The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-03-03

the railroads own, but which they have
not yet put into active use for railroad
purposes. This is taxed at the local
rates by the local assessors and the tax
is paid into the local treasures.
Taking up for discussion first the
property included under the main STEM
1t appears that in the whele State there
is $3.50, 100000 of this property as valued
by the State Board of Assessors, of
which 100000 is real estate and
$50 100000 is personal property. This
property we claim to be greatly under
valued. 1t is the very best kind of prop
erty. 1t is kept right up to date. 1t is
the most productive, acre for acre, of
any property in the State, and by virtue
of the growth of the different cities on
either side of it, it is constantly increas-
ing in value.
Nevertheless, the property has not
been increased in value by the State
Board of Assessors in twenty years and
the railroads only pay one-half of one
| per cent. upon a. whereas the local tax
ing districts through which it runs pay
all the way from one to four per cent,
averaging two and four-tenths per cent.
''The railroads pay upon this property
$685. 900 per year to the State, and moth
ing to the localities. If this property
were held by individuals, or by any
other than by railroad corporations, it
would cost the holders over 100000
per year.
"Can any reason be given why the
State should practically exempt this
splendid and enormously productive prop
erty? Why should the railroads escape
with this normal assessment while every
business corporation and every owner of
house or a farm is burdened to the
average extent of FIVE times as much
for the support of government.
''phe railroads get the full benefit of
all the advantages for which local taxa
| tion is aintained-schools, police and
fire protection, streets, etc. They are
practically the only benefciaries of our
great system of armories. No reason can
be given why this class of property
should not pay what it now pays to the
State and in addition thereto a tax at
the local rate, less the amount paid to
the State for the benefit of the taxing
districts.
''In the matters of the second Grass
property, the injustice is not as great,
but it is still Substantial There are
about $4,000, 600 Of such property in the
State, of which $22, 100000 is in Jersey
City alone, according to the valuation
and apportionment of the State Board of
Assessors. Upon this property the rail
roads pay the local rate of taxation,
which amount is limited to / u per cent.
SIN 1884 when the law was enacted,
the general average throughout the State
was supposed to be in the neighborhood
of ~ per cent. Since then this rate
has increased to an average of 2 40 per
cent.
''The average tax rate, however, is not
/ fair method of taxing this property be-
cause the bulk of this property in value
is in the districts where high tax rates
prevail. Therefore, the principal value
works out greatly to the advantage of
the railroads and to the disadvantage of
the taxing district.
"No reason can be given why this class
of property should be thus partially ex-
empted from taxation. Its value has in
creased enormously in the last twenty
years. The State Board of Assessors
has not increased the assessment. The
increases the size of cars, the general
growth of business has vastly increased
the earning capacity acre for acre of all
this property in the last twenty years.
"The injustice of this system of taxa
tion is best shown by concrete examples
In Jersey City, the main stem
property of the railroads
amounts to about ...... SIS, 900 900
Which at the local rate of
$27.50 less, $40 already
paid, or $22.50, would
make a tax of ......... 100000
To which add $22,000,000 Of
second class of property at
$3.50 ...... .......... 100000