The Jersey City news., 1902-12-19
JERSEY CITY's
TAX PLEA.
ueorgo 1. Record Tells
the State Assessors
Why Railroads
Should Pay
More.
uAe pRnpERTY
INCREASED I?
Development Of Trolleys Ex-
plains, He Said, the Loss
on Downtown Real
Estate.
TRACTS ESCAPE TAXATION
Alleges That Land Worth
100000 Is Not Found
on Either the City or
State Books.

All of Yesterday afternoon was spent
bv Corporation Counsel George l.. Rec
ord in urging the State Board of As
SCISSORS to increase the valuations on the
terminal property of railroads in the city.
The core of Mr.. Records argument was
that the big trunk railroad didn't pay
enough for the privilege of making the
city the commercial vestibule through
which the commerce of the world passed
for the benefit of 70,OO0000 of people,
His argument was ably delivered and
earned from those who heard him, even
those who didn't agree with him, I'M
stinted praise for its lucidity, force and
delivery. a
The sensation of the day was how
ever his statement to the assessors that
for many years two large tracts of land
either within the city's taxing area or
within the jurisdiction of the assessors
and amounting to about 60 acres had es-
capped taxation. He wouldn't sAy whose
fault it was; but he asked the Board to
investigate, as the city's administration,
he said, was at present doing. Ore tract
is in the Central Stock yards and longer
one is to the south of the New Jersey
Centrals property, land under water.
The whole Is worth 81 100000.
MAYORS OFFICE CROWDED.
The State Board as the News has
previously stated had roamed this week
through the front and back yards of the
railroad companies coming into the city
to determine whether or not Mayor Fa-
gan's administrations demand for an in-
creased valuation was just and having
finished its peregrinations yesterday
morning met in the Mayors Office in the
afternoon to hear the City's answer TO
the railroad lawyers arguments against
the proposition to raise the valuations.
The Mayor had invited many prominent
citizens to hear the argument and when
the proceedings began there were present
besides the assessors, city law officers and
railroad epresentatiyes:-Gen Bird n.
Spencer, Finance Commissioners Jacob
Ringle and Henry Lembeck, William r.
Midlige,- John NJ. Jones, Garweod Ferris.
A. J. Corcoran, John p. Landrine S. l..
Harvey, Tax Commissioner Degnan, A.
Y. Condict, ]. w Heck, Mungo J. Currie,
Il. w. Ewald, P. T. Kennedy, James An
derson, the Mayor Of Course and clerks
from the various departments attracted
by the report that there was something
going on. The Mayors antechamber was
soon filled as it was necessary to open
the sliding doors between it and the FL
nance Boards offices to accommodate
those who docked in. The Assessors,
Messrs. Rankin, Meeker, Green and
Baird, sat together at a table Uttered
with Civil Engineer Frank II. Earle's
maps Of the properties In dispute and
on the other side of the table stood Mr..
Record. Mr.. Pagan sat near the door.
MIR. RECORDS ARGUMENT.
The Corporation Counsel lost no time
In plunging into his argument, the bur-
den of which was the lawof supply and
demand. Much If the preliminary talk
was in answer to the conventions of Mr..
w. d. Edwards, counsel OF the D. L.
and W. II. r. ca, that the depreciation
Of property contiguous to the railroads
should be & fair comparison determining
the valuation Of railroad property. Mr..
Record insisted khat the value OF adjoin-
! ing properly ives practically inversely
proportioslate to the value Of railroad
holdings He attributed the great de.