Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-09-16
MEETING OF sU SEX COUNTY
ASSESSORS.

men of more than average ability
tnat go to make up the body known
as the Sussex County Board of AS
SCISSORS, met in the Court House in
Newton as a board of equalization,
and to tabulate an abstract of rata
bles from which is obtained the per-
centage by which each Assessor
works out his proportion of State
aud County tax.
The Board organized at 1890
O'Clock A. M. by the election of Jno.
j. Van Sickle, of Sandyston, as
Chairman, Geo. Hardin, of New
ton, and Frank Emmans, of Hamp-
ton, as Secretaries. The townships
were called in alphabetical order
for their list of ratables, and the
work of compiling the abstract filled
in the time until twelve O'Clock,
when adjournment was made to
one o'clock sharp.
The Board was called to order at
1.30, and the work of the forenoon
continued. When Sandyston was
reached the Chairman called the at
tention of the Board to the fact that
it was the only township in the
Coulty that gave up as many acres
rs was contained in it, according to
the geographical survey of N. j.,
other townships falling short from
100 TO 1000 acres. The efforts to
average the price of land in the diff
ferent townships are of course
futile and misleading under these
conditions. Hardyston's duplicate
showed an Increased assessment of
over $500, 900. The Assessor, Smith
Simpson, was interrogated by the
Chairman as TO why the assessment
on the mining properties was not
placed at the amount of the mort
gage, according to the resolution in
troduced at the last meeting of the
Board. In answer Mr.. Simpson
presented a list made by Joseph
Van Master, Supt. of the zinc
mines, of properties covered by the
81, 700, 900 mortgage given to the
Farmers Loan and Trust Co. OF
N. Y. by the N. j. Zinc Mine Co.
much of which he claimed was 10.
Gated elsewhere than in Hardystor
and Sparta Townships, and for this
reason their assessment should not
be increased to the extent as asked
for last year, and as set forth il
said resolution at 81, 10000 Chair
maj Van Sickle did not think the
mortgage included this list of prop
critics, and on motion it was agreed
that the mortgage record in the
Clerks Office, consisting of 40 page!
be carefully examined, and the mat
set right. Chairman Van Sickle
and Smith Simpson spent Tuesday
night and Wednesday morning il
a careful scrutiny Of the record
which resulted in the find tina
the properties in Hardystou ant
Sparta, Newark and Jersey Cit,
were the ones covered by the mort
gage, and the properties named b,
Mr.. Van Master as being in othe
States were not originally included
but probably are now by a blanke
clause in the mortgage, as follows
"Besides the properties herein de
scribed this mortgage shall includ
such other properties as may b
hereafter acquired" a certifie
Assessment of the Newark prop
erty was before the Board last yeai
but none had been obtained of tn
Jersey City property. The un
known value of the latter prevenfe
the Board from fixing a set sum a
which the N. j. Zinc Nine CO
should be assessed this year. n
= facts were brought out that wcul
invalidate the claim that there
ample property in Hardystol an
Sparta Townships to secure tn
= mortgage of 81, ZOO, 600. A certihe
4, assessment of the Jersey City prol
critics will no doubt be obtained b,
fore another year. While the wor
4 could not be fully completed fC
% reasons, it is crafty ng TO Eno
that the agitation of this subject b
Assessor Van Sickle shows in a
q increased valuation on these prOpe
ties of over $500, 900 this yea
Tuesday afternoon a motion WI
made to investigate all the dupl
Gates, and ON C ling the roll it WI
carried 12 to 2; absent 4. After
, considerable talk as to the method
! to be employed in the investigation
= Geo. Hardin OF Newton moved tn
the vote be rescinded. The motto
: was lost by vooe of 10 to 8 abse
. i3. The investigation was thereto
begun Oh the plan that the Chai
man should read over two or thr
properties from each page of Il
duplicates, excepting his own, al
that should be read by the Seer