The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-10-09
CENTRAL s.
TAX FIGHT
W. D. Edwards Says
That the Railroad
Co. Is a Prompt
Payer.
MANY BIG DELINQUENTs.
Great Array Of Experts in
the Struggle Before the
State Tax Board.
FAGsHlTES MATCH AEzIOUsLY
The seo. .ooo,o 900 Assessment
Very Much Involved in the
Valuation Of Previous
Years.

The State Board of Taxation met in
the Assembly Chamber at the City Hall
this morning to continue the hearing on
the appeal of the Central Railroad of
New Jersey from the assessments levied
by the local Tax Board on two tracts
of land on Nv York Bay for the years
1900 and 1901.
The frsl tract extends from the Gem
trails terminal, south of Black Tom. 1t
consists of 14.38 acres of upland and
381.22 acres Of land under water, as-s
sessed at 81 ,603,Oo0, or $4,051 an acre
The company asked that tile amount be
reduced to. S704, 900 or 81, 1893 per acre.
The second tract is located south of
Black Tom and embraces lands known
as Caven Point. 1t contains S45 acres
of upland and 24376 acres of land un-
der water. The local authorities placed
a valuation of $771, 900 on this tract, or
$3,0S1 per acre. The railroad asked for
a reduction of this assessment to $685.
000 or 1902 per acre.
President w. ]. West of Camden called
the board to order at 1915 o'clock. All
the commissioners, G. G. Black of this
CITY. Major Carl Lentz of Newarkp and
Joseph Thompson of Atlantic City, were
present. Corporation Counsel George l..
Record and Corporation Attorney John
Wahl Queen represented this city's law
department.
Engineer Edlow w. Harrison was on
hand as an expert to the city. Tax Com
missioners Hoos, Degnan and Lindsay
were interested listeners
Former United States Senator William
d. Edwards appeared for the Central
Railroad. At the opening session of the
hearing held week ago Mr. Edwards
had only pne expert, Emmet Smith of
Bayonne. on hand. Today he introduced
this array of experts, whose testimony as
to land values will b econsidered by the
State Board:-Engineer John G. Payne
of the Riparian Board; Fred G. Wolbert,
William Culver, Cornelius j. Cronan and
Mungo J Currie.
CENTRAL co. PROMPT. PAYERS.
Mr.. Edwards said in his opening that
there seemed to be an impression that
the Central Railroad was disinclined to
pay its taxes. As matter of fact, the
Central, he said, stands second in the
order of prompt payment. The only
years for which the company is in ar
rears, he explained, are 1899, 1900 and
1901. In the matter of the taxes of 1899
the assessment is before the Supreme
Court for review on a writ of certiorari
The assessment for 1900 and 1901 are
now before the State Board
BIG COMPANIES IN ARREARS.
Mr.. Edwards than made the startling
statement that several big corporations
were many years in arrears for taxes.
He said that the New Jersey Warehouse
and Guarantee Company is in arrears
for ten years, having paid only three
years of taxes since its organization.
The Morris and Cummings Company, he
said, are in arrears form 1883 to 1901,
while the Point Breeze Ferry and I'm
provement Company hasn't paid any
taxes to the city in twenty-five years.
Major Lentz asked why Jersey City
hadn't collected her taxes and nones of
the City's representatives volunteered any
reply.
Mr.. Edwards will produce statement
Of these arrearages due the city later on
in the hearing.
WHEN THE GRANTS WE'RE
MADE
Secretary John G. Payne, of the State
oI,ard Of Riparian Commissioners, was
the FIRST witness called by the railroad.
He testified that the Riparian Board
made a grant in 1874 to the Central
Railroad Of including the tracts
on which the appeal is being heard for
100000; that the Unions and CoE,ming
Company got grant IN 1881 for $780,
4S0, 200 acres at $500 an acre; that the
vi S4k4ss sls&S$.