The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1906-08-30
Tax Board Demands
Revised Duplicates.

The Monmouth county tax board at
its meeting Tuesday of last week in
Freehold continued its sweeping crit
icism of the valuations made by the
assessors throughout the district un-
der its charge. The officials to suffer
Tuesday were Assessor Reed of Sea-
bright borough and Assessor Twins of
Shrewsbury township and Red Bank,
both of whom were called up at the
meeting and advised to re- estimate
property in their districts.
1t was the general opinion among
the board members that the assess
ment on the Octagon hotel, the Pan
naci hotel, the estate of Washington
E. Conner, the New York millionaire,
and on the big properties in Seabright
was Inadequate and Assessor Reed
was hauled over the Goals for his low
estimation and was directed to increase
the amounts materially. After Mr..
Reed had been dismissed Chas. Sandt,
proprietor of the Octagon hotel, APP
peared and urged that the assessment
on his property to be reduced from it's
present figures because it Is old and is
deteriorst ting with time. Decision on
this request was reserved until the tax
duplicate from Sea bright is finally
passed upon.
Assessor WINS was sub jected to an
even sterner reproof than was his col
league from Seabright, for several
specific instances were cited in which
the board believed that property had
been undervalued, and directions were
given for a new consideration and q
re-rating of number of large estates.
The Runson Road district is includ
ed in the section. Mr.. Twins has charge
of and he was instructed to increase
the assessment on several of the mag
nificent properties in Asbury Park to
the extent of so per cent. The Hoag-
land and Thomas McCarter places
were prominent among the ones that
will be reconsidered. The assessor
stated that this year he had made his
ratings considerably larger than those
of last year, but he was told to make
a still further increase in spite of that
fact. The board also advised that
other less valuable and prominent
property holdings in Mr.. WINS do
main he assessed at least 30 per cent
above the present valuations placed.
1t was suggested that smaller proper
ties, notably those in the city of Red
Bank, be taxed on scale based on a
% per cent increase in valuation.
Assessor William r. O'Brien of
Neptune township, one of the white
sheep in the fold of county assessors,
asked the board for more time in
which to complete his duplicate He
also stated that real estate in Ocean
Grove is exempt from taxation be-
cause of special provision in its con-
stitution but that he is assessing i'm
provements on all of the exempt prop
erty at rate of 100 per cent. He said
that he is also assessing all property
of the Ocean Grove association outside
of the limits of the cainpmeeting city,
just the same as any other property.
Mr.. O'Brien was given until Sept.
to complete his budget. On that date
the assessors from Asbury Park and
Neptune City, who were the first to be
ralSed over by the board on the pres
entation of duplicates, will appear
before the board with their revises.
That date WAS fixed in order not to
interfere with he work of Assessor
Arthur H. Hope, as chairman of the
Carnival commission. Mr.. Hopes
duties will bs practically at an end
on that day, which is the last of Car
nival week.
One of the interested spectators at
the session was Charles H. Sanford, of
Buenos Ayres. Argentine Republic,
South America. boyhood friend of
Judge William t. Hoffman, chairman
of the board. Mr.. Sanford was born
in Englishtown, hut when IA mere boy
went to Argentine, where he accumu-
lated fortune of several millions. He
is now visiting the scenes of his child
hood life. making his headquarters in
Freehold. After the meeting he en-
tertained the Tax board at dinner.
His brother, the late Tylee Sanford,
was resident of Asbury Park at one
time.