The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-09-09
WHAT the REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS
DONE FOR the TAXPAYER.

The settlement OF the litigation con
corning railroad taxes and the distri-
button for the first time this year OF the
taxes on the main stem, justties state
meht as to what the Republican party
has done toward the relief OF local tax
alton III the state.
The Republican party inaugnrated
the policy Of distributing the surplus
funds in the state treasury to the vari-
Gus localities to be used for the pur-
pose oil paying local expenses and re-
dueing the local tax rate accordingly.
Our state is, perhaps, the only state
that can make this showing to its tax
payers.
by reason OF the economies practiced
and the increase OF revenues under the
Republican administration, the sums
for distribution in the different locali-
ties, grew from year to year, until the
amount OF the aid, direct and indirect,
to the taxpayers from the state treas
ury when the taxes on the main stem
are distributed, will total "a, 81 900, or
over twenty two per centum OF the
total taxes of all individuals 10 the
state.
This large dividend to the taxpayers
has accrued under the laws and adj
inlnistralion OF the last ten years, and
none of il is derived from the taxation
of individual property Experience
proves that these moneys were not al
ways used as intended, namely, Tor the
reduction OF local taxes. but were used
tor new items of expenditure, SO that
they benefited the tax spender more
than the taxpayer
HlELERY TAX ACT.
In order TO protect the taxpayer and
to insure him the benefit OF this flistri-
button Of funds from the state treas.
ury, the so-oalled HIllery Act was
passed This act provides t1at the
burdens of the taxpayers shall not be
lneeased, but that the tax rate shall
be reduced ten points ON the SIoo per
annum, where the rate Ii above two
dollars, and five points per annum,
where the rate is below two dollars,
until the rate reaches SIS The act
further provides that to cover emer-
gencies IN any one year, a rate not
exceeding forty points above the law
ful rate may be levied
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 with
out relieving the taxpayer at all. Both
the taxpayers who have suffered from
high tax rates and the students OF
municipal finance who observe the an
nual increase both in the bonded in
debtedness and the tax rates OF our
municipality, will appreciate the bene-
fits OF this measure.
The charge that the Hillery tax act
has reduced the taxes on the railroads,
is without foundation, as will be shown
hereafter. The railroad tax both on
the main stem and second-class pro-
perty are much greater than they were
three years ago, when the recent rail
road tax legislation was itaugurated
1t is true that the tax on the second
class railroad property OF 1907 is less
than the tax on the second class rail-
road property of 1905. This was not
due TO the Hillery act.
A small portion OF it is due to the
fact that the increased amounts dis
tributed from the state to the local.
ties, resulted in a reduction of the tax
rates to all taxpayers The greater
proportion OF this reduction, however,
indeed practically al. Of it, is due to
reduction in the tax rate in Jersey
City In 1906 the tax rate in Jersey
City was SAG. In 1897 it was re-