Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-04-30
STRONG GETS MORE
ALONG SAME LINE
CONTINUED from page IL
What other People Say.


Other comment of the state press on
the subject of publicity of the records
of the State Board of Assessors, are
interesting
The following is from the Jersey City
Journal:
"The fact that it was the two Demo-
cratic members, 0. @. Bogardus and
Charles E. Hendrickson, Jr., who voted
for resolution favoring publicity in
the transaction of the business of the
State Board of Assessors and that it
was the Republican members, Theodore
L. Strong and George E. Halsey, who
voted against it, will, of course, become
an issue in the fall election. Needless
to say, it will not be Republican is
sue.
/" When a political party is on the de-
fensive it seems to do more foolish
things than at any other time. The
Republicans of New Jersey surely can
not afford to condone the conduct Of
Messrs. Strong and Halsey, who are
against public meetings of the Board
OF Assessors, against giving the public
reasonable access to the records Of the
Board and against stating in the annual
report separately from the main stem
valuation, the valuation placed upon the
franchises and personal property Of
railroads.
There is no doubt that the division
in the Board on this question is q
straight party matter. The Republi-
cans are on the wrong side, and the
Democrats are bound to win, sooner or
later, but in winning they will infict
an injury upon their. opponents which
will extend far beyond the little po-
litical world occupied by the Railroad
| Assessors.
Apparently Governor Fort might
just as well have reappointed David
Baird. The man he selected for Baird s
place, George E. Halsey, stands for the
very thing that made the Camden boss
particularly offensive to the people Of
New jersey
The following from the Trenton
Times:
con its face, the proposition that the
books, maps and records of State de-
partment or institution should be open
to public examination and inspection
at all reasonable times, sounds well. In
practice it would not work to the pub
lies interest. One can easily conceive
of the confusion and trouble that would
inevitably follow For instance, in the
case of the State Board Of Assessors,
whose duty it is to fix the taxable val
ues of the railroad and canal property
of the State-one of the contentious of
the soak -the-raiIroads' agitators has
been, that the public should be inform
ed of the many details upon which the
State Board bases its conclusions as to
the value Of property.
This, of course, includes the judg-
ment of the assessors, its engineers and
experts who have made personal in
vestigation of the conditions in each
particular case; and the inspection of
all the notes and data that have been
considered in reaching the conclusion.
To make these public would be to place
in the hands of the lawyers for liti-
gants the power to not only prolong
the proceedings, but to subject to har-
assment the members and experts of the
State Board.
"The public ought to be informed as
to its affairs; it has a right to know
that the work Of assessment and valu-
alton has been honestly and impartially
performed The assessors are chosen on
the assumption that they can be trust
ed. They take annual reports, giving
the results of their work. If there is
reason to believe that they are not do
ing their work properly and fairly, 1t is
for the Legislature to order an investi-
CATION and prescribe remedy. Mem
bers of the courts do not hold public
meetings, discuss the cases before them
and make known the details. They an
nounce their conclusions. sometimes
giving the reasons, at others not
eff the people desire the State
Board Of Assessors to hold its meetings
in public, throw open to the examina
tion Of any citizen all its books, maps,
inventories, records and minute books,
and in its annual reports make separ-
ate statements Of the value of the fran
chises and main-stem property, they
will say so, through their representa-
tives in the Legislature. If they do,
they will not find it easy to secure men
to serve on the board.
It may be worth noting that the
vote on the Bogardus publicity resolu-
.aions at Tuesdays meeting Of the as
SCISSORS was split on party lines, the two
Democratic members voting in favor
and the two Republicans against it,
Arrange Diocesan Convention.
Trenton. April 80: The conven-