The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-01-24

ing taxation laws framed by the Tax
Commission in 1887, claiming that they
were worthless and protected the rail-
roads from paying their just share of
taxation. 1t was this statement which
aroused Mr.. Corbin's ire and to which
he replied when given an opportunity to
express his views.
Speaking of the Calvin bill Mr.. Rec
ord said it was crude measure and
made no reference to the taxing of rail-
road franchises or personal property, but
merely provided that the main stem
property should be assessed at local
rates by local assessors fer local pur
poses. He was opposed "a the scheme
of local assessors making as sments on
railroad property because he said they
may Know something about the property
in their community but they know moth
ing about the value OF the railroads
franchise and could not strike a fair es-
innate unless they guessed at it.
10 glutS tuStOul OL guessing, WI. AeSN'
ord said, he was strongly opposed. He
believed that the question of assessment
should be placed in the hands of the
State Board of Assessors and that such
board should levy assessments in a par
with the average tax rate Of the taxing
district where the railroad is located.
Prosecutor William H. Speer defended
the Calvin bill. He declared it was the
only equal tax measure which would pro-
vide genuine equal tax for the people.
This could only be done by allowing the
local assessors to assess the railroad prop
erty in their taxing district at the same
rate that other property owners paid,
and the money thus derived should be
paid into the local treasury.
Mr.. Speer said he did not believe that
the State should receive any part Of such
money He attacked the Perkins bill as
being vicious measure and possibly an
Unconstitutional one. He also decried the
Martin bill which Mr.. Record advocated,
saying that it was more vicious than the
Perkins bill
sThe time is now ripe" he said, when
the problem Of equal taxation must be
settled by the Legislature The people
Of the State were never more aroused
than at present and you should give the
people system which will provide equal
taxation"
Mr.. Speer then said that the Calvin
bill conformed more nearly to the pro-
visions cf equal taxation than any other
tax bill that has been presented and that
everybody who read the Calvin bill could
feel SATISFIED tfIat it provided equal
tax and would give justice to the rail-
roads as we'll as the people. He declared
the system of allowing the State Board
of Assessors TO assess railroad property
in a community like Jersey City was
vicious principle.
Then turning toward Mr.. Record, who
was seated behind him, Mr. Speer shout
ed: .sThe trouble with you is that you
cannot trust your own Board of Asses
sors; that is why you favor the State
Board of Assessors to assess railroad
property"
Mr.. Speer's fling at Mr.. Records ar
gument that the local assessors should
not he allowed to assess railroad props
erty provoked hearty laughter. Mr. Rec
ord made no attempt to reply. Mr.. Speer
said he did not challenge the character
of the members of the State Board of
Assessors or impugn them with dishonest
motives when they assessed railroad
property but the principle was wrong.
1t would be better, he said, to allow many
boards of assessors to assess railroad
property than to place such jurisdiction
in the hands of one board. The more
boards the harder it would be for the
railroads to handle them and the less the
discrimination.
Joseph A. Dear and John W. Heck
spoke as representatives of the Jersey
City Beard of Trade and pleaded for
any measure that would give Jersey City
relief from the burden of paying what the
railroads really ought to pay.
Harrison Van Duyne and ex-Prosecu-
tor Charles w. Riker represented the
Newark Board of Trade and presented
forcible arguments. These concluded the
peoples side of the subject.
For the railroads Prosecutor Frank
FLOYD, of Camden, argued that the rail
roads were willing at all times to bear
their fair share of taxation. but at the
same time, he said, they should not be
taxed cut of existence when they were
already paying their fair share while
private. property was escaping taxation
by paying on a sixty per cent. basis of
the value of the property.
Counsellor Corbin was the last speaker.
He said he represented the Erie and
Lehigh Valley Railroads. two of the lar
gest taxpayers in the State. In open
ing, Mr. Corbin took occasion to reply to
Mr.. Records criticism of the Tax Com
missions s work in 1887.
i scarcely know what to say" began
Mr.. Corbin dramatically. He was so
choked with emotion that he Could
scarcely speak above a whisper II stand
here today and hear a gentleman con-
denim the taxation law which / took a
great deal of pride in drafting and which
I though at the time was q fair measure
to the railroads as we'll as the people,
Mr. Corbin then explained that he was
chairman of that commission and had
labored zealously to present an equal tax
bill that was acceptable to all He told
how he had worked night and day to
frame such a. law.
But now,' he paused Il feel as if
all my labors have been in vain. That
everything that I have done is nothing,
that the law was framed to enable the
railroads to escape their just share of
taxation and that / was in league with
somebody that tried to escape his Just
share OF taxation" ees
As Mr., Corbin spoke his lips quiyered
and it soon became evident that Mr.. Rec
ord's attack on the taxation laws had
touched tender spot in his heart
But allow me to tell you," continued
Mr. Corbin, that while am ulluel d
retainer from a corporation | have vet
to receive retainer from any source to
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