The Morris County chronicle., 1906-09-25
VALUATIONS
RECEIVED
.LcoNr1NUnD FnoM FIRsr FAan.l

questioning Of Mr.. Cahill when Major
Tentz asked if he owned property. He
declared tnat it was his wife's; he
maid S4. 100 for it, had spent $1,000 10
aflditions. and was assessed at So, 500.
Mavor Reed declared that what 1t had
cost is not necessarily the value.
Major Ientz asked if the rate came
Through his office. The Mayor de-
! clared that the assessment had been
raised since he took office. Major
T,eDtz then asked if the town IS as
Eessed on the same basis The Mayor
declared that he was not the assessor.
but on being asked for his opinion as
Mayor said that some properties are
higher and some lower.
Mr.. Black asked ii he would say the
valuation was on a sixty per cent.
basis. but the Mayor said it is higher.
The county board, Mayor Reed said,
seemed to agree with the local asses
sor pretty WELL as in every piece OF
property it had declared substantially
that the lOcalsman was ten per cent.
tOo low, The opinion OF the State
Board might not agree with the
Others, but the Mayor thought an ar
bitrary raise an injustice.
Major Lentz remarked that an addi-
tiOn of ten or fifteen per cent. is not
quite Just and intimated that his
opinion favored reassessment.
Mr.. Black said enough evidence had
come out to put the three towns on
the defense.
Mayor Reed said the town officials
had come to discuss certain properties
as the citation recited, but found all
the properties involved. Each muni-
cipality he said is interested IN not
having high valuation.
Vice-C chancellor Pitney favored
the valuing of property at It's true
value, but thought it practically I'M
possible to gain this object in one
year. Any attempt to review the as
EeSsment he thought utterly futile.
The true test of the value of proper
ty is what it will rent or sell for.
There is yearly change in value, but
the rental tells the story. The Bell
property stables which cost fortune
are not worth the price of the ma
Herials. Then again the cost of keep
ing up such place is enormous. The
Savings Bank had refused a loan of,
$50 900 on the place. He also referred
TO the James place, and the Richards
tjlAeA at Dover, which the Vice-Chan-
cellor said cost over 100000 and was
sold for S25, 900.
His farm at Mendham had come
down in apostolic succession from his
fOrefathers and he kept it and valued
1t from affection, but found that it
had yielded him oats, hay and straw
for three horses as a return on the in
Vestment. Yet, If he built gilded
fence around it, it would be worth no
more to him. He regarded the Mend
ham farms as assessed at their value.
1t is only question in M0rriStOwn
whether the ten per cent. added is.
enough. During the past year he had
spent sc. 900 on his clearinghouse, but
the assessor had not discovered it.
BoOnton is too high and in closing he
gave the opinion that Chairman
Gahill's ideas are ridiculous.
Mayor Reed continuing his cross ex-
animation Of Mr.. Cahill, the latter
&tated that he had written the Attor-
ney-General in reference to putting on
pro rata and the latter had sane
tiOned the raise.
Mr.. Armstrong said The Attorney
Generals opinion was entitled to the
greatest possible respect, but issimply
his opinion.
Mayor Reed asked Mr.. Cahill where
ne got all the books Of transfers, and
was told that Mr.. LukenS gave them
to him. Major Lentz explained that
Mr.. LukenS is the real estate agent Of
the Lackawanna and said he thought
he had recognized the volumes and
was sure that they were before the
board last year.
Mayor Reed asked if the railroads
did not prepare them to show that
they were assessed too high. Mr..
Armstrong said not that, but to show
Ghe percentage Of assessment.
Mr.. Cahill here broke in and de-
clared that Mr.. Reed was trying to
make out a connection between him
and the railroads, but there was moth
ing in it.
Mr.. Gordon said "Can't we get a
square deal 2" Members OF the State
Board objected and he apologized for
any seeming diScOurteSy.
Mayor Reed asked If the county
board had used the books in the work.
TO which Mr.. Cahill replied, No,
sir
There was considerable parley as to
how to get at the facts and eliminate
the town meeting features, as one
expressed it. Finally the assessors of
the four towns involved were ordered
70 take every tenth property on the
books, ascertain the rental Of it, and
be,prepared to show its true value.
They were ordered to serve the lists
or, each other by next Wednesday and
be at the meeting, which was adj
jnifhed until Monday, October first.
The county board met after the
Z State Board and decided that as there
will be other changes, to postpone the
Ei0rham Park appeal until October
first.