Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-08-01

was paid under protest, it being con-
/ tended by the complainants that the
act under which the money was coll
lected is unconstitutional Gaskill &
Gaskill appear as counsel for the
complainants.
from rs to 100 per cent. There was
considerable opposition to this state
ment, ONE of the assessors from the
country districts thinking it just the
opposite.
4 Adon Cattell complained that the
small properties are assessed at their
| full value, while the large ones are
not. Senator Pierce said: The small
/ fellow is always hit harder-his pro-
perty is more easily seen.
George Hurff asked why the house
and lot assessments are divided. The
answer was that it is the best way to
reach an equalization.
L. T. Hallock decried the nom
assessing of some property The
remedy, said Senator Pierce, is the
making of tax maps compulsory.
Mr.. Hurff thought that roads should
! not be assessed. Land should be
assessed high, and the improvements
low, and all stock at certain fixed
value SO that the breeding of good
stock will be encouraged.
Senator Pierce said that personal
property is not easily reached, and
hence is not rightly assessed; the
| invisible and more valuable property
therefore often has no tax paid upon
it.
AS to law compelling sworn state
ments of personal property, Mr.. Eng
| lish, of Wenonah, thought it the only
way of getting the proper assessment,
but possibly, the people would not
stand for it. Assessor Carter said
he did not approve of it.
Receiver of Taxes Redfield, offered
three suggestions
Taxes should be assessed earlier.
Taxes should be collected earlier.
There should be less time between
the assessing and the collecting.
The reasons for the above. said Mr.
Redfield, is that the money will all
be spent before it is collected, and
We either have a surplus or have to
borrow at the beginning of the year.
december 10th, is too late to pay
taxes. Personal tax and poll tax is
lost in that long time; people move
away, die, etc.
The Gloucester County Board of
Taxation submitted several sugges-
/ tons to the commission as follows:
Maps should be prepared for each
taxing district, with total area in
acreage, location and area of each lot,
parcel or tract of land, numbered.
In assessing, the number of lot or
tract of land on map, should appear
on Tax List and duplicate in front of
name and P. O. address of owner.
Area of public roads should also be
obtained, enumerated ON Tax List and
duplicate, but considered exempt pro-
perty. In this manner the total area
of taxing district would be accounted
for.
All land should be assessed sep
arately from improvements. Farms
should be divided and assessed as
arabic, meadow, swamp and wood
land The number of acres of each
character, with value per acre should
be given, the land~to be assessed at
full market value. The improvements
should be enumerated and assessed
separately and valued at not more
than 60 per cent, thereby encouraging
Improvements.
Bank stock should be assessed at
market value and no deductions al
lowed for non-taxable securities. Bank
officials should be required to file
statements with the county Boards of
Taxation, showing number of shares of
stock, valuation per share, with names
and addresses of owners
Manufacturing plants, gas plants,
electric plants, telephone and trolley
property should be valued by experts,
as is now done on second class rail-
road property.
State school funds should be raised
on certain character of corporate pro-
perty, which should be exempt from
local taxation.
District school funds should be
certified to the County Board of Taxa
tion by the County Superintendent of
Public Instruction, as the present
method is faulty, causing errors and
confusion.
Deeds OF conveyance should contain
true or actual consideration, and the
recording officials should be required
to certify the same to the County
Boards of Taxation.
Personal property should be emu
merated on blank statements to be
supplied by taxing authorities, valua-
tions fixed and sworn to by the owners
or holders Of same Live stock to be
assessed at fixed valuation without
regard to quality to encourage inn
proyement in the quality of stock.
sH*
i There were present all the members
and Secretary of the Commission, the
members and secretary of the County
Board of Taxation, all the assessors
of the county, with exception of S. j..
Seran, of Elk Township, Harry c..
Hopper, Of National Park, d. G. Lip-
pincott, Of South Harrison Township,
Chas. H. Brown Of Woolwich Town
hip and W. b. Keat, of the City of
Woodbury..
Io. p