The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-02-21

JOINT Session Elects Seven HIM
bred Commissioners
TAX COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
Especial correspondence

in Joint session yesterday at noon ana
elected about 700 commissioners OF
deeds for the various counties Of the
state. Senator Cross, president Of the
senate. presided at the joint meeting.
A Joint meeting Of the legislature is
an imposing spectacle. Shortly before
noon both houses took a recess prepara-
tory to the meeting. Chairs were ar
ranged in semicircle around the
speakers desk in the house.
The great doors leading to the as
sembIy were thrown open, and Sergeant
at Arms Lutts advanced down the aisle
halted and announced to the speaker
and the members of the assembly seat
ed at their desks:
sThe senate of New Jersey"
Then the dignifed members of the
upper house filed into the chamber the
assemblymen arising respectfully to re-
ceive them. The senators took the chairs
arranged for them, and President Cross
with tap Of the gavel opened the meet
ing. The election of the commissioners
of deeds was promptly proceeded with
and was quickly over. The first few
names on the list prepared were read
and then the motion was adopted to
elect the entire list. This was done
and the joint session adjourned.
The ceremony Of swearing in Ran
dolph Perkins Of Union county as a
member of the assembly elected at the
special election in Union to succeed the
late George H. Embree occurred Tues
day morning Mr.. Perkins credentials
were presented to the house and APP
proved and Assemblyman Pennington
of Essex as a master in chancery adj
fninistered the oath.
Assemblyman Dalrymple offered
bill appropriating $500 to administer
the teachers retirement fund. Another
bill introduced provides for the creation
of excise boards in second class cities
by appointment of the mayor. There
will be another joint session in two
weeks to elect additional commission
ers Of deeds.
Taxation Commissions Report.
The most interesting public matter
before the legislature is the report Of
the equal taxation commissioners. This
report, which is in four parts, is. of
great interest to the people of New
Jersey, as it is forecast of the action
likely to be taken by the present legis-
lature. The possibilities in dollars and
cents to the people, to the railroads
and to the various municipalities from
legislation is apparent in the submitted
report.
There are two material points upon
which all the commissioners agreed
One of these provides for the taxation
of second class property at local rates.
and the other was that there should be
fixed by the legislature a maximum
tax rate in municipalities. If Senator
Hillery's bill fixing the maximum tax
rate at $1.50 in municipalities becomes
a law the railroads will pay no more
tax on their second class property than
they pay now, provided that the assess
ments on their property should not be
increased.
The railroads now pay on second
class property tax rate Of $1.50, or
exactly the maximum rate provided for
in the Hillery bill. 1t is true that Sen
at0r Hillery in his bill exempts from
calculation in the maximum rate the
state school tax, which under present
conditions amounts to rate of about
IT cents. So that perhaps it would be
fair to say that Senator Hillery's bill
fixes a maximum tax rate of $1.6T.
This would mean that the tax rate
could be as high as $1.67, and where
the rate was that high the railroads
would pay more on second class prop
erty than they do now pay. On the
other hand, there are many municipal
flies in this state in which there is sec
ond class railroad property where the
rate is even now much less than $3.50,
and in those cases the railroads under
the proposition of the commissioners
to include the valuation of second class
property in local ratables would pay
taxes less than they now pay.
Arguments ON the Report.
1t is argued that such maximum
rate as is proposed by Senator Hillery's
bill would not only keep down the
amount of the taxes that the railroads
would have to pay upon second class
property in cities like Jersey City. where
there Is a present tax rate as high az
$275, but it would also put the larger
cities in the different counties in a po-
sition where they would have to pay
considerably larger proportion of the
state school and county taxes than
they NOW contribute.
Aside from the question Of how the
proposed maximum tax rate would
operate in keeping down the amount Of
money that would be paid by the rail
roads in taxes on second class property
ana In compelling cities to pay larger
proportion of state school and county
taxes than at present, there is the
unanimous recommendation of the
commission, which is worth close
study. Heretofore railroad companies
have been paying taxes on second class
railroad property Of $150 and have
paid these taxes direct to the munich
palities, and the municipalities have
been permitted to retain the entire
amount Of these receipts for their Local
use. The new proposition is to include
second class railroad property with the
local ratAbleg In this way these new