Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-01-10
Governors Message.

The last legislature builded for the
present and the future and set an ex-
ample for emulation. 1t added to the
resources of our schools by taxing rail-
roads as individuals are taxed, increas-
ed the revenue thereby and dedicated
that revenue to the cause of educa-
ton. Last year the results of this pol
icy were problematical; today they can
be determined. The ratables of almost
every taxing district in the state have
been increased in the increased amount
of second class railroad property and
the revenues swelled by the taxes
therefrom. The tax on the main stem
under last years legislation is figured
by the state board of assessors at 3d.
sos, 529.T0 as against $950,991.21 under
the former system. OF this amount
$2,533, S67.35 is to be apportioned di-
rectly for the benefit of our schools and
reduction of local taxes, while the re-
mainder is turned into the state treas
ury, to be appropriated, with such adj
ditions as the legislature deems wise,
to the same ends. Based upon appro-
priations equal in amount to those here
fofore made, the following examples
illustrate the benefits that will accrue
to our municipalities from last ses-
sion's legislation:
Atlantic City received under the
old system ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. so, 540.fu
Under the present act it will
receive S1,o@z-4s
old system ......................... 5,s43.os
receive ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 17.52s.2
Northampton township, in Bur
lington county, received under
the old system .................... 2,124.Ss
receive ............................. s.s7sM
Camden city received under the
old system ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. So,4fSo7
receive ............................. 1Oe. 42oSs
Newark received under the old
system ............................. 177.527H
Under the present act it will
receive $50, 5S2A
Montclair received under the old
system ............................. 11.ss72s
Under the present act it will
receive .......................... s4.Ol1.es
old system ....................... s,4so.4s
Under the present act it will
receive ............................ 1o,4a.@
Jersey City received under the
old system 1os.5245s
receive ..,.......................... s2s,57s.a
North Bergen township, in Hud-
old system ..................... s,o26.5l
Under the present act 1t VIII
receive ............................. 24osa
Kearny received under the old
system SOFAS
receive ............................. 27.o4s.A
the old system ................... $4,000
receive ............................. 22.s2oss
system ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ASSOC
receive ............................. 18,1491s
Neptune township, in Monmouth
county, received under the old
system ............................. 0.514ss
receive ............................. 25.544.Ss
system ............................. 51.552.a
Under the present act it will
receive lS4,65S.N
old system ......................... 1s.O4sn
receive ............................ 48,12s.es
Acquackanonk township. in Pas
sale county, received under the
old system ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 3,9S5.3a
receive ............................. 1885 ss
Raritan township, in Hunterdon
county, received under the old
system ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. z,ol5.%
receive ............................. 7.55sH
Washington, in Warren county,
received under the old system. 1,a4si
Under the present act 1t will
receive o,14z.S1
These illustrations show that the To-
cal appropriation for school expenses
can be reduced from 80 to IS per cent.
The Necessity of Equalization.
The investigations of the state board
of equalization of taxes disclosed great
Irregularities in the execution of our
tax laws. In no county was property
assessed according to the constitution
al requirements. 1t was acknowledged
that assessments were made in most
cases on an arbitrary basis without re-
2dIQ 10 Ia w anu tuaI lnCAC w as AttAO
effort to include personality in the
ratables. 1t is but fair to the assessors
to say that this was largely due to a
lack Of system and to an accepted
custom which the individual assessors
could not remedy without great per-
sonal sacrifice and unpopularity.
Equal taxation depends upon equal
ity Of valuation Equality of yalua-
ton, however, is impossible under the
administration of 500 different assess
ors without a uniformity of method
and with no proper supervision. The
necessity of some central, equalizing
board is indispensable to an honest adj
ministration of our tax laws.
A careful If somewhat hasty inquiry
throughout the state shows that on a
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