDER 4 SALE
About 2,40O Blocks Of Property to
Come Under the Hammer
Personal Taxes Col
Iected.

City Collector Simeon H. Smith is an
exceedingly busy man these days. II
makes on='s head, ache TO step into his
Office in the City Hall and see the sheets
containing rows of figures. books 1uli OF
the same, in solid columns like vast
army, every unit of which must be count
ed, arranged and displayed in proper form
for the Inspection of these inquisitive
gentlemen. the Board of Finance, who
won't give up cent of the city's money
unless they know where it's going to, and
want to know where every blessed cent
comes from.
The Collector has a mania for figures
and feels perfectly happy among them.
His fun this time consists in getting up
schedule of taxes of 1895, due and unpaid,
To which he proposes to add all previous
taxes and assessments due and unpaid.
What are you going to do with the
appalling list when you complete it?''i
asked a News" representative.
Rubbing his hands gleefully and casting
a loving glance on the sheets containing
the dear figures. the Collector did that
he would send the schedule to the Board
of Finance, which august body would then
order sale. Section Is of the act of
1886, better known as the Martin Act,
gives the Board that authority. When
the proper Finaneiers assent. the Collector
will then advertise the sales. There are
about 2,4o0 blocks to be put up for sale
and these will be done in parcels of $50
to 200 blocks at a time. Two weeks will
intervene between each sale until the
entire city is gone over. Owing to the
present incomplete state of the schedule
the Collector is not in a position to say
what amount of taxes are due, but it will
run of course into the thousands. Neither
is he able to say when the first sale will
take place. because the Board of Finance
must first see the scheduse, pass upon it
and authorize the sales, and before tae
advertisement can appear there is still a
lot OF red tape to be unwound, and as
every one knows, nothing can be done
without it, Mr.. Smith says, however, that
when the Financiers have done with the
schedule he will get TO the sales as rapidly
as possible.
How about the personal taxes?' was
the next question put to the Collector,
who is one of the most obliging and
courteous officials to interview.
The Collector said that the collection of
personal taxes had been very successful
during the past few weeks. From the.
taxes of 1895, which represent in the ag-
aregate about s45 900, Mr.. Smith has col
lected up to date ss,470s7, and every per-
son who contributed to that amount the
Collector personally saw. Yesterday Mr..
Smith collected $500 and today he sent
out Deputy Garrick with fifteen warrants.
Yesterday Deputy O'Brien took out an
equal lumber and Deputy Morgan will
have enty TO do to serve another batch
toe A duplicate copy is held by the
Con zctor. who keeps an account of each
person served and what is paid. Many
who have had served on them these war
rants will pay up before a sale is adver-
ttsed or a levy made, and in this way
Mr. Smith hopes by the END of the year
to have a very large proportion of the
arrearages paid up.