The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1916-08-17

COMMISSION
COMMUNICATED.

Inc year DelOre last our LAX TdLe
jumped from $1.79 to $1.87-8 cents
and last year it jumped from $1.87
to $2.33-a raise of As cents. That
means our rate has increased sac.
in two years. What explanation
can be offered for this? Let no one
dare tell US that it is due to the in
crease of the state and county rates.
The year before last when the rate
jumped 8 cents the state asked $152
less of us than the year before and
the county asked for $106 less. So
far as state and county were concern
the rate ought to have shown slight
downward tendency if anything.
Last year our rate increased 46 cents
as have said. Our state tax was one
cent less and our county tax cents
more than the year before.
That means our county and state
cost US 7 cents more and it also
means that our city rate advanced
80 cents. 1t was the city then that
caused the big increase last year.
And we are not going to let any
one tell us either that it was the
new schools that caused this big in
crease. The new schools didn't fl
cure one penny in that 1888 rate
They weren't completed, inspected
or approved when that rate was
made up. They will figure this yeal
and what the rate will be | cant
tell. For one thing there seems tc
be no hope of a very great decrease
Who are the tax payers? They are
not the people who own but the
people who use and consume. If
own every house in Lambertville |
pay taxes only on the one | use
the one | live in, and the tax on all
the other houses in the town will be
paid by the people who use them, by
my tenants. This proposition is so
simple that it hardly needs proof.
A house standing idle yields no rev.
enue. 1t is not until the house has
an occupant that the landlord be-
gins to see any money coming his
way. What income must a landlord
get from piece of property? He
must get the expenses it causes him
plus a profit on his investment, or
he will sell out. AS the tenant is the
only source of revenue he must
supply both the expenses and the
profit. Taxes of course are part of
expenses. If any landlord takes
you for fool enough to believe that
he, and not you, pays the tax ask
him why rents go up every time
there is an increase in the tax rate.
The landlord is no different from
anybody else he pays taxes only on
what he uses and not on what he
owns. It's the tenant then who
pays the tax.
From what | can observe | don't
believe we have a class of tenants
that can afford a tax rate of $2.33
especially when it yields them so
little in return. The business and
industrial opportunities in the town
are very limited and we ought ought
not have a government more costly
than we can afford. If we got some
thing in return that would cut down
our private expenses it wouldn't be
so bad. AS it is now and has been
for the past few years some of our
citizens find it necessary to leave us
and go where they can meet expenses
and thus we keep going backward
all the time. If we want to keep
our people we will have to live with
in our means and try to give a dol,
lars worth of value for every dollar
of taxes we collect.
Again, how can we ever hope tC
bring any industries into town with
such a high tax rate and so little tt
show for it? Manufacturers always
WANTED 1920 acres farm with
huiIdinps. within z miles of Lam