Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-03
QUITS PLACE ON
TAX COMMITTEE
Councilman Knight, of Summit,
Satisfied Criticism of Assess
11ent Board Unwarranted.
Especial to the Newark star.I

Especial 10 the Newark start
SUMMIT, Dec. 3.-Nettled over the
failure of taxpayers to come forward
with specific complaints relative to
unequal taxation and firm in his be-
lief that criticism of the Board of AS
SCISSORS is unwarranted. Councilman
John D. Knight profrered his resig
nation as chairman of the special tax
investigation committee at last
nights session of Common Council.
The resignation win take effect inn
medately after a meeting OF the
special committee
President Debevoise, OF the Coun-
ell. who named the committee, which
is composed of Councilman Pringle.
Tax Collector Schultz, Assessors Null
lin and Grow and Bert Z. Underwood
and Romeyn Berry, the two last
named being defeated at the Novem-
Der election on the Progressive ticket
for mayor and councilman-at-large,
appointed Councilman Doremus to
succeed Councilman Knight in the
committee.
Letter provOkes Discussion.
The reading of a communication
from II. d. McGeorge In which he
severely criticised Assessor Mullen,
Tax Collector Schultz and Councilman
Knight for their alleged action In
blocking the investigation of tax as
easements by the special committee
precipitated an animated discuss on
Councilman Hermann de Seiding.
chairman of the taxation committee
of Common Council took occasion to
express his resentment of the action
of President Debevoise In not namn
him Ue Selding) as a member OF the
special tax assessment investigating
rn,nmittee. Councilman De Selding
declared that he believed himself to
be more thoroughly familiar with the
tax assessment question than any OF
mis- colleagues, and he added that ne
had been informed that he had not
been appointed a member of the
speciaI committee by President De-
pevoise because the Inter beiieVed
his views on taxation methods too
rad cal. President Debevolse prompt
gv disclaimed any such feeling toward
Mr. De Selding and declared that ne
had not mentioned to anyone any
thing relative to the personnel OF the
COMMITTEES Mr.. Debevoise stated that
his sole reason for not naming De
SEEDING as a member of the comm l.
tee was due to tn fact that he would
retire as a member OF the Council
ZDeCGmDeT oil, anu II N1io 1 iNsiN'N'AN
Debevoise's belief that the work OF
4he special committee will not be
completed until the summer.
Councilman De Selding. while ac-
cepting the presidents explanation,
declared that he could not retire from
the council without saying rev
words on the appointment OF the spe-
cial committee as at least memorial
to the committee of council on taxa
ton.
PrlngIe Offers 90 Resign.
Here Councilman Pringle offered to
resign from the special committee
and suggested that President Debe-
yoise appoint Mr.. De Selding in his
place. This offer from the lone DEM
Dcratic member was promptly refused
by De Selding. Finally motion pro-
viding for the appointment of sub
committee of the special investigating
committee, such subcommittee 10 be
composed of Councilman Pringle, TAX
Collector Schultz and Mr.. Berry, was
adopted, as was his motion that spe-
srial attention be given to the invesu-
cation of the tax assessments levied
against the properties owned by the
Bonnet family, the Martin estate, the
Risk estate, the Commonwealth
water and Light property and the
property of Carroll p. Bassett, head
pf the water and light company,
located in Hobart avenue, adjoining
that of Henry b. Twombly. The lat
ter was one of the Progressive party
leaders who INDUCED in charges of
unequal taxation during the late po-
titical campaign.
Another motion by President Debe-
voise which passed provides that the
special investigating committee will
receive and investigate all anonymous
complaints relative to unfair tax as
gessments.
"The Progressives in Summit have
assumed a -than-thou' attitude,
and now we've called on them to
come forward and show u.s. said Mr..
Debevoise Don't let us fool our
selves as to their attitude on these
charges of unequal and unfair as
sessments. They say they have all
the data they need, and the reason
they don't want to bring 1t forward
is because they don't walt to COM
plain against their neighbors. Why
they haven't been doing anything else
Tor the past two months, but they
don't want their neighbors to know
who is complaining against Them ="
the president declared.