Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-02
MAYOR SHOWS UP
FALSE STATEMENTS
OF HIS OPPONENTS
Reviews Situations and Points
to Happenings at a Meeting
in the Third Ward.

Mavor Haussling in an address be-
fore the voters of the Third ward yes
terday answered two statements
made by those opposing the admins
tration. More than one thousand
voters gathered in Semefs Hall,
Montgomery and Prince streets. and
listened to the refutation Of the at
tacks made against the party through
the Evening News.
The mayors speech, founded on
facts and figures, showed that the
present tax rate Is not as high as
under Republican rule previous 70
his taking Office During Mayor
Haussllng's eight years of rule only
thirty-one millions Of dollars have
been expended. He stated that the
present rate is only temporary. and
when the improvements as started DIV
the Democrats are finished the rates
will be materially reduced.
The Prudential tax assessment was
another of the statements riddled by
shots fred by the mayor. He said
that the city officials would have
failed to do their duty If they did not
assess the reserves the first time and
then again after the courts had at
first upheld the assessment.
The mayor showed that the city lost
no money by its action, for the
amount collected by the city was less
than the sum charged when the final
decision of the courts placed the re-
serves In the nom assessable class.
The Mayors Speech.
Mayor Haussling's speech In part
follows:
"If were to try to keep pace with
the misinformation which has been
published during this campaign, with
the object of defeating me for re-
election, should have my hands busy
indeed. I have sought to answer all
statements and charges of Importance,
and, I think, successfully, but have
not paid much attention to many
slurs and insinuations which have
been put out, quite industriously, be-
lieving them unworthy OF notice.
There are, however, two articles
which have appeared within the last
few days, in the opposition's press,
which are very well calculated to
create false impression.
Zone Of these articles has to do
with the Prudential tax case, which
is again characterized as blunder,
and the effort is made to convey the
impression that the city lost some
thing over a million dollars by the
manner in which the administration
handled that matter. have already
given some explanation of the Pru-
Dental case, and I will make only a
brief reference to it now.
I'VE found a certain sum in re-
serves which the Prudential sought
to have exempted from taxation. We
assessed it. The Prudential carried it
up to the highest court, which re-
turned a verdict in favor of the city,
as a result of which we collected
about $3.50, 900 in taxes and penalties.
when it came time, in another tax
year, to go over the Prudential Sc
turns, it was found that the commits
stones of banking and insurance had.
by the stroke of his PEN and without
knowledge on the part of the city
transferred this certain reserve fund
from the column of assets to the
column of liabilities in the report OF
the company. / need not disguise the
fact that this action on the part OF
the commissioner was a surprise and
disappointment to the city But we
felt that there was substantial rea-
son for believing that the tax
ratables of Newark should not thus
be arbitrarily diminished.
In any event, 1T seemed to be our
duty to make every effort to levy on
this enormous fund, which otherwise
would have escaped taxation utterly
So we assessed it again; and the case
was carried up to the highest court
and, to our disappointment. the high
est court decided that this sum was
not now subject to taxation.
Courts Authorized Assessment.
ST wonder what attitude our friends
would have taken If we had meekly
permitted this fund to escape assess
ment after the court had already per-
mitted us to collect taxes upon 1t.
venture to suggest that they would
have aroused the community to throw
us out of office, and they would have
been right about It, as they seldom
have been right about anything re-
lating to municipal affairs.
Now, the city did not lose million
dollars, or anything like 1t. What II
did lose was part of the money adj
vanced to the county on the strength
OF this assessment and the interest or
the amount of the tax for the time il
had to be carried, a very much
smaller sum.
"The other articles to which have
referred speaks of the increase in
assessments in 1918 as scandal and
couples it with the Prudential tax
case, saying that 1t was a sequel to
that. / think it would be perfectly
natural, gentlemen, if a large sum
had been summarlly stricken from the