The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-12-09

quired that property the State made it
pay $500, 0,000, because the law under
which the grant was made stated that
as long as the property should be used
for railroad purposes it should be exempt
from local taxation. When, therefore,
the State taxed that property and gave
a portion of the tax to Jersey City there
was very grave question whether the
law was not violated. Mr.. Vredenburgh
referred to Mr.. Records statement that
the Pennsylvania had recently pur-
chased tract of water front property
from the Dodges for $1,000, which the
State assessed at $4,000, and said that
the reason the company paid such a
high price FIR the property was that it
wanted the land badly, that the Dodges
had large business established there
and the company had to pay them well
to move that business elsewhere. He
also pointed out instances where the city
assessed property in the neighborhood at
less relative value than the railroad
property was assessed and said that the
State Assessors were doing great deal
better for Jersey City than the city was
doing for herself.
In replying to Mr.. Records argument
that because the companies are prosper
Gus they should be taxed more, Mr.. Vre-
denburgh said that was no argument at
all. The Pennsylvania 5 grain elevator
was run at loss, yet the Board had
not reduced the assessment on it, which
showed that the assessment was neither
increased or diminished on account of
the business the company did. Railroads
had been in the hands of receivers and
might go there again, which remark OF
Mr.. Vredenburgh provoked considerable
amusement in the room.
The argument of Mr.. William 81.
Corbin for the Erie was mainly an
answer to Mr.. Record 81 contention that
the land under water outside of the solid
| filing was a valuable fee which should
increase the value of the property. This
he denied. That property was so re-
stricted by the Government that every
inch of it could be taken away by act
of Congress. The owner must build his
piers so that the water can flow freely
under them, which means continual ex-
pense. Every one can pass by and over
these lands and the State and Govern
ment can make regulations for their use.
PRAISES THE BOARD.
Mr.. Corbin then eulogized the Board,
telling the members that they had been
most generous to Jersey City and that
| the principle on which they had fixed
the value of the railroad property was
the correct one. No Board had ever
came up to the accuracylan observance
of the law as they had.
Following this example, Mr.. Robert
McCarter, who followed for the Lehigh
Valley, tafIied Mr. Record. He said
Record possessed an eloquence possessed
by few lawyers in New Jersey. But he
was an enthusiastic member of a new
administration which was enthusiastic
| to get something more from the rich
railroads and save the money of the poor
| people, and so he made speech which.
though captivating in its eloquence, was
not based on fact He then went on to
answer in detail what he called the
1 philosophical ptllttCO CIOhSAA1(S az
dress of Mr.. Record.
He then proceeded to ridicule Mr..
Records argument that the terminals
were the railroads most valuable prop
erty. Jersey City, he declared, was
prosperous under Mayor Fagan's admin
istration, and then he patted the Mayor
on the back in the most patroRizing
manner. The Lehigh Valley, he de-
clared, had no children to educate, they
policed and lighted their own property,
and the only privilege furnished by the
| city which it enjoyed was the water.
Yet the company paid a higher rate of
tax for these privileges than the indi-
viduals.
CENTRAL PAYS ENOUGH NOW.
4 Much in the same line was the argu-
ment of Lawyer Culver for the New
Jersey Central He said that in all the
eight hundred acres owned by the COM
pany in Jersey City there was net a
school child, unless it might be in the
/ abattoir, which is now a tenement, or
in two houses on Communipaw avenue.
! There was not a paved street except a
small portion of Washington street south
| Of ssThe Cap" and only two lamp posts
on the whole tract. The total valuation
of Jersey City, he said, was $94 900, 900,
of which the Central's property is valued
at $4,954, ,4S9. He claimed that the Gem
tral now paid more than its fair share
/ of the taxes of Jersey City and declared
that if an increase was made by the
Board it would be unjust and unfair.
Mr.. Record said he would like time to
prepare an answer to the arguments of
the railroad men and his side would like
| very much to have the Assessors go to
Jersey City and see the railroad prop
erty for themselves. He could be ready
in week, he said, and suggested that
the Board view the property and hear
his argument at the same time and thus
take only another day.
President Rankin said that the Board
wanted to close the matter in another
day and considered Mr.. Records sugges-
ton Il good one. so they would close the
matter at Jersey City week from to-
day.
Catarrh an excessive secretie. from an In
famed mucous membrane. IL .H1ica.iy and Der
rnanently cared by Holds ssrss s.arslIa.