The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-04-23

This appropriation covers the years Of
| 1901 and 1902, being approximately 1913.
| $50 for each year.
This appropriation of thirty FIVE per
1 cent is the first under an act which intro
| duced two years ago, said Senator Stokes
This plan was suggested by the appar
\ ent futility of distributing the surplus in
the treasury, if there was any, directly tc
the several municipalities or taxing dis
tricts The State had already inaugurateC
the policy of distributing a part of its
funds not needed for current expenses tc
the municipalities, in the case of the rail
road tax, State school appropriation anG
other instances referred to in the interview
| with Controller Hancock.
1.-The object of this was, of course to re
lieve the taxpayer by reducing the bur
dens of local taxation. No such result
however, follows from this method of dis
distribution. These extra sums received
by the various municipalities and taxing
districts are expended by the local author
tiles for improvements more or less meri-
torious, and in no case was the tax rate
reduced one iota.
Tin this situation the practical question
was how to devise scheme that would re
lieve the taxpayer direct and the law Of
two years ago, to which | have referred
and under which, as modified by the
School Revision Act of last year, this ap-
preparation has been made is the solution
of that question.
s'The State school tax. which last veal
was about 81 cents on every 800, is nee
essarily added to the local tax rate. If, fol
| instance, the local tax rate for all purposes
outside of this item, is 81 so, the total tax
rate would amount to about SLIT Now
the State proposes to pay 80 per cent. OF
every taxpayers share of this school tax
of 81 cents per 800, or about 81 cents pei
800 of his tax BILL so that when the local
| rate to use the illustration above, has
heretofore beer SLIT per $100,it will now
be reduced to about $1.67. Where the
tax rate is 1925, for example it would be
reduced to about So. 10, and so on in every
taxing district all over the State.
81 have before me tax bill in country
district amounting to $27. OF that amount
| SO 80 is for State school tax. Under the
law for the part payment of this on the
part of the State, and the present appro-
priation in accordance Herewith, the State
would pay $3.465 of the bill of the tax
payer referred to-
1.-THE benefit is thus paid to the taxpayer
| direct, and is not transmitted to him
| through any lHbtTH6uldI6 iOCdI DOdFu.
'tIt should be remembered that this mat
ter has been very carefully looked into by
the financial officers of the State and that
it can be safely predicted that this appro
priation can be made for at least three
years without in any way impairing the
workable balance in the State Treasury
"The industrial advantage of this prop,
osition can be readily seen. Many of oul
manufacturing industries that furnish 6
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
the burdens of taxation are lighter. The
relief which these concerns will obtain
through the new policy is at once direct
and effective, and may enable New Jersey
| to retain industries she would otherwise
| lose.
1.-THE ethical advantage Of this scheme
| lies in the fact that it will make every tax
payer interested in the management of the
| financial affairs of the State. The public
will be stimulated to devise means to in
crease the revenue of the State, and will
| to that end utilize every available resource
| in order to derive the greater benefit there
| from. For instance, a proper system Of
| forestration, as is in vogue in all the cont
mental governments of Europe would cas-
| ily add an income of half million dollars
to the State treasury. Moreover, every
taxpayer will hold the members of the
Legislature to strict accounting for ex
penditures and use of public funds. Al
economical administration of the State will
be demanded and insisted upon, because
every dollar saved in this way will be sc
much more available toward larger pay
ment of individual taxes.