The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-10-25
perienced in assessing the hotel opposite


] venture to say that the opponents
OF equal taxation cannot induce anyyepu-
table counselor at law to sign an opinion
that there is any Constitutional objection
to the taxation of railroad property on
equal terms with the taxation of the
property Of individual owners.
Those who would prevent reform in
our tax laws have always endeavored.
as they are endeayoring in this CAM
paign, to style the demand for justice
as one that comes from Hudson County
alone. A true statement-of existing CON
ditions win fully met this attempt at
evasion.
The demand is not for Hudson Coun-
ty alone, but for every county in New
Jersey. The main stem" of every rail
road in our State is absolutely exempt
from all taxation except a State tax of
five dollars on each thousand dollars of
valuation. The term main stem is ar
bitrarily defined by statute. 1t is the
road-bed, not exceeding one hundred feet
in width, with its rails and sleepers and
all passenger depots.
In some sections the railroads do not
use the full one hundred feet in width,
and the average of all main stems" in
the State is eighty feet. The full one
hundred feet are. however. used in all
cities. There are two Thousand four
hundred and ninety-four (2,494) miles of
main stem" in New jersey, located as
follows
In Atlantic County, one hundred and
ffty-seven Q50 miles.
In Bergen County, one hundred and
two q02) miles.
In Burlington County, one hundred ana
twenty-five Ops miles.
In Camden County, one hundred and
sixteen d1G) miles.
In Cape May County, one hundred and
twenty d2W miles.
In Cumberland County, eighty-fve (s5l
miles.
In Essex County, sishty-ssvsn 81
miles.
In Glocester County, eighty $50 miles.
In Hudson County, one hundred and
ten Q10 miles.
In Hunterdon County, one hundred and
and twenty-nine q29) miles.
In Mercer County. one hundred and
twenty-five d25) miles.
In Middlesex County, one hundred and
eighty-one .1s1) miles,
In Monmouth County, one hundred and
thirty $50 miles.
In Morris County. two hundred and
fourteen (21N miles.
In Ocean County, one hundred and
thirty-fve us5) miles.
In. Passaic County, lightweight (ss,
miles.
In Salem County, forty-6ve (45) miles.
> In Somerset County, one hundred and
two (1oa) miles.
In Sussex County, enc hundred and
thirty-one ODD miles.
: In Union County, seventy -four "a
miles.
In Warren County, one hundred and
fifty-six (156) miles.
1t will be seen that the length of
''main stem" in each of twelve counties
exceeds that in Hudson County. Taking
the average width Of main stem' to be
eighty feet, we have it that there are
over four hundred and twenty-one thou
sand (421, 600 building lots in New Jer-
sey, twenty five feet in width and one
hundred feet in length, that are, together
with all their valuable improvements,
absolutely exempt from all county and
municipal taxation.
In the city of Camden there are two
thousand, seven, hundred and forty-fve
building lots exempt frem all county and
city taxes; in the city of Trenton there.
are four thousand six hundred and forty
six buildings lots exempt from all coun-
ty or city taxes; in the city of Newark
there are ten thousand three hundred and
forty-eight building lots and in the city
of Jersey City ten thousand FIVE hundred
and sixty building lots, upon which there
has never been paid, since the property
was acquired for railroad purposes,
single dollar of>county or city taxes.
This absolute exemption from the bur-
,dens of county and city government new
er presented, and does not today present,
any plea of its existence other than the
fact that the property is used for railroad
purposes. Yet these main stems" are
of the most valuable and productive prop
erty in the world. These are the facts.
No man can advance an honest reason