The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-07

President Van Reiper presided and Sec
retary James E. Connolly was at his desk
with his accustomed punctuality
| Commissioner Morgan requested Assess
| or Edward McDermott to explain some
discrepancy in the increase shown by his
| figures. The increase over 1898 in real
estate is $1s9.750, and in personal SSo,S20.
After some questioning it was discovered
that the Assessor had not included in his
calculations the percentage the Board
had added to his figures last year. Mr..
McDermott said that 6S new buildings
erected during the year had been fully
assessed, 80 partially assessed is assessed
on construction value and on altera-
tions.
| Mr. Morgan said that although 300
houses had been erected in West Hobo7
ken during the past two years the actual
increase in vaaue shown by the assessors
books was only $4,000
| A suggestion was made that the in
crease in the value of Hoboken reality
seemed to be low Tax Commissioners
william j. Dynan explained that in jus
tice to the property owners the Com
missioners decided TO omit from the rata
bles certain railroad property because tn
\ question of its liability to assessment
| in dispute and is now before the courts
| If it had been included in the ratables an.
! the court should decide that Is IS nc
assessabIe the city would have to make
| up the difference for its county tax by ir7
| creasing the valuation of other property.
| In other words the city would be obliged
| to pay on property from which it re-
/ ceived no income. Mr.. Dynan mentioned
| the Pennsylvania Railroad repair. shops,
which are used for repairing ferry boats.
| COMMISSIONER Morgan said that although
! the property was used for that purpose,
| it was held in the name of private IN
| dividual He was inclined to think that
| it should be assessed the same as other
| property. Mr.. Morgan is probably mis-
taken about that. The question Is not
| who owns the property. but what is it
used for? If it is used for railroad pur-
| poses it is exempt.
| Mr.. Dynan said that if it was not for
| leaving this kind of property out, the in
/ crease in Hoboken would have been near
1 ly $500 900.
! : Mr. Morgan suggested that the property
| should have been included any way in
/ order that the city might have a standing
/ in the court He did not insist upon il,
! however, and the Tax Commissioners
| figures were accepted. If the courts de-
! eide in favor Of the city the figures will be
| changed.
/ Tax Commissioner James c. Clarke
reported that many property owners on
Newark avenue had appealed to the
State Board from the valuation fixed by
the local board. The prices obtained for
property sold last year had established a
standard of value and the result was a
decrease in the cdty's ratables of about
$500, 600 But for this the total increase
would have been nearly s1oo0,0OO
HAS there been any reduction in gem
eral land valiies?" asked Commissioner
Mclean.
s.None whatever replied Mr.. Clarke
except where property has deteriorated
or sales Of adjoining property have shown
reduced values
Assessor Henry J. Stilsing of Bayonne,
reported that 135 new houses had been
erected there during the year,.
Assessor Henry ]. Hoppe, of Union Hill,
reported the erection of thirty-eight new
| buildings.
Assessor George Bruce, of North Ber-
| gen, explained that the decrease in per-
| sOnal property! was que 10 exemption lot
members Of the Fire Department.
Assessor James Bowe of West New
York stated that piece of property re-
/ Gently purchased by Herman Walker for
SIS, 900 had previously been assessed at
| S53. COO He had thought of reducing the
amount to $4,000. but had decided to let
| the Board deal with the matter. Mr.
Walker stated to the Board that the prop-
/ erty was filled with quarry holes and the
cost of making improvements on it would
he very great The Board ordered the as
sessmenf reduced to S3A 600.
/ Assessor John O. Donnell had made -
/ Communication in the same manner as AS
4 SCISSOR McDerm5tt of West Hoboken. He
had omitted the percentage added by the
an increase of $2s1, $50 in real estate and
81 600 in personal property, there is de-
crease of $2f3, 962 in the former and 1850
/ in the latter.
| Assessor William Green Of Harrison
explained that the decrease in the value
/ Of personal property there had been
caused by the elimination by the Board
of Appeals of $4,000 on telegraph and teIe-
4 phone lines and other property.
i Jeremiah d. Matero OF West Hobolxen
claimed an exemption of $500 because he
/ IS a veteran. having served on the Min
/ nesota As the property is in his wife $
name. 1t could not be granted. The Board
will meet every afternoon until the 18th,
inclusive.
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