The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-16
ASSESSORS IN ROW
HUDSON MEN QUARREL BE-
FORE STATE BOARD.
Assessments in Jersey City Are Attacked
as Being Too Low, and Major
Lentz Seems Pleased.
[speelal 10 the Eyenlnr star.l

JERSEY CITY, July 16.-But for the OBJ
lection of Corporation Counsel George L.
Record. of Jersey City. the state Board
of Taxation would have, adjourned its ses-
sion with the Hudson County Tax Board
and the various tax assessors of the county
to September 4, or after the assessors had
filed their ratables with the county board
Charles c. Black. OF the State Board. sup
ported Mr.. Record and Major Carl Lentz'
president. changed his mind and made the
adjournment for two weeks. This Will en-
able Jersey City TO appeal TO the state
board IL the tentative assessments OF otnct
municipalities are changed before the as
SCISSORS report to the county board on
Tuesday, August 6.
Hoboken came in for a severe repuRe
from the State board yesterday afternoon
for taking issue with the county board on
The question Of valuations In Hoboken. The
State board sustained the county board.
but the Hoboken assessors were still de-
hant and did not yield. Trouble Is ex-
pected on August 6 when the Hoobken as
sessments are laid before the county board
for confirmation.
James r. Connolly, of the county board,
informed Assessors Henry Lohmann and
Maurice Stack, of Hoboken. who did most
Of the talking. that he would not sign
the Hoboken abstract II the tentative fig
ures are lowered.
Assessors Stack and Lohmann, of Hobo
ken, informed the State board that they
considered their Judgment as property APP
praisers superior 10 that of the county
board and the experts employed by t..
They dwelt ON the point that each assessor
must trke an affidavit in signing the alb
+, ttract of ratables that makes the valua-
ton his own Judgment.
rnI- IN~1 -
the State board through President Lentz
for challenging the county board and were
told that they must take the orders of the
county board or the State board would
have to act.
Joseph J. Guisto. with the aid of Sec
rotary Joseph P. Mclean, of the county
board. who was formerly connected with
the Jersey City tax department., showed
cases of differentiation In Jersey City.
While Major Carl Lentz, who does not
like the Pagan administration, seemed
pleased with the attack on Jersey City,
f. Amber Armstrong. of the State Board,
was not much impressed with several
cases cited by Mr.. Guisto of slight under
valuation. Mr.. Armstrong said 1t was a
waste of time to produce such cases and
asked that Mr.. Guisto show large discrep-
ancies in valuations.
Assessor Lohmann, of Hoboken, asked
the State Board to make an order that
Jersey City should return ratables of at
least $25S, 1000. Jersey City had pre-
viously estimated that the total ratables
for 1907 would be at least $40, 100000. Mr..
Lohmann said that he based his, demand
on the fact thai Jersey City property
was assessed last year at about 70 per
cent. of true value and the total ratables
were s16S. 0OO.O coo. He declared that the es-
timated ratables for 1907 would only mean
an assessment with an increase of IS per
cent. over last year except in the case OF
the Iuilrpuds.
THAT was only an estimate" replied
President Weastelf. of the Jersey City
board. ''and we do not know what ratables
we will have yet" ~
Jersey city has paid more than 1T
share Of the county expenses for years.
said Mr.. Record. because of the notori'
ously low valuations In Hohoken and
North Hudson. West Hudson and Bay
onses.
1--WE don't concede that, retorted Mr.
Lohmann.
"Hoboken's tentative are
shown to be higher than the cases cited
from Jersey City" asserted Mr.. Black.
ut is not fair to judge the entire Jersey
CITY assessment, by a few cases selected
by the County Board to make a point
said Mr.. Record. but still we welcome all
proof. Have you any more?"
Before any reply coulu De maue MdJol
Lentz said that he recalled that Jersey
CITY in the hearing of the railroads APP
nlicatien for a re~assesment, had admitted
assessing railroad property at 50 per cent.
of true value and property of individuals
at 20 per cent.
Mr.. Record denied this, and Major Lentz
heatedly said:
Mr.. Harrison figured 1t out that way
"Mr. Harrison was the railroad expert, :
replied Mr.. Record, and he could furnish
YOU any kind Of figures that you and the
railroads wanted. Those were not facts.
No city expert so testified"