The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-07
BIC TAX TALK.
Allan L. McDermott Scores
the State Policy Of Cor
poration Favoritism.
SOME WORK ACCOMPLISHED
Assembly Passes Bills - Pc
titions Against Thomp-
sons Bars.
Especial to .Thc Jersey city News" u


TRENTON, Feb. Z, 1S99-Although the
session OF the House this morning was as
short as usual, the members managed to
make some show of business, The session
began with an avalanche of petitions re-
monstrating against the passage of Sen
ate bill No. q. This is the measure to
allow "Billy'' Thompson to run several
bars ON his picnic grounds at Gloucester.
Almost every county in the State except
Hudson sent in one or more of these Pc
titions.
sIr Marks withdrew his bill to prevent
premature burials, and Mr.. Wood took
from the files of the House his measure
providing that bank stock shall be as
sessed in the taxing district in which the
| bank is located.
| The judiciary Committee reported fav-
orably Mr.. Bells bill for Jury Com
| mission and adversely Mr. Abbetts meas
| ure providing that a husband shall not
be entitled to administer upon Wifes
estate if they have lived apart twenty
| five wears.
| The House then passed some bills for
| change They were the House bill au-
| thorizing lawyers to bring suit for thelr
| fees for services rendered in the absence
| of a specific contract: the House bill au-
| thorizing mutual insurance companies TO
| incorporate as joint stock companies ana
the House bill appropriating s2.4S6S6 for
expenses of Governor voorhees, inaug'ir-
| alton. The Senate bill relating to ap-
portionment of the Indebtedness and
| liabilities Of township when borough
has been set off was also passed.
/ The Speaker announced the Assembly
| members of the committee to procure
| sword for Admiral Sampson to be Messrs.
Guenther, Bradley and Hall. In the
House Mr.. Bradley introduced a bill
creating the township of voorhees, from
| a portion of the township of Waterford,
Camden county.
| Senator Francis introduced in the SEN
ate bill providing for the publication OF
| a synopsis of the laws yearly in the
newspapers 1t requires the State Comp
troller and Treasurer to file with the
/ Secretary of State, before April l, list
| of the newspapers of five years continue
Gus standing, provided such papers have
a circulation of at least 750 The Secre-
tary of State shall designate the person
to prepare the synopsis at a salary not
l exceeding $500 a year, which shall be
! deducted pro rata from the amounts al
lowed to the newspapers. The rate to
the newspapers shall be sixty cents per
folio and the type must be set up in
the office of the publishing paper.
/ The first lively debate of the
/ session took place in the Senate
this morning between Senators
McDermott and Stokes. Mr.. Stokes bill
providing for the annual appropriation of
| not less than s10O, 900 from the general fund
| fh i,,to of
public schools came up on final passage
Senator Stokes, the introducer, explained
| that the bill was in line with the recog-
nized principle that any surplus in the
! State Treasury should be returned as
promptly as possible to the taxpayers.
He referred to the distribution among the
municipalities of certain moneys collected
under the railroad tax laws and he point
! ed out that this sort of distribution often
resulted in the use of the money by
municipalities for the carrying out of local
projects instead of for a reduction of
taxes The pending bill took the money
right to the pockets Of the taxpayers, as
it provided for reduction of the school
i tax to the extent of the appropriation as
the Legislature shall fix it from year to
/ year, dependent on the amount of the
surplus in the treasury. For instance, If
the amount to be raised in the State for
4 school purposes was to be $2,0O0000 for
any year, and it should be found that the
Estate surplus would permit an appropria-
tion Of s500, 900, that would mean reduc-
ton of rs per cent in the school tax of
every taxpayer in the State.
| / Senator McDermott returned thanks, on
/ the part of Hudson county, for this bill
| in so far as it tended to relieve the bur-
4 dens of an unjust taxing system. There
was. however only one real solution for
the problem arising from our treasury
| surplus, that is, that all property of all
i kinds and by whomsoever owned should
| be taxed where it is located and at a
| uniform rate 1t Is true that there is
now no direct State tax except that for
schools thanks to the determined policy
inaugurated with respect to- railroads in
1884 But the decisions of the courts have
somewhat hampered the attempt to main-
tain vigorous policy on this line. Great
and valuable areas of railroad property
in Hudson county go untaxed by
1.-the municipalities, which give police
and other protection to the own
ers. He referred to the magnificent new
other splendid railroad terminals which
do not pay a penny of local tax. Senator
Mcpherson objected to the theory of dol
ing out certain amounts from the treas
ury surplus from time to time. 1t makes
counties like Hudson the recipients of
bounties, and they do not want to occu-
py that position. If the big. terminals
referred to were properly taxed Hud-
son County would not need any contribu-
tions from the State 1t was
not gift policy that was sought
but a measure of justice as
!. between municipalities and corporations.
The present system of favoritism was
lipaugurated at time when railroad in
terests had to be fostered. but that time
had long since passed.
Senator Stokes replied that the bill did
NOT warrant Mr.. McDermott's line of ar
gument. If the justice of the railroad
tax laws were under consideration, he
nigh be answered with arguments of a
POLITICAL and historical character He
agreed with the gentlemen from Hudson
a. to the EMBELLISHMENTS of granting
bounties in lump sums but this bill
could be passed without any fear.
Mr.. McDermott, said ne, knew that me
bill meant that the school tax
should be lightened only when the
Railway Reformatory and the similar
enterprises were not eating up all the
surplus. His objection was that the bill