The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-11-28
R. R. TAXATION
ANALYzED
W. D. Edwards as Counsel
for the D. 1. & w. R. R.
Presents Facts to
Equal Taxation
Commission
JERSEY GIT'Ys COMPLAINTS
History of Railroad and Other
Taxation in Hudson Coun.
ty- Increase on As
sessed Ratablss.
JERSEY CIT'YS COMP PLAINTS

Counsellor W. D. Edwards appeared
again today before the Equal Taxation
Commission on behalf of the Delaware,
i.ackawanna and Western Railroad In
his argument he presented these facts:-
The general system of taxation, borh
Of railroad and all other real estate, as
to effects and results produced through
oat the State at large, has been fully
demonstrated before this Commission.
You have also had placed before you
Facts and figures, showing the utter fail
ure of any attempts throughout the
State to secure equality, or even an APP
proxiination to the requirements of the
law in the taxation of personal property
bg LEGAL assessors.
I IS now proposed to bring to the at
tention Of the Commission certain data
and facts IN regard to the taxation Of
railroad and other property. as It relates
10 Hudson ccuisy, and particularly to
Jersey City.
Il IS supcrAuous to remind this Com
mission that the seat of all agitation of
the tax law Of this State. and especially
in the matter Of taxation of railroad
property, has had Jersey City for a
centre.
Outside Of that community, and to n
small degree the geigl,boring community
Of Hudson coupty. it is doubtful if there
is any actual interest, or ground for in
terest, on the subject Of railroad taxa
tion throughout the whole State of New
Jersey.
Before proceeding with the view of the
ease, which we propose to present, it
would be well if we rehearse. briefly, the
grounds of complaint which Jersey City
and Hudson County, in somewhat less
degree. have made heretofore and are
now making in regard to the taxation of
railroad and canal property.
These claims are:-
First. That the State of New Jersey,
through the operation Of the Riparian
laws, has taken from the city and trans
ferred to railroads and canals and other
allied corporations the great bulk of its
most valuable future tax asset-the
lands under water in New York Bay and
the Hudson River for very inadequate
consideration.
Second. That these lands, after trans
fer to these railroads and canal compan-
les and on coming into use for railroad
purposes, as well as all the lands acquir-
ed and used for the same purpose by the
railroads attracted to Hudson County
for facilities of access to tide water on
New York Harhor, have been, by the
railrQad charters and by the laws of the
State governing taxation of railroad
property. and especially by the law of
1884 and its supplements, p1st into class
by themselves and pay taxes under an
arbitrary rate which is lower than the
average rate Of taxation in the city on
other property when equalized
That the effect of the growth of the
railroad business and the increased neces-
sites Of additional lands for terminal
and other purposes have resulted in re-.
ducing the taxable ratables of the city,
which are the assets for payment of
principal and interest of the large city
debt and the expenses Of the city gov-
eraneht, and that this is a growing and
dangerous evil, which finally must result
II The destruction Of the city's credit.
That by the operation Of the law of
1884 and the large proportion of rail-
re.sd property within their boundaries,
the City and County pay more Of the ex-
penses Of the State government, that the
just proportion which they would pay
under The operation of an ad valorum
tax on al property.
These objections are claimed to be I'M
hefenf to the Law and method Of taxa
t;ss.s III =. ;lrss,a - 4 Il 4 a, -