The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-10-26

Valuation.
Main stem and franchises. -. $l5a 1j,. aoO
Personal property .............,. 25,2ul. lis
Total valuation. SlSt MS
i Taxes for the stute............... 92l rs
Valuation.
Real estate, other than main
stem s.. S56. 49,
4 Taxes on this class of property
which are returned to the
local taxing districts........... 6i2.5if
The franchises of the railroads of
New Jersey were taxed in 1905 ON a
valuation of $a0.00000u leaving the
tax on the main stem at $1090W00o
Whit the Democratic Party Proposes
to DO.
First.-lt proposes to tax the main
stem, the personal property and the
| other real estate on local valuations ut
local rates for local purposes and to
/ tax the franchises ut fixed maximum
rae of one half of per cent The
valuations are To he placed upon the
! property by the state board of nsscss=
oIs The tax is to be collected 10y the
same board and all taxes. except fran
,'''H, ''N' "ir u 's t',ol ~" IT. Tue
80, community III N'''' Il t'.' ii'l''i'S
- N'''''' ''''
In one paragraph it is asserted that
the time for investigation has passed:
that the subj ect is simple and easy 70 be
settled III announcer paragraph Ia Tue
same platform II is said, That, expert
knowledge beng necessary te determine
the valuations OF railroad and canal
properties, the assessment OF Valuations
snail be made by the state ana paii to
the taxing districts IN which the prop
erty is located. Tie question aeen Il
ing To the Democratic PLATFORM Is very
simple, and vet II requires expert
knowledge. HE party backs and ILLS
ON the proposition ia tie same plat
form. II It is simple and easy 70 settle,
why is It necessary to have expert
knowledge IN order to TX the Va'ua-
tionsf
Sccond=lt proposes To separate rail
read properties into two classes the
| franchise " hich is intangible. and the
other property. real aud personal.
| which is tangible Ii proposes to have
a rate of 81 per thousand on the
/ franchises and rs many different rates
! for the other classes of property rs
! there are communities through which
the railroads run There afe about laO
taxing districts in tie state. and the
Democrats Illus Bropose to separate the
railroads into auo parcels.
Under the Democratic plan. rs set
forth iii their platform, 4 r.lill1ld IN,
] line will he cut up into rs maIlY dlf=
! fercut pieces or parcels as there are
taxing communities through which it
runs, ana the franchise, which is of
value only when il is connected with
| the main stem and Is as much part
of the value of the main stem us the
roadbed and the superstructure. is to
be separated from il aud tlXei sep
aIutcly nj IL fixed rate. The PROPOSE
ton To separate the franchise from the
main stem is rs sensible as it would be
10 tax each separate link IN chain
used on Il windltss for huisting pur
poses and then to tax the wiudlass
separately. 1t is about MS reasonable
n proposition us il would be to tax Il
mans house 10y valuing the kitchen at
one rate and the parlDr nj another.
The franchise and the main stem are
Inscparable They must he considered
together In order To get at n value.
Take away the franchise and YOU have
nothing left but the real estate. The
value Ms railroad is gone aud the real
estate has no value outside 0f its value
rs real estate
Not only Is this So rs to the fran
chiSe. but the value Of a main stem Is
not diVisibIe into different parts. II Ii
An entity. and must he 50 considered
or its value is DESTROYED. 4 mile of
railroad track on n main stem Ia a bar
rem swamp is as important an element
in determining the value of n railroad
ms a mile of track through the IN st
pnpulous community. The proposition
To divide the main stem int. partS II
absurd ON its face. For illustration.
take y mile of main stem containing
about ten a,res of land situated ON the
snlt meadows between Newark and
Jersey city. Consider II if Won can.
spnurotelv from thc rest of thc main
lime and if viii have no anprcciubln
tavobla volue Apuiu take a milo of
main ston r,,nnir,, thraush Iorsa,,
CIV ar Newark Consider II rs y
separate mile of railroad unconneetel
with the rest of the line and il will he
worth no more than the bare land Of II
similar area in the same city. The av-
erage valuation per acre of railroad
property in New Jersey Is SG,3G6 AMI
! there are approximately ten acres To II
nile Consider each separate acre in
this way and its value will be destroy
ed II is the continuity of the line CON
Meeting centcrs of trade like New York
and Philadelphia that gives value to
the main stem
Taxation of the personal property Of
railroad under the Democratic
scheme is impracticahle and impossible
A train Of cars ON the day when the
| fax Is lowed Is urobDhlV i'm fifty differ