Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-11
MANY OBJECT TO
ASSESSMENTFOR
BRANFORD PLACE
Property-owners Assert That
the Extension Is of No
Benefit.

against the levieS at O. pubic
meeting held yesterday afternoon by
the Board of Assessment Commits
sioners in the Common Council cham
ber at the City Hall. Many declared
the proposed assessments were too
high, while counsel for other property
owners insisted that the assessment
commission could not make the as
sessnents legally until the street had
actually been opened.
More than 200 persons attended the
meeting. Assessments aggregating
$1,000 are proposed on property
within the direct zone of the improve
ment. This zone extends to the Nor
ais canal on the north, Court street on
the south, New Jersey Railroad ave.
nue. on the east, and to Belmont ave-
nue., Jones and Norfolk streets on the
west. The remaining 100000 assess
ment for the improvement will be in
cluded in the general tax budget.
Former Governor ]. Franklin Fort,
representing the George A. Halsey
estate, took the initiative at the meet
ing yesterday in protesting against
the assessment The Halsey estate
property affected is located on the
southwest corner of Shipman street
and Springfield avenue, and has been
assessed for $4,000. Mr.. Fort pointed
out that when the Branford place
opening was decided upon, one of the
chief reasons for the Improvement
was to relieve traffic congestion at
Broad and Market streets. This con-
yestion has already been relieved by
be elimination of trolley track curves
at Broad and Market streets, he said.
The traffic problem would be further
solved by the building of the new
trolley terminal, said Mr.. Fort.
Tho 5Teq kpx. lco nocIa rad that from
legal standpoint the assessment
commission could not make the as
sessments at this time. He said that
Judge Adams, in the Circuit Court,
already had made a decision on this
point, in ruling. that assessments could
not be made for a street opening until
the street had been opened. Mr.. Fort
made the further objection that di-
eerting traffic from Market street de-
creased the vaaue of property on that
street, instead of increasing it, He
concluded that Market street prop
erty-owners should be reimbursed on
account of the new street opening, in
stead of being taxed for it. - 80
Robert IL. McCarter's Stand.
Robert H. McCarter appeared as a
member of the board of trustees of
The First Presbyterian Church. He
commented on the purpose of the
Legislature when granting the city
charter to make such provision as a
public hearing for those interested
in public improvements. He said that
he had lived in Newark all his life
and practiced law here thirty-three
years, but had never seen such a
representative gathering to protest
against an assessment.
I'VE realize our tax obligations,
said Mr. McCarter, "but want to show
YOU that here is a large area being
assessed while only a small tract can
be benefited. We ask you to go slow
and to keep your mind open on this
proposition. We COME here to petit
tion your commission to make this
wrong right before it is too late. The
assessment of $4,000 for this church
property, including the burying
ground, is entirely too much. / want
to add that if your commission does
not see fit to change your decision
then we shall deem it our duty TO
contest the assessment to the last
ditch
"You are mistaken about the as
sessment of the burying ground, Mr..
McCarter,' said Commissioner Will
liam Dimond, president of the board.
only the church property on Broad
street is considered" ,,.E
Edward d. Duffield, counsel for the
Prudential Insurance Company, de-
clared the assessment proposed for
the company's property on Market,
Broad. Halsey, Academy and Bank
streets, was in amount from twenty
I'VE to fifty per cent. excessive. The
figure estimated by the tax board was
s4,150. Henry Fl. Dawson, represent
ing property owners on Thirteenth
avenue, Stirling and Commerce
streets, said he could not understand
how people in Commerce street were
going to be benefited by the street
opening. As II the Thirteenth ave
nue. and Stirling street assessments
he considered the amounts excessive.
Francis ]. Lafferty, for the Fidelity
Trust Company, said that he did not
believe the assessment proposed on
the property of his client was excess
sive. but that he wanted to reserve
the right to protest later, if he should
decide to do so.
Telephone Company Protests.
william j. Smith appeared for
property owners, whose aggregate
assessment is $4,000. He complained
that although the commission had
advertised the public hearing, there
was not sufficient notice given to
taxpayers. considering that the total
assessment was $700, 600 The New
York Telephone Company, through
It's counsel, William A. Day, pro-
tested against the assessment OF $780,
100 on its Washington street prop
erty. MIR. Day also made another
objection that the assessment
amounts had been reached in an
arbritary and unscientific manner.
Owners Of the fifty pieces of prop
erty which will be assessed were rep
resented by Louis Schlesinger These
included the Union Building Com
pany, Century Building Company
And property owners on Broad, Mar
Ket and Commerce streets. Mr.
Sehlesinger said that from a business
or real estate viewpoint he was un-
able to see how certain property
owners, removed from the immediate
zone of the street opening, could be
benefited by the Improvement
Former Mayor William II. f. Fled
Ter declared he represented number
of people of limited means who were
of the opinion that yesterday was
their last opportunity for protesting
against the assessment. Commits.
sioner Dimond asserted that further
protests could be filed with the
county clerk before the assessment
was referred to the Circuit Court.
Mr.. Fielder recalled that when the
Improvement was first announced it
was stated that So per cent. of the
tax would be borne by those directly
affected by the street opening, while
the remaining Is per cent. would be
included in the general tax budget
Commissioner Dimond replied that
the assessment commissioners had
not made any such statement, but
certainly the assessments would be
made according To the benefit which