The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-06
Stokes ON SCHOOL TAX
Former Senator Points Out
What He Considers
the Benefit.
Especial to .aThe Jersey city News."1

I
TRENTON. April 6, 19O0.-Former Sem
ator E. c. Stokes. who led in the legisla-
tion for the plan of distributing the
surplus for the payment of the school
i, tax, said in an interview
1.-THE appropriation of thirty-five per
cent. on account of the payment of the
| State school tax, aggregating approx
mately over ss0o00O, is the first appro-
priation made under an act which 1
introduced two years ago. This plan was
suggested by the apparent futility of dis
| tributing the surplus in the Treasury,
| If there was any, directly to the several
municipalities or taxing districts The
State had already inaugurated the policy
of distributing a part of its funds not
needed for current expenses, to the mu-
inequalities, in the case of the railroad
tax, State school appropriation and other
expenses. The object of this was, of
course, to relieve the taxpayer by re-
! ducing the burdens of local taxation No
such result, however. followed from this
method of distribution. These extra
sums received by the various municipali-
ties and taxing districts were expended
| by the local authorities for improve
ments, more or less meritorious, and in
/ iota.
! In this situation the practical ques-
ton was how to devise a scheme that
would relieve the taxpayer direct, and
the law of two years ago, to which L
have referred and under which, as modi-
fed by the School Revision Act of last
year, this appropriation has been made,
| is the solution of that question.
was about 27 cents on every 800, is neces-
sarily added to the local tax rate. IT, for
instance, the local tax rate for all pur-
poses outside of this item, is s1.5O, the
| total tax rate in this community would
amount to about $11 Now the State pro-
poses to pay So per cent. of every taxpay-
/ er's share of this school tax of 27 cents
per 800, or about 91a cents per S100 of his
tax bill, so that where the local rate. to
use the illustration above, has heretofore
| been SLIT per 800, it will now be reduced
| to about s1.67. Where the tax rate is S225,
for example, it would be reduced to about
s215, and so on in every taxing district all
| over the State.
81 have before me tax bill in coun-
try district, amounting to s27, OF that
| amount $3.50 is for State school tax. I'm
der the law for the part payment of this
on the part of the State, and the present
appropriation in accordance Herewith,
the State would pay sS461A of the bill of
the taxpayer referred to.
1.-THE benefit is thus paid to the tax
payer direct, and is not transmitted to
him through any intermediate local board
'.It should be remembered that this mat
| ter has been carefully looked into by the
err-.
can be safely predicted that this appro-
prlation can be made for at least three
years without in any way impairing the
workable balance in the State Treasury.
1.-THE Industrial advantage of this prop
osition can be readily seen. Many of our
manufacturing industries that furnish
means OF livelihood to thousands of work
men find themselves burdened by an in
creasing local tax rate and are naturally
turning for relief to other sections where
4 the burdens of taxation are lighter. I'm
der these conditions there is always dan
ger that our industries may be induced
to change their operations to another
State where taxes are lighter and where
Inducements are always being held out to
secure the location of manufacturing
! plants.
! lie TSAel WHICH lbSSe NCoHCtfftS Will
! obtain through the new policy is at once
direct and effect and may enable New
! Jersey to retain industries she would
otherwise lose.
The ethical advantage of this scheme
lies in the fact that it will make every
taxpayer interested in the management
of the financial affairs of the State. The
public will be stimulated to devise means
! to increase the revenue of the State. and
| will TO that end utilize every available re-
source in order. to derive the greater bene-
| ht therefrom For instance, a proper
| system of forestration, as is in vogue IN
all the continental governments of Eu-
rope, would easily add an income of $500.
600 to the State Treasury. Moreover, every
taxpayer will hold the members of the
Legislature to a strict accounting for
expenditures and use Of the public funds.
An economical administration of the
/ State win be demanded and Insisted upon.
because every. dollar saved in this way
will be so much more available towards 4
larger payment Of indiyidual taxes.
! szda