Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-11-27
TAX BOARD HEARS
BISHOPS APPEAL
Cathedral Plot Was Assessed
by Newark Authorities
at $4,000.

The County Board of Taxation to-
day took up the hearing of the ap-
peal of the Right Rev. John ]. O'Con-
nor, bishop of Newark, and president
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Newark, against an assessment of
$S9, 900 levied by the Newark Board of
Tax Revision and Assessment on the
so-called new Catholic cathedral at
Clifton and Sixth avenues.
The property in question covers the
block bounded by Clifton avenue and
Ridge street and Sixth avenue and
Park avenue. Upon this plot the new
structure, to be known as the Cathe-
dral of the Sacred Heart, is in proc
ess of construction. The tract COW
ers S12 feet on Clifton avenue and 562
on Park avenue.
Work on the new cathedral has
been at a practical standstill for sew
eral years, following dispute be-
tween jeremiah O'Rourke, the archi-
tect, and the E. NJ. Waldron Com
pany, the general contractors,
In opening the hearing today Major
Carl Lentz, who is associated with
William J. Kearns, general counsel
of the Roman Catholic diocese Of
Newark. in the appeal challenged the
right of the County Board of Taxa
ton to sit on the appeal hearing
giving as his reason the fact that the
board had called the attention of the
State Board of Taxation and the
Court of Errors and Appeals to GER
tain pieces of property in Newark
that should be, but were not assessed.
President Jerome T. Congleton, OF
the board replied that the attention
of the State board and the Court of
Errors and Appeals had been called
to several plots claimed to be exempt
from taxation, but that the cathedral
nlot had not been particularly desig-
mated. This satisfied Major Lentz
and the hearing proceeded.
Mr.. Kearns, general counsel of the
diocese, was the first witness called.
He stated first that the tax bill Of
1912 amounting to an assessment OF
s79. 900 on the land and $4,000 on
buildings on the land known as the
cathedral plot, had been made out to
Right Rev. John ]. O'Connor. bishop
of Newark.
He said that was due to the fact
that Bishop OConnor was president
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Newark and also president of the
board of trustees of the corporation
of st. Pstrick's Church.
Continuing. he explained that the
property involved in the hearing was
bought in January, 1871, from Peter
F. Doremus and Hiram NJ. Rhodes,
the consideration being 100000. He
exhibited a time-stained warranty
deed bearing $50 in Civil War revenue
stamps to prove the date of purchase
by st. Patrick's Church.
Mr.. Kearns explained further that
the title to the property was now
vested in the corporation of st. Pat-
rick's Church. Bishop O'Connor is
president of the corporation and Mon
signor Isaac p. Whelan, pastor of st.
Patricks Church. is secretary and
treasurer.
According to Mr.. Kearns, the dio-
cease of Newark was established in
1853, but did not become a corporate
body until August %, 1904, when it
was incorporated, with Bishop o'Con-
nor as president, and that later GER
tifcate was filed under an act to in
cororate trustees OF religious bodies.
This was in October. 1908. and Bishop
O'Connor, Vicar-General John A.
Sheppard, Chancellor Charles A.
smith. the Rev. Father B. Henry Ter
! innntlnund an annnna PnRaA