Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-03-18

tive expenses is too large an outlay.
There should be an application of bust
ness principles and an adherence to
chapter 410 of the law of 1895, limit
| ing the number of superfiuous and ex-
| travagant institutions; let it be with
useless Offices, high salaries, and other
unnecessary expenditures. Let us ex-
haust every other source of revenue
before going to the public schools for
funds. 1t has been suggested that an
expensive bureau be created for the
collection of collateral inheritance
taxes. This is unnecessary. More
stringent laws, compelling surrogatss
to perform their duties, and the desig-
nation of one of the assistants of the
| State Treasurer to make tour of in
/ Spection of each county in the state
each month, to see that the taxes are
| collected, will be sufficient. This will
also permit the counties to retain the
amounts which they now receive from
| this source. We cannot see how the
state can ask the counties to pay So
| for each insane patient, and in return
pay the counties but ST.. This is not
| just, and is only subterfuge to trans
| fer the burden from the state to the
counties. Merely shifting the burden
| is not a solution of our present diff
Guilty. This merely compels the tax
payer to go into his pocket and raise
| that much more money and Indirectly
amounts to a state tax.
1.-THE appropriation for public schools
should not be disturbed so long as it
| is properly administered Our public
| roads are among the most valuable as
sets which we have, and have added
much to the value of real estate and
brought to our commonwealth more
residents, who otherwise would not
| have come here. To deprive the state
of this benefit would be false econ
omy. The National Guard costs yearly
about $250,000, and in view of it's pre-
sent efficiency, we believe it should
remain undisturbed. The annual en-
campment at Sea Girt is great in
SEPARATION for the enlisted men, who
thus receive actual field experience
following their year of work. This
encampment should not be even par
TALLY discontinued. If this department
is investigated and proper economy
practiced, there is no doubt but that a
sufficient sum could be saved out of
the unnecessary and superfuous
things connected Herewith to give the
enlisted men their annual encampment
There should be an investigation and
reorganization of the Banking and IN
surance Department so that defalca-
tions in and acknowledgement of banks
and building and loan associations
will be discovered before the fall, and
not after the funds of the depositors
and shareholders dissipated.
The suggestion to change the fiscal
year to April 80, instead of Oct. 81,
is a most cunningly devised plan to
temporarily dispose of the present
emergency, by means of this change
there would be short year with APP
preparations on this basis, the public
might be beguiled into believing that
the financial situation had been taken
care of.
"In all Juggling of financial matters
make-sfiifts of this kind serve only to
complicate and cucumber, and to de-
lay the day of reckoning. This ex-
pedient will not fool the people, nor
help them out Of their trouble. The
situation should be met boldly, frank
ly and in abusiness way.
THE remedies we suggest would be
pGEEucu0uJ. VIZ HAVE CudIltdUlc anu
penal institutions which must be main
tanned Some should now be enlarged
and others must be in the future.
There are many permanent state in
situations and many arms of state
government to be supported. On these
there can be no backward step. Re-
trenchment alone is not sufficient; adj
ditional revenue is necessary. Con-
structive legislation therefore should
be suggested.
In the present emergency we must
tax either the people or the railroads.
The railroads have escaped the pay
ment of about fifty million dollars.
For years they paid at the rate of five
dollars per one thousand dollars on
the main stem, while the rate today is
1851 During the period that all
other property values in the state
were increased 120 per cent. railroad
values for taxation purposes were in
creased by the State Board of As
SCISSORS about IA per cent. If, then,
it can be legally and honestly done,
the railroads should bear the burden.
1t is certain that individual property
is taxed at full value. There should
be an immediate valuation by the
State Board of Assessors and two ex-
perts thereto, whose report should be
laid before the people. In making this
revaluation main stem, franchises,
second class and personal property
should be each valued separately.
There should be no baking to hide
the facts. Last year the approximate
value of the railroads of this state
was $450,000,000 The State Board of
Assessors valuation was $273 ,676, 685.
The difference was $176,323, 315. At
the present rate of 1851 this would
produce an additional revenue of ST.
S78,808. Even if the assessments in
creased the value only fifty percent.
of the amount stated, there would be
an additional income of approximately
a million and half. If, there be no
proper and honest valuation of the
railroads so that they are assessed at
full value as lis the property of the in
divid11a1 fhor, tho avora rate Of