The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-10-25
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vania Railroad System This election
was repeated in 1902 1908 and 1904.
The West Jersey and Seashore Rail-
road Company operates over one-third OF
the entire mileage owned orscontrolled by
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in
this State. The President of the Penn
sylyania Railroad Company is the Presi-
dent of the West Jersey and Seashore
Company, and all Directors of the latter
are elected by the Pennsylvania Com
pany.
His selection as Director of this part
of the Pennsylvania Railroad System in
| dieates the truth of the statement of the
New York Evening SUM- in its issue of
fhe twenty-frst instant, in an article ad-
vocating his election, that my opponent
enjoys the confidence of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company"
The 'main stem" of the West Jersey
and Seashore Company covers three hun
dred and thirty-one miles. 1t is very
prosperous company. In 1896 it carried
| 3,919, ,966 passengers; last year it carried
over 6,000,000 In 1901 the cost of It's
road and equipment, as reported by its
officers, was $9,495, ,03s, while its local
taxation was S67, ,773. In 1902 the cost
Of its road and equipment had increased
to S9,S25,314, while its taxes had risen
to $67, ,S02, an increase in cost of proper
ty of $3.50, 0,276, and in taxation of only
twenty-nine dollars.
Its main STEM occupies an area equal
to over sixty thousand building lots, but
there has never been paid upon any of
this ground, or upon the railroad con-
strueted upon it or the passenger build
ings connected with it. single dollar Of
county or municipal tax.
OF this fact my opponent must have
been thoroughly informed for many years
and the exemption has been source of
annual benefit to him personally. If,
with this experience, he has not made up,
his mind that railroad property should be
taxed at the same rate that is imposed
upon the property of private citizens, [
submit that it is entirely justifable to
assume that he has concluded that the
property of railroad companies should
continue exempt from municipale taxa
tion.
Promises to tax what is known as sec
ond class property do not promise any
thing approaching equal taxation, for the
value of the main stems of the rail-
roads in New Jersey is over seventy per
cent. of the total value of all real es-
tate owned by the railroad companies.
The people of New Jersey are tired of
having the proverbial stone given in re-
sponse to demand fer bread.
Our opponents say that there are
grave constitutional questions involved
and ask time to deliberate. The time
required might be for years, but it would
more probably be forever. 1t is. certain
that no one who 'senjoys the confidence
of great railroad system in this State
will ever move for the equal taxation of
property without losing that conf
dence"
To say that our State CONSTITUTED
does not permit the equal taxation Of
property is TO assert that which can be
believed by no one. If this were true,
existence under that Constitution would
be intolerable There is not any Consti-
tutional objection to the enactment of a
law that will tax the "main stem" of
each railroad in New Jersey on basis
Of assessment that viii make the owners
Of that railroad pay the amonnt of coun-
ty and municipal tax that would be paid
if their property was used for farms,
factories or residences.
AS a matter of fact. the information
necessary for the levying Of equal taxa
tion is in the possession of the State
Board Of Assessors. Without it that
Board could not assess the main stems
for the State tax of five dollars per
thousand. The value of each main
stem'' is aseertained by valuing the land
in each taxing district, and this having
been done, the imposition Of the local
rate of taxation will be but the perform
ance of very simple sum in multipli-
cation.
There will not be found any Eaorc liTi-
Guilty III assessing, fos local taxation, tie
main stenaD Of tae West Jersey and
seashorc Railroad in the City Of Cam
den than is feuad il assessing the prop
erty adjoining that 1Rsia stesn' mas
used for other tsan riiltoad purposes.
There will nc; be foukd any norc didi-