The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-26
Hudson County Would Divide
the Main Stem Tax With
the State While Essex
Would Give All to Cities
HILLERY BILL TO De REPEALED
RsFoRMERs TO CONFER THIS
WEEK AS TO THE BILLS TO BE
PRESENTED - LEADERS AND
AssEMBLYAfES HARMONIOUS.
Special to .arhe JERSEY civ Newsn

ASSEMBLYMEN HARMONIOUS.
Special to The Jersey City News")
TRENTON. Dee. 26, 1906. Support
ers of the limited franchises and equal
taxation platform, upon which Senator
| Everett Colby and the eleven Assembly
men were elected in this county last fall,
had expected that the measures to be in
troduced in the coming session of the
/ Legislature for the carrying out of these
principles would be prepared by this
time. Soon after election Mr. Colby
and Assemblyman Martin were request
ed by the Essex delegation to prepare
the measures. and they invited Chandler
w. Riker, Sheriff Frank H. Sommer,
Gardner Colby and Lathrop Anderson to
ASST them. They also consulted with
the Hudson members, who entertained
the same views they do upon these ques-i
tions, and the latter invited George L.
Record to participate in the work.
All CHER members of the Legislature
who We're in sympathy with the princi-
pies of the Essex platform were invited
! to submit TO this committee, as it might
/ be called, their views upon the provisions
/ which they thouglrs should be incorporat-
| ed in the measures on these principles, to
be presented to the Legislature. 1t was
| the intention of the committee to cali the
supporters of the principles together and
have general discussion of the measures
4 but the controversy which arose over the
speakership kept the Assem- blylnen fa-
vorable to the Colby movement SO occu-
] pied with the consideration Of plallsA Tor
securing Speaker. who believed in their
| platform that tile conference was defer
red. They viii, however. get together
| this week, when the phrasing of the bills
| win be considered.
1t is said in this connection that the
members of the Legislature from Hudson
and from Essex entertains different views
upon the exact form which the measure
| providing for the taxation of the main
stem of railroads shall take. Hudson. it
is understood, desires to have bill in
troduced providing that the main stem be
taxed at local rates and that one-half
of one per cent. of the tax shall be paid
into the State treasury for the uses of the
State, while the balance shaM go into the
treasury of the municipality in which the
property taxed is located. This is said
to be the idea of George L. Record, who
believes that such bill will be accept
able to the South Jersey members who
are raising the cry that the Hudson and
Essex plan of taxation of the main stem
would rob the rest of the State in order
to enrich the two big counties.
The main stem of railroads now pays
one-half of one per cent, all of which
goes into the State treasury, and the
item is ore of the largest of the States
income. The emissaries of the railroads
have been indnstriousiy working up a
sentiment against the Essex and hudson
plan in the rural counties, where very
little main stem property is located.
They tell the citizens Of these counties
that if the Hudson and Essex pan is
carried out the amount which they would
receive from the taxation of the main
stem at local rates would amount to very
little, would be, in fact. so small that
they would never notice it. while on the
other hand the amount taken from the
State and given to the municipalities oS
the Weather counties would so diminish
the income of the State that it would be
necessary to impose a State tax upon the
smaller places in order to meet the ex-
penses of the State Government In this
way, luc u1Gll say the Ills
tricts would thus be robbed for the benz
eft of the people of Hudson.
This sort of argument has had its eff
feet and there is beyond doubt d strong
sentiment in the smaller counties against
taking from the State the one-haH of one
per cent. tax on main stem property
which it now receives. Mr.. Record Is re-
ported to believe that if a bill should be
! introduced for the taxation of main stem
at local rates. with the provision for the
one-half of one per cent. to go to the
State, it would meet the principal objec-
tion of the country members and receive
some Of their votes.
Some of the Essex men say they do
not see why the State should receive any
Of the tax on the main stem and believe
that it would be better tp attempt to pass
! q bin providing that all the money deriv-