Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-01-11

| These three objects seem to cover a com
! paratively wide field Of forestry york
| Ten thousand dollars was appropriated
! for these purposes. tract Of aaS.g acres
| near Mays Landing was purchased for the
! sum of Sl075.76. TO which has been added
| l04.65 acres the gift of John Clifford, and
| tract Of b97 acres of young timber IN
| Bass River township. Burlington county,
I has been secured at a cost Of SS49. The
!! aggregate acreage now acquired is SOB
acres at cost OF 81, 95476 for the land and
| si93.50 for surveys and maps required by
law.
! Negotiations are In progress for tracts
| Of larger acreage, subject to the approval
| of the legislature In the way OF sufficient
| appropriation. Among them is Weymouth
/ tract OF a, 700 acres well timbered, lying
| near Mays Landing and Egg HarDor
| City. which has been offered at IS an
i acre The tract contains a pond Of 200
| acres and a water power already develop
! ed, with future possibilities Of $50 horse
\ power The average flow Is 199,000,000
| gallons daily and the minimum 32,250,000
| gallons With storage, 900 gallons
| daily may be collected. The tract also
| contains deposits Of clay. gravel and
| stone, a fully equipped sawrnill, paper
4 mill, store and twenty-four houses
| Arrangements are pending between the
| forestry commission and the board Of wa
| ter commissioners OF East Orange where-
| by the forestry commission can take
| charge of tract of $50 acres located in
| Milburn township, Essex county, so that
| this tract may practically become part
! of the f5restry reservation of the state.
/ The acquisition of such tracts tends to
| the preservation Of our water supply! In
deed, state forestry reservation should
| go hand In hand with the conservation Of
| our water sources and potable streams
| Already our large municipalities are fear
-
| not be exercised to avoid this calamity,
and If legislative action can aid it should
be taken promptly before the danger is
| upon us.
State Property In Potable Water.
| We have 10s fresh water lakes distribut-
l ed throughout the state, covering 1900
acres. Where practicable these should be
| set apart as public parks and carefully
| preserved for the use of the people of the
| state. They should become the property
| of the state in connection with its for
| estry reservation. The state now owns
no potable waters, but it could acquire
these lakes and through the ownership of
| forestry reservations the sources of our
| potable streams
| / suggest subject to the judgment of
| the legislature, that some commission,
l preferably the riparian, be authorized to
| investigate this proposition, its practical
| bility and probable cost and If possible
| make at least a partial report at this SEES
| sion of the legislature if it be found that
| some preliminary legislation is necessary.
Passaic River Pollution.
The publication of the Passaic river is
| still an unsolved problem.
| It's settlement should no longer be de-
| ferred. The way to purify the Passaic
| river is to agree upon some practical
| method rather than talk about it for the
| next ten years. There must be some
| possible settlement Constitutional legis-
| lation and an agreement among the af-
fected communities are the essential fac
| tors in this proposition. Legislation is
| difficult in q controversy between two
| communities and heretofore has been sue
| cessful only through a special session
| which left a worthless legacy to the
| courts. Newark and Paterson have not
been altogether in harmony on the sub
| ject, although, as a matter Of fact. their
1 interests are not Incompatible Two such
| extensive municipalities should meet
| through theip representatives in busi-
nesslike conference for the purpose not
| Of disagreeing but Of agreeing Some
| remedy should be provided. Let it be done
with fairness to all and hardship to none.
Taxation.
The execution Of our tax laws remains
unsatisfactory Inequality of valuations,
| the escape of personal property and vari-
Gus forms of tax evasons are intensifying
| the dissatisfaction. Whatever theory may
| be held as to the wisdom of taxing per-
| sonal property, that subject is not a ques-
ton of debate SO long as our constitution
requires it to be taxed. Personal property
has multiplied rapidly in the last decade
not only through increased production,
but through the various forms of bond
| and stock issues. Our tax levies, how
| ever, falsify this well known fact. The
per capita value of assessed personal prop
erty in 1879 was $114; in 1904 it was $72.
This statement needs no comment The
assessed value of our real property in
| creased from $427, 100000 in 1879 to 1912, 49,,
| 594 in 1904 over ITO per cent. Our assessed
personal property in 1879 was $4,000, 900
and in 1904 $l53, 244,987, an increase of less
| than 20 per cent.
| According to the census reports and
other statistical data, we had at the last
census tangible personal property in the
state amounting to s5SS, 100000, and to this
can be added intangible personal property
consisting Of trust company, bank stocks
and insurance values amounting to $780,,
600, 000 making the total over $3.50, 900
as against an assessment of $153,244 9S7.
and this does not include over 500, 100000
Of cash deposits, which some hold merely
represent other forms of property. APP
P1A Ck1tAy Acr4 ~ peVV,uJVVoV VI teAAA6 PCA
sonal property escapes the assessor. This
| is about SO per cent Of the present assess
| ed valuations of all property in the state
and If assessed should result In reducing
| the tax rates SO 1-3 per cent on the pres
ent basis~ Of expenditure. Real estate is
clearly bearing an unfair share of taxa
ton and persons of small means larger
proportion of taxes than the well to do. A
vast deal OF property now escapes through
lack of courage or through favoritism on
| the part of officials.
| The claim that 1t is impossible to find
| and list property that now escapes the
tax assessors is the cry of incompetence.
What the census taker can find the as
SCISSOR surely can find. Recent events
have shown that other reforms once said
to be Impossible can be accomplished
Reform in this direction is no exception
| to the rule. Massachusetts, which COM
| pares with our state in many particulars,
| finds 1897 worth Of personal property per
capita for assessment. New Jersey should
be able to find more than $72.
The lack of uniformity in valuations
and assessTeerfs IL well known This Is