The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-01-28
COUNTY TAX BOARDS.

Governor Forts recommendation
that county tax boards be abolished
has aroused as much discussion as
anything said in his message. Some
newspapers have applauded his cour-
age for having dared to take up the
subject, while others have doubted
the value of the plan proposed by the
Governor. The widely differing opin-
ions show plainly that the county tax
boards WI. not be abolished without
considerable discussion.
"The theory of giving to county
boards supervision over the assess
ments," says the Trenton Times, =
is correct. 1t Is the best solution
let offered for bringing about uniform
ity IN The valuation OF property with
in the county, and of correcting the
injusticeS put upon the cities by coun-
ty boards Of assessors that were con-
trolled by the rural members, who put
the chief burden upon the larger mu-
inequalities by voting to add few
hundred dollars, or million or two,
to the tax duplicate of a municipality
in order to raise the money required,
keep down the tax rate and favor
their neighbors.
This is the conclusion of those who
have watched the work of the board
in this county. Union happens to be
one of the counties where the plan has
proved success, and is perhaps in
better position to draw conclusions
than many Others in the State. 1t is
not true, of course, that in the brief
time which has been given this board
to master the difficult problem of the
nation that it has succeeded in solv-
ing every phase of it. That would be
expecting too much. But it is a fact
that the Union county board has
brought about condition of affairs
which has been sought for years.
But aside from any question of
policy or desirabilty," comments the
Times" "the Governor is likely to
meet with strong opposition in his at
tempt to abolish the county boards.
There are twenty one of them, each
employing a secretary, at least. Here
is an organization of eighty-four men,
all more or less influential, who will
no doubt receive the cooperation of
the members of the various boards and
commissions which it is proposed to
abolish or consolidate. Such a cOmbi-
nation will have considerable influence
in a Legislature whose mem berS are
chosen by popular vote The first
draft of last years Democratic plat
form contained plank demanding
the abolition of the county tax boards.
That plank was missing when the
platform was reported to the State
convention.
The question Of abolishing the coun-
Ly boards, as far as Union is concerned,
at least, is not one of politics at all.
Ii the board had proved worthless
and the plan of work laid out for it
had been found impractical it is not
believed that political influence could
save the tax board. Taxation prob
lens those touching the peoples
pocketbooks- seldom fail to get atten-
tion from the people. But the tax
board here has standing of its own,
which has been secured through eff
cient work, and does not have to de-
pend on politics to make strong ap-
peal for continuance in authority. In
fact, the more thoroughly this ques-
tion is discussed the more evident it
will become that the success of the
tax boards depends on their intelli-
gence, experience and the honesty of
the men composing them. 1t would
seem that the thing to do is to weed
out the inefficient men and save the
idea. Elizabeth Journal.