The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-01-17
DUF FIELDS TAX
B()MBSHELL
Republican Assembly Leader
Gets Ahead of All the
Equal Takers With
a Bill
SAYS IT'S All HIS OWN TOO
Denies That Major Lentz Is
Responsible for the Mea-
sure But There Are
Suspicious.
SAYS IT'S ALL HIS OWN TOO
Special 10 aThs jersey city News. .,

TRENTON, Jan. II, 1905. Both
Houses held remarkably brief sessions
last night. The Senate meeting was
over within fifteen minutes, while the
House remained ten minutes longer. The
Republican leaders had decreed that the
legislation should not be started until
next week, owing to the Inauguration Of
Governor Stokes today and the law
makers acauiesced. Notwithstanding the
brief sessions several important meas
ures were introduced in both Houses.
Assemblyunan Duffield, leader Of the
Republican majority in the House, had
the honor of introducing bill No. 1. It
was an equal taxation measure and its
introduction before the State Equal Tax
Commission had presented its report
to the Legislature excited comment.
Leader Dufield halls from Sussex
County. where. Major Carl Lentz, a
member Of the Equal Taxation Commits
sion. is the Republicans boss, and the
fact that he introduced such an import
ant measure caused the tongues Of the
State House gosips to wager.
"Is Major Lentz behind Dnfield's bill?
Does it represent his views. Why was
the bin introduced before the Commits
sion presents its report?' These and
numerous other questions were pro-
pounded by the gossips but no satisfac-
tory reply could be obtained.
Mr.. Dufield insisted that nobody
but himself was behind the bill and that
he had not even consulted Major Lentz
about it. He said that he had introduced
it for the purpose of fulfilling the pledges
made in the Republican platform dur
ing the recent Gubernatorial election
election. and as Governor Stokes had
been elected upon such a platform he
believed that it was the win Of the ma
ority of the people that such an Equal
Taxation measure should become a law.
1t was for This purpose, and this only,
he stated, that he had introduced the
bill.
Briefly outlined Mr.. Duffield's bill re-
[
quires the president and officers of all
railroad corporations to submit under
oath detailed description Of all second
class property-exclusive of the main
stenl--owned by such corporation to the
State Board of Assessors at least once
each year, together with map of such
property.
The taxing authorities Of every muni-
cipal wherein such second-class property
is located is also directed to report to
| the State Board of Assessors the amount
of taxes levied ON all property in such
municipality. The State Board of As
SCISSORS is then authorized TO levy an as
! sessment on such second-class property
according to the prevailing tax assess
ment for the benefit of the municipality.
| Such scheme was proposed in the
recent Republican platform and al
| though it met with considerable oppo-
sition at the time it was adopted by the
convention at the dictafion Of the Re
| publican leaders.
Whether Mr.. Dufield's bill will ever
leave the hands Of the Railroad and Ca
nal Committee to which it was referred
! by til Speaker Avis is an open question.
Manx shrewd men areinclined to believe
| that it will be allowed to slumber in com
mittee until after the State Equal Taxa
Commission presents its report and will
| then be consigned to the grave yard by
order Of the Republican leareders. There
was scarcely a Republican leader In the
city last night. outside of Mr.. Dnfield,
who would concede that the bill had Q
ghost OF chance Of becoming law.
/ Many leaders we're inclined to look upon
the introduction Of such an simportani
| measure at this time as 4 joke.
Assernblyman Fordyce Of Afiddlesex in
- il; II AZ ~ II a.enr,,aS 4 Il u