The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-04
.HILLERY DEFENDS
HIS TAX LAW
In Reply to An Attack by
City Counsel ". A. Lord
Of Orange He Explains Its
Working.
WILL KILL IT If UNJUST
ARGUMENT AGAINST THE BILL
BY Mr.. LORD WHO GIVES FIG
UREs FROM SEVEN BIG CITIES

'
UREs FROM SEVEN BIG CITIES
At the Union League Club, Orange,
there was a debate on the Maximum
Tax Law last week. City Counsel Will
lam A. Lord attacked the measure and
Senator Hillery replied to his arguments.
Mr.. Lord said:--
my greatest objection to the bin is
to the feature which attempts to differ
entiate between tax rate of cities of less
than 10000 inhabitants and those Of a
greater population, and this provision Of
the act. believe, is wholly indefensible,
although am free to say that Senator
Hillery is not really responsible for this
feature of the bill. The act which he
originally introduced in the Senate pro-
yided for uniform maximum rate of
$1.50 upon every $1O0 of assessed valua-
tions for all municipalities in the State.
This bill was afterward amended in the
committee on revision of laws in the
Senate so as to provide the distinction
which have just alluded to.
''There are just seven cities in the
State having population of over 5o,00Q
inhabitants. These seven cities are Cam
den, Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken,
Trenton, Paterson and Elizabeth, and
by comparing the tax rate of last year
for each one of these cities with the tax
rate for the next largest municipality
of less than $4,000 inhabitants, in
their respective counties. it can be
easily shown that the largest cities are
conducted every year at less expense
in proportion to their valuations than the
smaller municipalities. with substantially
the same modern improvements and con-
veniences In Camden. with population
of 75, ,935, the tax rate or last year was
$2.20, and in Gloucester City, the next
largest municipality in Camden Coun-
ty, with a population of 6,S40, the tax
rate was the same; in Newark, with a
population of 246,070, the tax rate was
1927, while in Orange. the next largest
city in the county. with population of
24,141, the tax rate was $2.T6 for nine
months, and in East Orange. with pop
ulation of 1906. the tax rate was $2.73;
in Hudson County, Jersey City, with a
population Of 206,433. had tax rate of
S2.74, and in Hoboken, with a population
of 59,364. a tax rate of 1928, while Bay
onne. the largest city in the county of
under $4,000 inhabitants. which has a
population of 32,722, had tax rate OF
$2.75.
"In Mercer County. Trenton, with a
population of 73,307. had tax rate of
$2.20, and Hamilton Township, with
population of 4,164, the next largest mu-
nicipality in the county. tax rate of
SIPS. Paterson, with a population Of
105,171, had tax rateSof $2.51, while
Passaic. the next largest city in Pas
sale County, had tax rate of S2.SS. In
Union County. Elizabeth, with a popu-
lation of 2,130, had a tax rate Of 81. 81,
and Plainfeld. the next largest city in
the county, with a population Of 1850,
had tax rate of $2.52. So that Of these
seven cities of over $4,000 Inhabitants,
four of them have considerably lower
tax rates than the cities in their respec-
tive counties of much smaller popula-
ton. OF the other three, one. Camden,
has the same tax rate as the next largest
city in the county, and Elizabeth. in
Union County. has a tax rate greater by
only ten points than the tax rate of the
next largest city in the county, Plain
field, but lower by Twenty-Five poiuts
than the third largest. city in the county
Railway, with a population of 1885,
while Trenton has a considerably higher
rate than any Of the other municipalities
in Mercer County, but you will notice
that in Mercer County nonersf the mu-
inequalities outside Of Trenton have the