Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-02-01
LOCAL ASSESSMENTS
TOO LOW, SAYS BOARD
Hearing in New Brunswick Yes
| terdaylOn Taxation Matters :
The A. S. & R. Plant.
LOOK / NTO PERTH AMBOY
Mayor Lentz Says He Knows All
About It and Figures Here Are
Out Of All Reason.

NEW BRUNSWICK, Feb. AL
legged discrimination on the part of
Perth Amboy's assessors in fixing the
taxable valuation of the Guggenheim
Smelling Works, at Perth Amboy,
and the Raritan Copper Works, sup
piled the chief sensation of yester-
days conference of the Tax Equali-
cation Board with the assessors of
the taxing districts of the county yes
terday
John Hanson was the only repre-
sentative of the Perth Amboy assess
ors present There are three assess
ors, but the other two wer absent.
Carl Lentz, president of the board,
said: 81 am sorry the other two rep
resentatives are not here, for | think
Perth Amboy needs looking after"
The assessment of Perth Amboy's s
big manufacturing plants was
brought up by question of Presi-
dent Lentz, who asked Assessor Han
sen what assessment had been plac-
ed upon the Guggenheim Smelling
Works. Mr.. Hansen replied that the
plant was assessed 100000 person
al and $1S7,0O0 real.
''That is about 20 per cent. of
what it ought to be- said Mr.. LentZ.
Il know all about this matter, for [
investigated it for the state board
some years ago, when New Bruins
wick complained of the inequitable
assessment. That plant cost $1,000
600. 1t isn't valued anywhere near
where it ought to be. Allowing for
all depreciation the real valuation
ought to be at least 100000"
No particulars could be secured of
the Raritan Copper Works assess
ment, because the plant is in the dis
trict of the absent assessors. II know
that there are many thousand dol
lars worth of copper at times" said
one of the assessors, but the value
doesn't show up in the valuations"
The board urged the new assess
ing board of Perth Amboy to cor
rect the gross inequalities of the tax
alton values placed upon the big
manufacturing plants of Perth Am
boy.
AuOIllcI CuIlOuo Hldltel We
brought up by Piscataway and Rari-
tan assessors. They stated that in
Union county districts, adjoining
MiddleseX county, property valua-
tions were placed SO low by the as
SCISSOR that in MiddleseX county it
was almost impossible to dispose OF
property, because of the great diff
ference in the tax which had to be
paid on MiddleseX property as COM
pared with the tax on similar proper
ty in Union county, where, it was de-
clared, the taxed valuation was only
about 25 per cent. of the real value.
Mr.. Lentz stated that this matter
would be considered when the board
visits Union county.
The conference between the State
Board of Equalization of Taxes and
the MiddleseX county assessors was
held yesterday at the court house
The state board is visiting all of the
county seats in New Jersey for the
purpose of interchanging views with
the local assessors as to the methods
employed in their respective counties
of making assessments for taxing
purposes.
The principal inquiry of the board
was as to the methods of valuation
All of the assessors present were in
telrogated as to the ratio between
assessments and full property value
in their districts. This was found to
vary from seventy-five per cent in
Woodbridge to one hundred per cent
in North Brunswick, the average ra-
ito throughout the county being from
eighty to eighty-five per cent.
The board urged upon the assess
ors to make their assessments here
after up TO the full value of the prop
erty. When this is not done, it was
shown, inequalities arise between the
assessments of the different districts
The board then inquired into the
reason for the low personal assess
ment in JRaritan township in compar-
ison lth the assessment on real es-
tate. i The explanation was given by
the Raritan assessor that assess
ments made on farms in his districts
included the personal property witt
ZEAL estate and that this method
w. assessment had always been II
Eaas21 in his district. The board cen
y this as deceptive, improper
legal method and recommended
ERECTION at once.
Gurice c. Ross, assessor OF the
\district of New Brunswick, com
to the board of the cutting
Zashing of assessments by the