New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-18
NEW JERSEY NEWS
FAGAN'S HAND is FELT
HE PREVENTS THE REDUCTION OF A..
SESsMENTs IN HOBoKEN
hiS POLITICAL OPPONENTS SAY THEY ARE ~.
ING PUNISHED FOR NOT PROPERLY srnv.
ING HIS HONOR AT Ell EcrIoN rrAr

ING PUNISHED FOR NOT PROPERLY sERy
ING HIS HONOR AT ELECTION TIME.
The city Of Hoboken pays 1--WE Commissioners. =.
Appeals the munificent salary OF $40 a vear 49,.
payable just before Christmas to listen TO ager,..
citizens who think that they have been unfa,rv :.
unjustly assessed by the 5000 a. year Roar, !.
commissioners Of Assessment OF Taxes consist.
ing OF TWO Democrats and three Republicans n,
many years the Commissioners OF Appeals hav.
annually taken thousands Of dollars OF the city.
ratabes by reducing assessed valuations II IL no
unwritten secret that the amount of these :.
auctions depended In great many cases on N.
strength OF political pull enjoyed by the appellant.
Many property owners In Hoboken who did M,
look with favor upon the reelection OF Mayor
Fagan for fourth term and who openly worked
to secure his defeat are complaining this Yea,
that the assessors increased their valuations Al
though there has been enhancement Of real
estate values. Although the assessors, who arr
appointed by the Mayor. insist that everybody vas
assessed on the same basis. Some Of the ant-Fagan
property owners have the audacty saw that
they are being punished for not supporting His
Honor on election day.
few nights ago ana Citizens BEGAN TO TO business
plants. None swore that his property was worth
Of ad ba ey Tsr ov s
sessed In proportion TO the figures placed upon
grSPeTy ,S Swpsd by their At the M
steps OF their predecessors began to make reduc.
tons, and on Monday night advertised another
meeting for the purpose Of listening 10 appeals
When Mayor Pagan wants any city officials to Do
anything, he tells them so. and with few ex.
ceptions they generally do they told. His
Honor did not wish the Board Of Appeals TO cut
down the total valuations as had been done in the
past, and he called the five $40 a year Commis-
sioners into his office prior to the meeting. Mr..
Pagan read the riot act to them and the Corpora
charter which limited the functions Of the Com
missioners TO reducing assessed valuations only
when the appellant swears that his property 10
worth less than the valuation fixed by the as
SCISSORS.
Mr.. Minturn said that the Commissioners Of Ap.
peal do not constitute equalizing board and
at higher rate than his neighbor on properties
Of similar market value. He explained that peo-
pie who aggrieved by reason Of unequal az.
sessments should carry. their complaints to the
County and State Tax boards.
The $40 year Commissioners were greatly sur
prised when told that they could do nothing ex-
cept TO look wise and agreed 10 do what Pagan and
the attorney told them His Honor. At the meeting
which followed. gave them instructions TO recon-
slider 81 900 worth OF reductions at previous meet.
ing. and they promptly obeyed.
were greatly excited yesterday over the tactics
OF the Board. As the matter stands now. nobody
get assessments reduced unless he Is willing to
that his property is worth less than the as
to be assessed between 81 and 20 per cent Of Its
true value but the anti-Fagan people insist that
some OF the favored few are assessed on much
lower basis. This the assessors deny.
At any rate. the Mayor by taking hand In the
work OF the Commissioners OF Appeals, has put
stop TO any reductions being granted to .nti-Fagsn
zales Ernest Wolf and others. who have fled com.
plants 10 me effect that the assessors lncreaed
their assessed valuations out OF proportion 10 the
valuations placed upon properties belonging TO
II is believed that many appeals will be made to
the State Board OF Taxation