Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-28
BRENSINGER AND HENNESSY
DEBATE ON SINGLE TAX BILL
Senator Defends His Measure Before Large Audience and J
sey citys Finance Expert Calls 1t "sociaIistic."

though they may be intimately
affected by the operations and the
burdens of government, cannot be
trusted, 1t seems, to wisely deal with
their own affairs.
The other class includes many good
men of Democratic tendencies who
oppose referring legislative questions
to the people because the form and
manner in which these questions are
usually submitted are not conducive
to intelligent voting at the polls. There
is merit in this criticism, but the fault
lies not with the referendum princi-
pie, but with the incomplete applica-
ton of 1t ordinarily provided by the
Legislature.
This bill. however, let me Say, pro-
vides for the application of the refer
endum method which has worked sue.
cessfuly in Oregon, whereby the
voter IS made fully acquainted before
he goes to the polls, with the argu.
ment against. as well as the argu-
ment for the proposal that he Is asked
TO vote upon.
Up to the Municipalities.
again let me repeat, for It is fun
damental In this discussion, that
should this bill pass the Legislature
and be signed by the Governor It
would remain only as potent as a
blank sheet of paper, unless the mu-
nicipality decided the question Of
whether the future revenues of that
place should be raised in manner
that would exempt all personal prop
erty and all buildings and other i'm
provements on land from taxation
Should the people vote against a
change the existing system would re-
main undisturbed. Should they vote
favorably, then the change would go
into operation gradually over period
of five years, 20 per cent. Of the ex-
emption taking effect each year until
the complete transfer of the tax bur-
dens from improvements and personal
property to land values had been eff.
fected.
Under the terms of section four of
this bill the reference would be taken
at the time Of holding the regular
general election, each voter would be
supplied, as Is done In Oregon. with
publicity pamphlet containing an
argument for as well as an argument
against the adoption of the system
, proposed, and the ballot on election
day would in simple form state the
question so any voter might vote for
or against the proposal by simply
making cross mark.
THE whole process from beginning
to end is designed to insure intelli-
gent action by the people upon ade-
quate information and upon due de-
liberation 1t would give the people Of
every municipality home rule in tax
alton, as l believe they ought to have
home rule In every other vital matter
that concerns them and them alone,
and be it remembered that this bill
is so designed that the question is
made to concern only the people of
each municipality that elects to deal
with 1t.
"All classes of property, real and
personal, shall continue to be assessed
for the purpose of taxation, as they
are today, and the total value of the
real and personal property assessed In
every municipality shall be used as
the basis for apportioning the county
tax or any State tax
Referring to Mr.. Brensinger's state
ment which prompted the debate that
there was "a joker concealed some
where In the bill in the interests of
the railroads." Senator Hennessy
said:
ut don't need much knowledge of
arithmetic to enable one to see that
If the provisions of my bill were
adopted in Jersey City two things
would surely happen. In the first
place, every taxpayer whose build
ings and personal property are worth
more than his land would be bene-
fitted in a reduced tax bill.
I'm the second place. every tax
payer whose land values exceed the
values of his improvements and per-
sonal property would have to pay
more taxes. think that the COM
missioner will agree that this Is So
eff not l want him to tell US why.
Now there are two classes of railroad
property in Jersey City from which
the city government derives revenue.
One is the class known as second
class railroad property, which COM
prises the terminals and all other
property used for railroad purposes
outside of the main stem. This prop
erty is assessed by the State Board
of Assessors at approximately thirty
eight millions of dollars for land and
twelve millions of dollars for build
ings.
Local Rate Maintains.
Nov 1 have not attempted In my
bill to disturb the existing system of
assessing any taxing second-class
railroad property, for that is State
wide system. So that the result would
be, If Jersey City adopted land value
taxation, second-class railroad prop
erty, both land and improvements,
would continue to be taxed at the
local rate. Now, am free to confess
that since we would exempt lot of
property from taxation In Jersey
City, under the land value plan, the
city would still be obliged to raise an
und minished amount of revenue
every year. This could only be ac-
complished by an increased tax rate.
With present land values the rate
at the beginning would have to be
between 4 and per cent. and while
as to ordinary taxpayers the rate
would be applied only to land values.
with the railroads, the rate would
apply Gas to second-class property
Assuming two per cent to be added
to the. present tax rate of Jersey City
the railroads would pay upon their
fifty million dollars worth OF second
class property an Increased contr!bu-
ton of at least one million dollars to
the treasury of the city. If there is
a joke or joker in this l think the
AL IL de- mr. on nDn-