Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-08-22
VALUATIONS
TO HELP RAILROADS.
CONTINUED from Page H.

coming ana going. While the indi-
vidual property owner pays on a
higher assessment, the railroads nav
on the old. While he gets a lower
rate, the railroad benefits in its
main stem tax by getting a lower
average rate. This is not a Colby
district-not yet-but the home of
Theodore Strong, state assessor, an
official who spends most of his time
lobbying in the interests of the cor
porations and of protecting their in
t~erests at the expense of the ordinary
Taxpayer.
At Newark and Jersey City, il the
assessment of railroad property
which was main stem last year, but
under the new classification is second
class this year, the local assessors, it
will be remembered, made advances
of from 100 to 400 per cent, by cor
recting the fragrant differentiation
I allowed by state board favoritism.
Here the little red book" with as
sessments standing therein like so
many orders from the boss, were sent
to each assessor and he knew what to
do-unless he was Independent. If
he was, his work has still 10 run the
gauntlet of the county equalization
board and then of the state board.
The railroads played a shrewd legis-
lative trick when they passed the
Avis bill; but it is only the owner
ship of the bosses that enables them
to realize on it.
These facts came out at the meet
ing of the county equalization board
at New Brunswick yesterday, when
the district assessors turned in their
books. Unfortunately, one man did
not get his orders. William Van
Siclen, of Metuchen, could not make
a proper report of his assessment be-
cause he was in doubt as to his duty
toward the railroad property. He
was confused as to whether 100 feet
constituted main stem or, as Major
Lentz has laid it down, mercy the
through tracks.
Didn't you get a little red book?"
asked President Schlessinger.
NO" said Van Siclen.
well, you should have" said the
members. You'll have to straight
en- out your books and turn in your
figures later
We'll, Iwish you gentlemen would
come along with me this afternoon
and Wen go over the Natter sug-
gested Mr.. Van Siclen.
"Well, we don't care to get soak
ed" said Mr.. Haney, looking out at
the rain from the lawyers room at
the court house, where the meeting
was held. "You get that little red
book at Mr.. Schlessinger's office and
copy the figures you'll find there and
you will be all right"
Mr.. Haney caught a CLEAN of in
terest in a newspaper mans eye.
Now, don't you give a report like
that last" he suggested. 81 get
enough pounding at home. 1 don't
like to be knocked at this end"
Mr.. Van Siclen's figures are the
only portion of the report missing.
1t is estimated that his assessment
will total 1000, 900, which, as the
assessments stand at present, will
produce a county total of $~46,1S5,-
I'll. Last year the county total was
$3S,54S,290 This would produce
an increase of $"7,637,421. The aim
of the county equalization board was
to produce an average increase of 20
per cent. When the equalizers get to
revising the figures not one total may
stand, so that the figures of yesterday
may be regarded as merely approx
mate.
New Brunswick has $10,592,O55
of taxable property. The entire
amount of property is considerably
more than this, but there are many
exemptions allowed. The total with
out exemptions is real estate, $10,-
976, 205, personal, $1,903, 965; to-
tai, O12,SS0,170. The exemptions on
real estate used for school purposes,
ETC., are $2,29S,115, leaving the net
amount taxable $10,592,055.
Perth Amboy has a total valuation
taxable of $12,24S,414, or $1,644,-
900 more than New Brunswick, the
first time that Perth Amboy has ever
shown a greater total ratables than
New Brunswick.
All of the taxing districts showed
increases in the reports made by the
assessors to the county equalizing
board at yesterdays meeting.
Woodbridge. it is true, appears to
have fallen behind, but hat is due
to the fact that Roosevelt has been
set off from the rest of Woodbridge
township. The total of Woodbridge
and Roosevelt this year, is very much
larger than Woodbridge's total last
year.
New Brunswick shows the small
est prop%ortionate increase, that city's
total being $537,547 over last year.
Perth Amboy shows the largest.
both in actual amount and in proper
ton, the total ratables here increas-
ing from $9,S63,120 in 1905 to $12,-
24S,414 this year, an increase of $2,-
3S5,294. The increase is about
! o. M M n > M