New-York tribune., 1903-02-02

that this excessive surplus in the treasury
should he in some measure reduced by the state
relinquishing to municipalities certain sources
of revenue t,v taxation which Iegitimately. as
is declared. belong to them. In the city OF
Newark. for example the Prudential insurance
Company and the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance
Company pay a total tax of about SZoopo
annually to the State. Newark makes the claim
that this tax properly belongs TO the munich
palities. Hudson County makes the claim that
the taxes railroad property within the bor-
ders of it's municipalities should be assessed
and collected locally Several years ago on ac-
count of the financial condition of Jersey City.
the legislature was induced 10 surrender TO
the Hudson County municipalities the taxes on
second class railroad property. These taxes last
year amounted to more than S2oO0OO
The legislature two years ago passed an act.
known as the Stokes law. appropriatiug more
than SS00OO0 to pay - per cent of the school
taxes. The same amount was appropriated
last year.
AS to personal taxes. the entire amount
sessed is only about H. per cent of the entire
assessment of the State. The percentages vary
IN the different localities. They hghteSt in
the agricultural counties. and lowest in Camden
and Hudson counties where they are as low as
4 per cent The reason for this is we'll under
stood. The legislature has appointed a number
of commissions in the last twenty years to in
vestigate this matter. but the reports made by
lIeSe commissions were never acted upon. ana
probably still are gathering dust in friendly
pigeOnhOles.
1t is held by tax reformers in New-Jersey
that the taxes should be collected by the munic-
ipalities wherein the property franchises
are located The State would still derive, the
refOrners argue. enough revenue. with the addi-
tiOn of nominal State tax. for all State pur-
poses by taxing foreign corporations railroad
rights of way and franchises. and collateral in
heritances, together with the receipts from the
courts State COmmissOns and other present
resources The theory is that if there q
small State tax the people would take a greater
interest i'm the state government and look more
closely and carefully into State affairs
The State Tax Board was esta bIished I'm 1890
after long continued agitation for tax reform.
The business of this board has been TO equaIizc
assessed valuations. but its proceedings have
not been universally popular satisfactory.
since it is frequently and satiricaIIy asserted
that it has been largely engaged in reducing
corporation taxes. This criticism is not. how
ever fully sustained. recently the board
raised the valuation corporation property in
Hudson County more than S1OOOOO0 which
action has been not only appla uded a move
ment in the right direction. but also has
prompted the expression of the hope that there
VIII he no Interference with further proceedings
along the same lines
There is now pending in the legislature a
codif1Cation bill which relates to taxation and
which Is regarded as being of great importance.
1t is said that the bill contempIates the whole
sale repeal of the tax Ia VS. which are the re-
suit OF a half century of legislation. The
wisdom Of proceeding slowly i'm this direction
Is almost universally conceded and was ex-
emplined when. a few days ago. the attempt
10 move the new tax measure was made and
tailed The 1n0ongruity and the absence of uni
1orm1ty I'm the tax laws of NeV-Jersey are every
where admitted. but il is urged with a unaniD1i-
ty which should exact the compliance of the
legislature. that remedial legislation should be
carefully considered and generally approved
by the most capable legal minds before it is
enacted into Law.