The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-08
What the Republican Party Has
Done for the Taxpayer.

The settlement of the litigation con-
corning railroad taxes and the distribu
ton for the first time this year of the
taxes on the main stem, justifies a state
ment as to what the Republican party has
done toward the relief Of local taxation in
the state.
The Republican party inaugurated the
policy of distributing the surplus funds In
the state treasury to the various localities
to be used for the purpose of paying local
expenses and reducing the local tax rate
accordingly. Our state Is, perhaps, the
only state that can make this showing to
its taxpayers.
By reason of the economies practiced
and the increase of revenues under the
Republican administration, the sums for
distribution in; the different localities
grew from year to year, until the amount
Of the aid, direct and indirect, to the tax
PAYERS from the state treasury when the
taxes on the main stem are distributed,
will total SO, SIS, 900, or over twenty two
per centum of the total taxes of all indi-
viduals In the state.
This large dividend to the taxpayers
has accrued under the laws and admins
tration of the last ten years, and none of
it is derived from the taxation of individ-
ual property. Experience proves that
these moneys were not always used as
intended, namely, for the reduction of
local taxes, but were used for new items
of expenditure, so that they benefited the
tax spender more than the taxpayer.
In order to protect the taxpayer and
to insure him the benefit of this distribu-
ton of funds from the state treasury, the
so-called Hillery act was passed. This act
provides that the burdens of the tax
payers shall not be increased, but that the
tax rate shall be reduced ten points on the
800 per anpum, where the rate Is above
two dollars, and five points per annum,
where the rate is below two dollars, until
the rate reaches $175. The act further
provides that to cover emergencies In any
one year, rate not exceeding forty points
above the lawful rate may be leyied.
The purpose of the act is to insure the
use of the moneys received from the state
treasury for the benefit of the taxpayer,
that might otherwise be used for new
items of expenditure without relieving
the taxpayer at all. Both the taxpayers
who have suffered from high tax rates and
the students of municipal finance, who
observe the annual increase both in the
bonded indebtedness and the tax rates of
our municipalities, will appreciate the
benefits of this measure.
Inc charge Lnat tue nllleIy IaA ace Aas
reduced the taxes on the railroads. Is with
out foundation, as will be shown here
after The railroad tax both on the main
stem and second class property are much
greater than they were three years ago,
when the recent railroad tax legislation
was inaugurated. 1t is true that the tax
on the second class railroad property of
1907 is less than the tax on the second class
railroad property of 1905. This was not
due to the Hillery act.
A small portion Of 1t Is due to the fact
that the increased amounts distributed from
the state to the localities, resulted 10 a
reduction of the tax rates to all taxpayers.
The greater proportion of this reduction,
however, indeed practically all of 1t, isdue
to a reduction In the tax rate In Jersey
City. In 1905 the tax rate In jersey City