Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-01-14

pleted. as contemplated, will furnish a
channel SIX feet deep at low water
from Bay Head, in Ocean county. to
Cape May City. in Cape May county.
1t is estimated that there are nov
$4,000 crafts of various kinds, the own
ers of which are awaiting with anxiety
the completion of this waterway.
County Boards of Taxation.
The people of the state favor the
abolition of the county boards of tax
alton. Their existence is without ex-
cuse and always has been. Their OBJ
ject and purpose was solely to secure
al increase of taxable values so that
the average tax rate upon railway
property might be reduced. They
have accomplished this purpose with
a resultant loss to the public school
funds for distribution by the state of
not less than 100000 per year for
each year since their creation.
One of the excuses given for the
enormous increase in property values
in the state has been the maximum
tax rate act of 1906, which, it is claim
ed, has required the increase of assess
able values in order that under it mu-
inequalities might get enough revenue
to run their local governments.
l recommend the repeal of both the
act creating county boards of taxa
ton and the maximum tax rate act of
1906.
If the county boards of taxation are
not abolished, then the legislature
should place the expense of their main
tenance upon the counties. We pay
out over $4,000 per year for them.
A Governors Residence.
The legislature has authorized the
statehouse commission to rent a house
in the city of Trenton for the occu-
pancy of the governor and appropri-
ated $500 for that purpose. My
thanks are due to the legislature for
its courteous and friendly action, but
whatever is lone in this line must APP
ply to the next governor and not The
present governor. That the governor
of New Jersey should be provided with
a house in Trenton my experience has
clearly demonstrated.
Our agricultural interests.
In 1900 the value Of the field crops
and milk in our state was but $24.-
100000, while in 1909 they exceeded
500, 200, 900, an increase of over 100
per cent
What the farmer of today needs
most is education along modern lines.
If we had a state farm, conducted on
fba r,aCt o,Nnraxod YaoIor, If,.oz and
raising the profitable crops; that could
be visited and it's methods studied for
practical instruction, good results
would follow. Skilled farmers esti-
mate that a farm of this kind of mod
crate size would produce a revenue
that would yield a profit to the state
Of several thousand dollars per year
over its cost, besides being of meal
culable value by way of instruction
to the farmers of the state. Reasona-
BILE appropriations to aid agricultural
developments should be made.
Waters of the State.
BY chapter 23S of the laws of 1905 it
was made unlawful for any person or
rurporutT0r 10 transpo u n fresh waTef
this state into any other state for use
therein. and power was given by pro-
ceedings in the court of chancery to
enjoin any such attempted action.
The Hudson County Water company,
a corporation created by u laws, not
w~ithstanding this statute, attempted to
lay pipes for the purpose of transport
ing the waters mentioned in the statue
from this state to the borough of Rich
mond, in the state of New York.
At the relation of the attorney gen.
eral q decree of the court of chancery
was made restraining said company,
and the same was affirmed in the court
of errors and appeals. The decision of
this latter court was taken by writ of
error to the supreme court of the Unit
ed States and affirmed.
No subject is of greater moment to
our people than the conservation of
our potable waters. No individual or
corporation should be permitted to
transport out of the state any water
within our territory; certainly not
without the permission of the water
supply commission or some other state
board.
We should not permit the sale of
this necessity of life in any case where
it could in any way interfere with the
full and free water supply required
for our own people.
l not only recommend that the act
of 1905 be extended to subterranean
waters, or a new act passed covering
such waters. but suggest that a stat
ute be enacted making it a misde-
meanor for any individual or corpora
ton to attempt to divert any of the
potable waters of the state for m
purpose to any point out of the state.
l further recommend that a statute
be passed empowering the court of
c%hancery to enjoin for any entry upon
the lands of the state where such lands
are under the jurisdiction of the ripa-
rian commission as provided in sec
lions % and SO of the riparian act.