Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-06-10
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made in Bridgeton may or may not
prove of value. Other places have
tried the experiment and in all in
| stances that we have cognizance of
the publication has availed nothing,
and In nearly all cases the publication
has been abandoned. theoretically
the proposition sounds well. But are
people interested generally in the mat
ter of tax assessments? Are they in
terested in the finances of Bridgeton?
Each year, under the law, City Coun-
ell is required to print the annual fl
nancial reports in pamphlet form. The
printed pages shows the source of re-
ceipt of every cent of money that
comes into the treasury and for what
every dollar is expended. The PAM
phlet costs about $500 for printing.
There are 250 copies of the financial
report printed every year. Not 100
copies of these are put in circulation.
/ There seems to be no demand upon
the part of tax payers and citizens to
know anything of the details pertain
ing to the city finances.
The idea of printing in pamphlet
form the tax assessments m, le in
Bridgeton is to give everyone oppor-
tunity of learning what the assess
ments may be against each property,
There are about 1000 assessments
made in the city. 1t may be that a
few people could take a publication
of this character and get a general
idea of what assessments are. but GER
tainly not many would go over such a
publication thoroughly, and few in
deed, there are who are sufficiently
acquainted with various properties to
know, after reading the figures, wheth-
er the assessment printed, is a fair
lone or an unfair one, For instance
Pick up the book and you will read
that the home of the city editor, No.
West Commerce Street is assessed al
so much for land and so much for i'm
provements. How many people il
Bridgeton would gain any informa-
tion from the paragraph? How many
people know this particular house
the particular location, the particular
environment? 1t may be assessed al
an aggregate value of $4,000 or $500
1t may be more or less. Very few
there are who would have any idea
, whether that particular assessed val
uation should be $1,000 or $4,000. And
what is true of this instance is true
of many hundreds of others. We doubt
if there are one hundred people in
Bridgeton who can take up the direc-
tory, note the location of a hundred
pieces of property and give any ides
what the value of them are.
Again the publication would have
no force and effect upon the work O.
those engaged in making the assess
ment. The members of the City Board
of Assessors personally view all prop
erty. They make up comparative val
ues following a carefully prepared
system, and if their work is printed
in review, the fact that score of per.
sons differed in their view of the vaIu
ations placed upon a property, coulc
not change the views of the assessors
The printed pamphlet giving the loca
ton of a residence and the name Of
the owner and followed with the fig
lures of the assessed valuation. would
be little information to the reader Of
the printed page. The pamphlet would
mot disclose whether or not the resi-.
dence was equipped with a complete
Iheating plant or not, whether it was
a modern home or not, whether it hat
all. coaveniences and modern improve
iment9 or net. The Assessors know
this because they make view of the
premises. There are many properties
standing side by side, in outward an
pearance, size of lot, etc., comparins
avorahly, and yet one Of these prop
critics may be worth fully $1,000 OF
$4,000 more than its neighbor by rea
son of its equipment.
| We are perfectly willing for City
Council to make the experiment if i
so desires, but we do not enthuse ove]
the proposition, and we are content tC
believe that the several hundreds O
dollars spent in the publication of tn,
book might be better expended TO
more street lights, the laying of prom
ised cutters, the better cleaning of tn,
. streets, the further improvement o
the fire department, or some otha,