The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-09-25
VALUATIONS
REVIEWED
The State Board Of Assessors
Hears Appeals IN Regard
to Municipal Values.
10 COME UP OCTOBER FIRST,

Taxes held decidedly lively and pro-
longed session in the County Hall on
Friday, the session lasting from quar-
ter past eleven, till nearly four o'clock
with half hour for dinner. There
were present Of the State board
Messrs. Carl Lentz, Black, Armstrong
and Trick. with a clerk and q steno-
grapher.
The question at issue was the ap-
peal Of the town of Boonton against
Morristown, Dover and Madison,
charging that the three towns are not
assessed at nigh enough rate. Fred
Gordon presented the Boonton case
and declared that Boonton must pay
this year So, 800 more than last year,
while Morristown gets off with Sl1 900
less for county purposes and State
school tax. He further claimed that
the three towns are assessed for less
than fifty per cent. of their values,
and that the assessors had made no
attempt to ascertain the personal
property. Boonton asked square
deal and a hundred per cent. increase
in the valuation of the three towns.
After some sparring with the asses
sors of three places, principally with
the Madison assessor. the duplicates
of the three towns were produced. It
was stated that ten per cent. had been
added to the real estate values of
Morristown, while the Mr.. Ellic0tt, OF
Dover, declared that Dover had been
raised hundred per cent. in ten
years and 81, 200, 900 in four years.
@. A. Baker of the County Board
was the first witness called. He de-
clared that he was generally familiar
with the values of the county through
observation and comparison Of assess
ments. Most of the assessors he said
had done their duty fairly we'll, some
are little low. He said he had not
gone over Morristown with the asses
sor. The Mayor and others had said
it was assessed at about ninety per
cent The board had gone over Mend
ham pretty well and tried to bring up
the rich people Mr.. Gordon asked
him If he had not said that the assess
ing was on a seyenty-flYe per cent. val
uation. Mr.. Baker said 1t was, not SO.
Ell. Cahill declared that Mr. Baker
had made the statement to J. O. FL.
Pitney at the Florham hearing. Nor
ristown he declared is not assessed at
sixty per cent. He had lived here for
thirteen years. He brought up as ex-
amples the White property on James
ST., worth he declared 50, 500, assessed
for $500; Ambrose house, Maple ave-,
worth $1,000, assessed 81, 900; S. p.
Sheridan, 20 James street. worth 49,
500, assessed $780, In the McCurdy
case he declared, that the land cost
S92, 900 and it has cost over 100000 to
put the place in order, assessed at
1925, ,000 Mr.. Cahill forgot in his
figuring one of the pieces which makes
up the McCurdy place. The Jenkins
place he said was sold for S40,0 900 and
had $50, 900 spent on it. but assessed
for $40, 900. The Mansion House worth
$6O, 900, assessed at 100000. The S. VI.
Hoffman place, Madison avenue, sold
for $4,000, assessed $4,000. The
Skidmore tract sold for S225, 900, as
sessed for $4,000. Mayor Reed de-
clared that part of this place lay in
the township and declared it to be a
fact that most Of the fine places are
in the township rather than the town.
The f. B. Richardson property
worth $4,000, assessed for $4,000
Z. A. Vogt, Franklin street. which
Mr. Cahill declared that Mr.. McCurdy
offered $4,000 for it, but the assess
ment is only s3.5OO Major Lentz
asked Mayor Reed about the personal
and the Mayor said the town had lost
$50. 900 in one block, the Vanderpool
estate. Major Lentz said the figures
shown seemed to show about forty
per cent. valuation. He could hardly
believe that the Morristown assessor
had sworn it was hundred per cent.
valuation.
Madison then came up for a raking
on all sorts Of property, the principal
discrepancy appearing to be over the
Britten Building, which is assessed
for 7,700, while Mr.. Cahill declared it
worth $4,000. The Bell property
provoked the longest discussion. It
was assessed at STE, 900, although Mr..
Cahill declared that it sold for S125,-
600 and was cheap at that. Assessor
Burnett was asked If the low figure
was the right one and he said 1t was.
Major Lentz asked him If he saw the
other property in the same way, and
the assessor said he did, when the
Major said he had heard enough from
Madison.
In Dover figures quoted showed the
Baker Store occupied by y. J. Turner
worth $40, 1000, assessed So, 500 Straker
house, Elliott street, sold for $4,000
and resold for 81, 800, assessed at 81
800. Killgore store, sale price $40 900,
assessed for "a, 200, Turner house,
Morris street, sold for S5, 300, assessed
1880 Derry house, Blackwell street,
sold for SIC, 900. assessed $500. Rich
ards Building assessed at $50 900: Mr..
Cahill declared theland worth S47 900
and the building 940,0 600 more "A. K.
Baker, pOstQffice building. assessed
for $40, 900, the land worth Sl2. 900 and
the building cost @13. .Oc0.
Manar Re- nA