Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-09


the fifth day of May, 1909, in pursuance
Of the provisions of a joint resolution
of the Senate and General Assembly,
approved on the fifth day of April, 1909.
TO make a retaliation of all the rail-
road and canal property of the State.
now submits the following progress re-
port.
A very brief consideration of the sub
ject, and a hasty examination of the
data available, made it obvious to the
board that it would be impossible to
accomplish the work specified by the
joint resolution either within the time
stipulated therein or with the amount
of money appropriated therefor.
AT "a conference held on May IA a
communication was submitted to you
reciting the conditions we found TO
exist and the character and value OF
the data available in possession of other
State departments, and suggesting two
general plans or programs h a APP
peared to be open for the prosecution
of u work.
One of these involved the assumption
that the data in the possession of the
officers of the State Board OF Assessors
and other State departments was suf-
ilclellIlY GOillDlCiT Nv aNNhA ~ ~
used as the basis of our valuation. We
stated that a fairly careful examina-
ton of the schedules and records of the
State Board of Assessors convinced us
that while that board had made. con-
sidering the means at its disposal. great
progress in the collection Of original
data. this data vas not complete or
satisfactory in many cases, for h rea-
- .1za ,-l,ra ap,1l, 4 a 70 Ind 1nf hnpn
collected by the board itself. it was
forced to rely upon the reports made
to it by the railroad companies, and
while these reports were doubtless SUD-
mitted in good faith, it is questionable
whether the railroads themselves
possess full and reliable Inventories of
their property. The State Railroad
Commission. also, a no Inventories OF
railroad properly except the reports
made ii by the railroads. We stated
thar in our judgment such a true ana
complete inventory and appraisal of the
true value of the railroad and canal
property of the State as is called for
hv the Joint resolution could not be
made from the data available in offices
of the State Board of Assessors, the
State Railroad Commission or other
State officers.
The alternate program involved the
making up of substantially full and
complete inventories and valuations
from original surveys, inventories and
examinations Of the property itself. II
was pointed out that only in this way
would an appraisal be made that would
be of such present and future value
as to merit and command the con-
fidence of all concerned. Any other
method of appraisal would be of ques-
tionable fairness or utility, and would
not be worthy of acceptance as a basis
for the conclusive settlement of ques-
tions at issue between the State and
the railroads.
As it obviously would be impossible
to carry out either of these programs
in the time stipulated in the joint reso-
luton or at a cost within the sum APP
propriated for the work. we requested
Instructions from you as to the policy
and program we hould adopt and fol-
low.
After a full discussion and considera-
ton of the matter with you it was de-
cided to proceed to organize and carry
out the work in accordance with the
alternate program, with the under
standing that the Legislature would be
asked to extend the time and to pro-
vide the additional money needed. 1t
was determined that our work should
for the present, be directed mainly to
one or two lines of railroad, so that
some results might be available for
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