The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-06
Court OF Errors May Adjourn
to Secure a Speedy
Announcement.
STATE BOARD STATEMENT
Careful Economy in Municipal
Government Will Relieve the
Burden OF Taxation, Says
Equalization Members
in Report.
Especial to the Evening STAR

TRENTON, Dec. 6.--The State Boart
0f Equalization of Taxes today ISSUED
4 statement which intimates that ar
early decision of the Court of Error.
on the railroad tax appeals may be
expected. The statement also goes into
the matter of increase in valuations
Following is the statement:
'The decision upon the railroad tax
rates is hoped for soon. The Court of
Errors and Appeals feels that the inn
portance of this subject demands m
prompt Il decision as possible, and they
may take an interim adjournment in
order 10 mako speedy announcement.
''The law passed, which increased tho
taxes of railroads during the past two
years, authorizes the taxation of second
class railroad property by the local
assessors at local rates in the various
municipalities, and requires the main
highway Of the road, never exceeding
a hundred feet in width, to be taxed
at the average rate of the state for
State and school purposes. This in
creased the tax of the main stem about
three and half times and brings
revenue TO the State and schools of
from s3.250.000 to $500, 900 per annum.
1.-The railroads are strongly opposed
to this method of taxation and are
fighting it through the courts of last
resort and IL is said will appeal it to
the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Notwithstanding this strong oppo-
sition of the railroads some of the
papers are falsely claiming that the
present scheme of taxation is a rail-
road n easure. The fact that the rail-
roads are fighting it is a sufficient
refutation of this claim, The failure of
the railroads TO pra their taxes. pend
ing litigation, dearives the taxpayers
OF tho benefits Of the revenue.
when this is received, taxes will be
materially lowered, as the taxes on the
stem and second classes railroad prop
erty together an1 unit to about one
sixth Of the totaT taxes of the State
raised for county. local, school and all
other purposes.
There has been some increase in
valuations in order to assess all prop
erty equitably and according TO the
constitutional standards. Equality in
valuation Is necessary in order that all
property should be treated alike and
that every taxing district should pay
its fair share of the county tax or the
State school tax.
"Where property Is assessed at diff
ferent percentages Of its value some
taxing districts in the county pay more
than their share or less than their
share of the county tax, some counties
pay more than their share or less than
their share of the State school tax.
The equalization of valuations rem
edies this evil, but cannot increase the
taxes. Increase In taxes is due to the
increased expenditures Of the munici-
palities Careful economy i'm municipal
government will relieve the burden of
taxation. No taxing system, however
equitable. can prevent au increase OF
taxes where the expenditures are con-
tinually increasing. The State is con-
tributing large sums annually to the
payment of local taxes. and when the
railroad taxes are paid. this dividend to
the municipalities will be largely in
creased. The taxpayers should see that
IL is used for their benefit and not for
eXtravagant expenditures