Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-08-01
FOR BETTER TAX LAWS
State Commission holds public hearing
Local assessors perhaps to be
done away with.


The Commission appointed by the
Legislature of 1912 to investigate tax
ing methods throughout the State and
TO recommend changes in the Tax
Laws held a public hearing in the
Court House at Woodbury., Thursday
afternoon last The meeting was held
IN the County Tax Board room, that
room being filled to capacity with
assessors, who had been especially
invited, and persons interested in
better tax methods The hearing be-
gan promptly at two o'clock and it
was fifteen minutes before five when
the meeting was over.
The most important possible recon-
nlendation for change in the law, as
suggested by Senator Pierce, chair
man of the commission, is the doing
away with the local assessors through
out the county, and in their stead,
having three assistants to the County
Board of Taxation. These three as
sistants would do the assessing
throughout the county, dividing it into
a minimum number of districts, and
occasionally changing districts, so
that any errors or inequality might
be found out. In this way experts
would have charge of the assessing
and the favoritism that might un-
knowingly be shown friends would
be impossible, and one portion of the
County could not complain that it
was being assessed on a different
ratio from another portion, that charge
now being frequently made The as
sistants would be employed all the
year round
BY system of appointing assessors,
it was thought that the property
owners could not hold club over
the assessors in the form of nom
support in case of his being a candi-
date for reelection.
Theodore Burrows, a Woodbury. as
SCISSOR, said he thought the present
way of assessing better in that under
the present law a man is given the
opportunity to improve on his own
work. A stranger, too. would not know
the value of a territory like one al
way connected with it. Other OBJ
jections were that the contemplated
change was too theoretical, while
some thought it would be the means
of making politics too prominent in
the assessing body
new method of assessing. said that
the County unit, with a minimum
number of districts, with civil service.
will bring better results than the local.
system. Your present number of
twenty-three assessors would be re-
duced to three The expense would
not be greater; approximately the
same. The system would not do away
with the County Board In the ex-
animation for the assistants to the
County Board, experience would count
for so per cent. The system, said
the Senator, works in Newark-why
not elsewhere? It has been greatly
praised by various States, but is it
practical here?
In answer to the question put by
Senator Pierce as to whether real
estate assessments are satisfactory,
and do inequalities exist? Mr.. Heri-
tage, assessor of Harrison Township,
said he knew of no inequalities. Mr..
Heritage likes the old system better,
because then there was closer CON
tact with the other assessors, and
then they were more easily able to
tell how assessments were made in
other parts. | am very well salts
fed with the County Board. There is
very near equalization in this
county, and / think we are assessed
as high as adjoining counties.
As to Franklin Township, said w.
T. Jones, l do not think we have any
assessments below So per cent.
Assessor Carter of West Deptford
said he didn't know there was any
inequality Thought assessments
should be at the value of the farm
and not at certain percentage. Farm
property is the most difficult to assess.
/ believe our farms are assessed at
100 per cent We have trouble to
sell farms at what they are assessed.
AS to equality in the townships, there
is not the equality of 13 years ago.
The system in vogue is not as salts
factory as the old one. The salary
work right
Assessor Lincoln, of Franklin Town
ship, said there is a fair equalization.
Assessments in adjoining townships
are compared and there is fair
parison.
Senator Pierce said: The higher
your assessments, the more railroad
money you get. 1t is an advantage
to have high valuation. / think
there is a tendency in assessors to
have values fixed little low than a
little high. ! think the cities are
taxed more equally than the country,
because there the values are easier to
get at.
Secretary Of the County Board,