Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-07
TELL TRADE BOARD
OF STATE FINANCES
! h,!evce, LippincOtt and Hennessy
Speak on Plans of
Taxation.
EXPLAIN BILLS PENDING
NOW IN LEGISLATURE
Senators and Motor Vehicle
Commissioner Describe Pro-
posed Measures.

State finances and taxation were
discussed at the meeting of the Board
: of Trade last night Senator Carlton
3. Pierce, of Union county; Senator
Charles O'Gonnor Hennessy. of Ber-
gen county, and Job H. Lippincott
State motor vehicle commissioner,
were the speakers.
Senator Pierce spoke of systematic
Ing the plan of taxation of the State
Senator Hennessy spoke in favor of
less taxation and Mr. Lippincott de.
tended his State tax bill for a regis
tratlon fee on all motor driven ve-
nhHfes, according 10 horsepower and
Might.
Senate bills Nos. 16 to % are
.fthe four bills introduced by Senator
Pierce as the result of the recommen-
cations of the committee which he
headed. They provide, respectively
Tor method of assessment and col
lection of taxes; for abolishing the
State Board of Assessors, and for
1estlng all the power of taxing in the
state Board for the Equalization of
YaSes, for permitting municipalities
TO issue bonds to fund their
floating debts, and for a manner
OF taxation TO provide payment of
principal and interest of such bonds;
a method of assessment and collec-
ton of taxes on all real and personal
property partnerships and corpo-
rations; exemption of household goods
and wearing apparel actually in use;
that all assessments shall be made
MAY 20 and determines methods of
appeal to the County Boards of Tax
alton, these To be determined prior to
November 1. and that the governing
body of any taxing district may sub
NIT to the voters the proposition TO
exceed the maximum tax rate by the
taxes of that year.
Taxing Thrift.
Senator Hennessy spoke generally in
favor of less taxation of the indi-
yidual for business enterprise and
progress. He Endorsed the Assembly
bill introduced by Assemblyman Jo-
seph Carroll of Hudson, proposing to
exempt personal property to a value
of $500 from taxation.
You say TO every man who prac-
tises thrift in Essex" he said, We
will fine you for your thrift and fine
you in proportion as you are thrifty.
You must set free business enter
prise in Newark from taxation. You
have $l63000O00 worth of improve
ments on land assessed in Newark.
The home rule tax bill will give OPP
portunity to a municipality and edu
cate itself to the knowledge that the
privileges and opportunities alone
must bear the burden of taxation.
All the Northwest has gone ahead
of us in the matter of taxation. Van
couver in 1910 exempted so per cent.
of her improvements and a year later
exempted improvements on real estate
entirely. Take the case of Blanchard
Brothers & Lane in Bruen street, this
city. They pay on assessments of
$19, 400 real estate, $4,000 improve
ments and S150,000 personal property.
why Should you tax a manufac-
sFrer because he puts in new and
costly machinery TO bring his shop
up to date2 You fine a man who
robs hencoop s. and you fine
man who builds one S.. The robber
Is fined only once. but you go on
filming the builder.
considering the use of the motor
vehicle. it seems to me proper to make
this generalization--that the moneys
collected in revenue or taxes from
motor vehicles should be applied to
the repair and construction of roads.
"Thc motor vehicle, and especially
the pleasure ear, is essentially not
local in its use, but is interurban and
intercountN, dependent entirely upon
good State roads.
1T would, therefore, seem that the
motor vehicle should especially con-
tribute toward the construction and
repair of roads, rather than toward
the cost Of local government confined
within any local taxing district,
New Jersey is confronted with a
pec1lliar financial situation. The i'm
creasing needs of government, with
the compleXitY with which govern
ment has been endowed in order to
meet the demands of modern social
and economical conditions, has in
creased of necessity the expenditures
of the State government.
Maintaining Roads.
'grhe principal concern which the
motorists must have with the prob
lem of the State finances is 10 see
that there is a sufficient revenue de
rived from some source for the pur
pose of maintaining the standard of
public roads at present in existence
in this State, as it is plain TO be seen
that with the present financial condi-
ton of New Jersey it will be impos
sible for the State TO continue its
large appropriations to the mainte-
nance of the State Road Department
unless some new source Of revenue is
discovered.
I'm order to meet this situation
The administration has suggested the
adoption of two bills; one exempting
the motor vehicle from personal tax
alton and the other raising the regis
tration fees to a point which would
average something less than the pres
ent total of registration fees, plus
personal taxes.
Present at the meeting were:
f. T. Darlington, John b. Sto-