The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-04
APPEAL
AGAINST
RAISES
Two Fail to Get Tax Board
to Reduce SeCOnd-CIasS
Assess mentS.

Appeals from increased assessments
under Justice Pitney's decision as TO
what constitutes main stem and sec
oEd%elass railroad property, and against
assessments alleged to have been
wrongly made, were heard by the
County Tax Board late yesterday after
noon. The Central Railroad of New
Jersey, represented by George Holmes.
made objections to the former, and the
Erie Railroad, represented by Robert
M. Clark, to the latter. The Centrars
objections covered about $50,OOO and
were not sustained, while the Fries,
covering about 5000, were sustained by
the board.
Mr.. Holmes first asked the board to
lay the matter over, as he said that a
decision on the appeal of the railroads
from Justice Pitney's decision was pending
in the Court of Errors and Appeals and
that it would be rendered probably not
later than the 14th of this month. He
then went on to say that the selection of
the property to be assessed was an arbi-
trary one under the law and some OF
it was assessed right up to the railroad
ties. He called particular attention to the
Newark and New York Railroad and the
manufacturers branch and said that the
assessments Of its property along there
had not been justly made. When asked
by President Lathrop Anderson, of the
board, how he knew that the State Board
had assessed the properties, he explained
that he knew 1t was lone by an inspec-
ton Of the deeds to lands involved, and
then went into a sort of a historical re-
view of the local railroad tax question
since 1886. In referring to the various
laws covering main stem and second class
property, Mr.. Holmes, to the amusement
of the commissioners, said:
TT is a sort of a mince pie, from which
is pressed a little brandy, but sometimes
water Also
President Anderson then told Mr.. Holmes
that the attitude of the board was to assess
everything as second-class property not
used as main stem, and that If the. board
was wrong, 1t would be glad to cancel the
tax bills. In the meanwhile they would
remain as they are unless the upper courts
decide otherwise.
On behalf of the Erie, Mr.. Clark asked
''as a matter Of principle that the $500
assessment on its office furniture at SOO-SO4
Broad street be Cancelled. as 1t was clear
Iy a matter for the State Board Of As
SCISSORS; that a 800 assessment on the
Highland avenue station OF the reenwo
Lake Railroad be cut out, and that bU0
feet of track assessed at 5S cents a foot
be cut down to 40 cents, the same as last
year, all Of which was agreed to as Just
and equitable.
William I. Cooper, assistant cashier OF
the National state Bank, objected to an
assessment on 81, 211 worth of bank stock.
He asked that 1t be reduced to 1851. 1t
covered 165 shares Of the bank where he
is employed and nine shares OF National
Newark Bank stock. After Mr.. Cooper
had made his explanation the matter was
referred to County Counsel Crane. His ex-
plantation was to the effect that his previous
statement had said nothing about bank
shares and that when he got his last
schedule he did not know that such shares
were included. His total personality Is
s23. ISL. including the $11,211 worth of
shares.