New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
VIEW of NEW YORK AVE NORTH won. tAS1ERN PARKWAY
on the Road to Goal
of Equable Taxation

taxation among the regular ponticiahs'
the ones who hate TO touch any cnange
I'm the tax law. for fear they might nsrt
the feelings of some tax assessor VINO
happens-so he says-to control rev
votes. They are always ready TO advise
caution when any changes are purposed
i'm the tax laws solely for the reason
that they don't want to offend someoooN.
This is really the sole reason. Tor the
average legislator knows comparatively
little about the subject Of taxation.
As result OF the d-patters IN
taxation-hoth among the taxpayers ana
the politcans-we are now saddled WIN
q system that is cumbersome, antlquateu
and entirely untitled TO the needs oil mo
present generation. \ system OF ele-UN'
I assessors in the smaller commuhlu's'
most of whom are incompetent 10 90 tno
work they are supposed TO perform put
never do. and a system of gross Unequal
! itv and discrimination. caused primarily
| bv a complicated patchwork of laws
which allows much property TO escape
the burden falling i'm many cases on those
least able 10 bear IT,
J II is to break down this system that
, the Progressives in taxation are direct
ING their batteries. and after repeated
assaults il now looks as though some
| thing OF farreachng Importance VIII be
attained. so far as that part Of the tax
laws affecting the assessment OF personal
property IS concerned. For this particular
reason the eyes of tax experts throughout
the whole country are turned toward New
Jersey. where an attempt is to be made
at the coming session Of the legislature
IN enact a law that will do away with
| the personal tax, so far as the house
/ holder. the storekeeper and the manu-
| facturer are concerned. There Will also os
a local option single tax bill introduced
but il is not expected to get very far.
| Senator Charles O'Conor Hennessy VIII
| handle the local option single tax meas
ure while Senator Charles Egan Will look
after the measure wiplng out the personal
! tax of the individual and small manufac-
turer. In addition to these measures
Senator Coulton b. Pierce, who was chair
man OF the commission which inyestgat-
ed taxation a year ago. will introduce
! series of bills reorganizing the entire tax
| system Of the state. AS the result OF Inc
| recommendation Of this commission New
Jersey now has law compelling every
municipality TO have tax map. limit
OF two years has been placed In the max
! ing of these maps, so that at the END or
that time New Jersey Will have accom-
, pljshed one important step toward the
elimination OF discrimina ton. II will then
be in a position to know whether or ~
every bit Of land in the state is being
assessed. Heretofore this was impossible
to determine, with the result that much
land escaped. So keen is the interest ia
New Jersey in the tax question that Tor
the first time In It's history the Legisiat-
ure this session has separate committees
10 handle all measures on the subject
| IL is to be expected that there Will 10
opposition from the taxation "stand-pat-
| ters" to all these measures, but. try as
! they may, about the only argument they
are able 10 produce is the old, moss
! grown one, OF "Why. We collect so many
thousands OF dollars from this source. TX
you wipe II out. it VIII mean we VIII
| have to raise our tax rate Nothing -
said about the many thousands of dollars
| OF personal property that are assessed.
| but on which no taxes are collected, or
about the gross discrimination that 10
produced thereby. All they appeared to
| be interested in is the collection OF money.
! whether IL is unjust or not.
Not alone that II is practically impossi-
bic 70 assess personal property honestly
and fairly II we could lay all personal
property right on the table. so that one
could see IL. one might make an intelu-
gent guess. but so much OF II Is hidden
and unseen that the best that can he
| Gone now Is 10 make An unintelligent
guess-one that works an injustice to the
little householder and operates In favor
| OF the big fellow.
Senator Egan's bill has for its purpose
the making of big industrial state in
New Jersey. II II becomes a law II Will.
IT Is believed, attract many manufactur-
ers to New Jersey. Under its provisions
the personal tax now paid by railroads.
public utility companies and banks and
insurance companies are not disturbed.
The personal tax of the householder. the
| storekeeper and the manufacturer. how
ever. is eliminated. This is justified eco
| nomically on the ground that the FIRST
| ones To derive any benefit from an Influx
| of manufacturers To New Jersey will be
the railroads and utility companies.