The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-10-28


of railroading in the State. He again
alluded to the cry of the infantile in-
dasry to the State to grant it tax ex-
emption and on condition that farmers
should be allowed to drive over the road
bsd the same as they now drive over
trolley roadbeds, the exemption was
granted by the State.
"But you don't see any of them driv-
ing over the steam railroad beds now,
do you?" daughter. accompanied BY
cries of Il guess not" or '.Hardly!'9
I'VE have here in this State," continued
Mr.. Condiet. 'the best railroads in the
world, and they are making twice as
much money. Why can't the companies
controlling them pay taxes as well as
you. We must have schools, police and
fire protection, and all that goes to make
up civilized community. We had this
year to raise $2,750,000 to conduct the
municipal government and unless the
railroads pay more taxes into the local
treasury We will have to raise more than
that amount next year. Every man
must contribute to the expenses of the
city government. The man who pays rent
for his home, buys groceries, clothing
shoes and other necessaries of life pays
the taxes more so than the man who
owns the house you live in or the stores
from which you purchase your supplies,
Every man in this hall pays taxes. But
the railroad men are such superior peo-l
pie that they demand extra exemption.
AT this point Mr. Condict exploded
the story of Mr. Black owning stock in
the Pennsylvania Railroad as related
above Then he resumed his argument
in favor of equal taxation. He said that
three-fourths of all the second class rail
road property in the State was located in
Jersey City. He alluded to tbs ingenious
plan of the railroad companies to
head off the Democratic cry of equal
taxation of seeing that taxes on second
class property went into the local treas
urles. but were not obliged to pay one
cent extra ta&. But the people in the
other sections of the State had got on to
the ingenious plan and now proposed to
make the eighty-five per cent. of the
main stem property located outside of
Hudson contribute taxes to the various
localities through which the main stems
run.
Mr.. Condiet provoked some applause
by telling a story of a meetingin rural
district at which Mr.. Black called atten-
ton to the fact that that locality got but
27 cents from its railroads. when an old
farmer got up and said:-sW Why, gol
durn it. paid almost. four times that
ere amount as tax on my dog" He
also told another story of trip he was
making through the Rocky Mountain
region once when he took a chair out on
the platform of the car so as to better
enjoy the scenery. The conductor or
dered him to go back into the car and
admonished him that the platform was
only to get in on'' So far as second
class property was concerned. both GU
bernatorial candidates. said the speaker,
We're travelling on the same platform,
but Mr. Black had said. IF am elected
Governor ! will tax every stick of rail-
road property and Mr.. Stokes had said
prior to the convention that nominated
him for Governor, .I'll not go into this
fight if it's to be ON equal taxation"
Il don't know that that is true,'' said
Mr.. Condict. Il only know it from hear
say, and perhaps l should not have re-
marked it,
Mr.. Condict then told how the munich.
palities were cheated out of even the To-
cal taxation of SIS per 81 900 valuation
On second class railroad property by the
railroad companies converting it into
main stems so as to escape the taxa
ton of So per $1,000 valuations, which
tax goes to the State. Among many in
stances he cited the Long Dock road,