The Jersey City news., 1906-03-12
NATE BAL.KS0N
PERKIsS TAX BILL
Friends of Equal Taxation
Begin to Fear the Meas
ure viii Not Pass
WHENCE THE OPPOSITION
IT IS POSSIBLE THE sC0yEL
BILLS WILL BE OFFERED AS
SUBSTITUTES FOR THE PER-
KfNS MEASURE.

special to THE Jersey city Newa.''1
TRENTON Mar. Il. 19O6-Ths
friends of equal taxation in the Legisla-
ture are becoming uneasy over the failure
of the Senate to take action on the Per
kins railroad taxation measure. In it
they see indications of the old-time tao
ties of the railroads to defeat measures
which they do not want by having COM
mittee action upon them delayed by re-
quests for hearings until it is too late
in the session to have them considered.
In the language of one of the lobby,
the Perkins bill '.is up against it in the
Senate" and the probabilities are that
a substitute measure win be presented
to take its place. When the bill came
over to the Senate from the House over
two weeks ago, it was referred to the
Judiciary Committee, composed of Sena-
tors Hillery. Wakelee and Minturn. and
although it has been in the hands of that
committee all this time no action has
been taken upon it. The reason for de-
lay given by one of the committee was
that President Bradley had said that he
desired to appear before the committee
and be heard on the proposition to sub
stitute the scovel bills for the Perkins
measure.
Why the committee has not fixed a
date for such hearing is not easily un-=
derstood. except that it has o.har in
portant measures on hand to dispose of
before tackling the equal tax problem.
President Bradley denies all responsible
ity for delay. He claims that he is pre-
pared to appear before the committee
any day that may. be acceptable to its
members. In fact, he would rather pre-
fer an early date. as it would give the
committee longer time to consider com
promise measure before sine die adjourn
ment
President Bradley is charged with
leading the revolt among the Senators
against the Perkins bill. He is recogaiz-
ed as the Pennsylvania Railroads repre-
sentative in the Senate. and his influence
carries great weight for or against any
bill.
When Assemblyman Scovel introduced
two equal tax bills in the House on Feb
ruary. 1S. President Bradley was charged
with being responsible for them. This
the President did not deny.
In fact, he created quite q stir when
he declared that they were the only fair
equal tax measures before the Legisla.
ture and that the Perkins bill was un-
equal taxation. He further declared that
he proposed to fight the Perkins bill to
the last ditch and felt confident of accom-
plishing its defeat.
The first of the two Scovel bills which
President Bradley favors provides for
taxation of real estate and personal
property Of railroads, except rolling
stock, by local assessors, to be paid TO
the taxing districts in accordance with
provisions Of the act of April 8, 1903
while the other provides for the assess
ment of rolling stock and floating marine
equipment of railroad and canal COM
panies by the State Board of Assessors
and the payment of each upon such prop
erty at the average rate of taxation. The
rate is to be computed by taking the re-
ports of local assessors to the State
Board of Assessors and dividing the ag-
gregate taxes by the aggregate value OF
the general property of the State.
Another factor that is charged with
being responsible for the ''hold-up' of the
equal tax bill in the Senate is the rail-
roads. Through their representatives at
the State Capitol they are opposing the
Perkins bill and striving to accomplish
its defeat. They have prepared a mass
of arguments which viii be used to bonn
bard the bill and expect that it viii have
much weight with the Senators who are
undecided as to how they will vote ca
the equal tax proposition
While the railroad Representatives
claim that they are not opposed to the
principal of equal taxation, they are OPP
posed to the Perkins bill because they do
not approve of the provision for the tax
alton of the franchise of railroads on the
ground that franchises We're simply a per.
mission to do business. Another objec-
ton which they offer is that they do not
see why the railroads should pay taxes
on their franchises at the rate Of two and
one-half per cent. when other eorpors.
tions only paid at the rate Of one-tentl
of one per cent.
1t was said today that the railroads
have decided to test the eonstitutionalitJ
Of the Perkins bill if it becomes a Law
against their protests, upon the ground
that it provides for the raising of more
revenue than is actually needed to mee
| tie States requirements.