The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-11-26


president. or other officers. which speci-
fed and pointed out. in the utmost detail,
every parcel Of real estate, with its area
down to the hundredth of an acre, and
every building and improvement, to the
last inch, together with statements of
cost and estimates by the Company Of
value.
The State Board of Assessors was CON
fronted with complete display of the
tangible property of the railroads, and
with information so full. that it was inn
possible that the property should escape
listing, or that it should besyalued at less
than its true value, unless by mistake of
assessors.
The opinion of all who had examined
the law was that it was one of the best
ever framed The State Commission Of
1896 had so reported, and experience
had confirmed it.
It's efficiency was further demonstrate
ed by the fact that very heavy taxes
were raised under it. The average tax
paid by railroads in the United States
was S2T4 per mile, while the average
tax paid in New Jersey was s77O per
mile; that no States paid as much per
mile as New Jersey, except the rich.
densely populated States of Connecticut
and Massachusetts,. which paid more.
In New York the railroads paid but
$605 per mile
In Pennsylvania 1924 per mile.
In Ohio 1884 per mile
In Illinois $411 per mile.
In Indiana SAT- per mile.
And the other States very much lower
rates; paying. in fact, about third as
much per mile as the railroads of New
Jersey. The railroad taxes in New Jer-
sey are not low; they are very high.
Many people had the vague impression
that New Jersey railroads were Of ex-
ceptionally great value. This was mis-
take Of the 1850 miles of railroad in
New Jersey, perhaps $50 miles were
valuable lines, and about 1000 miles
We're single track, unimportant lines,
through the sands of South Jersey, the
mountains of Sussex and other compara-
lively unimportant places.
The great Pennsylvania four-track
line from Jersey City to Trenton is but
81 miles long; the four-track line of the
Erie to Sufern, 80 miles, and the four
track line of the Jersey Central to
Bound Brook, 81 miles. Adding to these
three or four lines of double track road,
like the Lackawanna, Jersey Central,
Reading and Leligh Valley and At
lantic City Railroads. it will be found
that the entire mileage of important
roads was not great.
The lands occupied by the railroads
extended through cities, across salt
meadows. through farms and the waste
lands of South Jersey, and included
average lands and not specially yalua-
Bile or choice lands. Aside from the
terminals and the 800 miles Of more
valuable railroad. above mentioned
these railroads consisted, for the most
part, of a strip of average land 100
feet wide. with.a single track laid in the
middle thereof.
Mr.. Corbin instituted a comparison be-
tween the average prices put upon land.
with all its improvements, in the State,
by its local assessors, and that put upon
railroad land by the State Board Of
Assessors. He said the area within the
political boundaries of the State was
5,263,00o acres, and after excluding land
under water, including streams and
channels and beds of fresh water, etc,
there remained a net area Of 4S00,0 600
acres, Of which there was III forest
2,169,ooo; cleared up land, 2,424o00;
improved lands in farms, 2.096,0oo
acres, and in city and town sites, e5,ooo
acres.
The area Of the main stem Of all rail-
roads and canals, including the canal
feeders, was 235so acres; and the area
Of railroad and canal property outside
Of main stem was 7.117 acres. making
total Of railroad and canal property
of 3o,e97 acres
The total land in the State locally
assessed was valued at $s77 152. 600.
bearing q. total burden Of local tax Of
SIS, ,497 600, the average tax rate in the
State being $500
The valuation Of railroad main stem