The Penn's Grove record., 1917-11-30
BOROUGH TAX PROBLEMS
The New System Arouses Oppo.
siion. Many Equalizations
to be Made.

~ ~ III ~
last Tuesday. The members of the
Board made an expression that they
mad been requested by the Mayor and
Council to stand by the assessments
made. AS a consequence several tax
payers appeared before the Council
on Tuesday night of last week when
no meeting was held because of no
quorum. A meeting of Council was
held Thursday evening when bills were
paid. The taxpayers present asked
concerning the action of the Mavor
and Council and received a disavowal
that any action had ever been made
officially IL that the Council had ever
gone over the assessments with the
assessor. Consequently, whatever had
been done, was by consultation as in
d~iyiduals and not official action.
The inequalities and uniustness of
values on properties has existed and
been called to the attention of the
public by the Record in years past be-
fore the powder boom.
In 1856 John SummerilI & Bro.
spent hundrers of dollars to have a
street laid thru the Simpkins, Sack
and Diver lands to the Cove. two hum
dred feet from the river front so fine
lots on the river front could be sold to
those who wished have homes on the
finest land in the Borough. 1t was
estimated that 1000 on the river froat
would have been sold t~wentv-fve
Years ago for $40 a foot and the oppc-
site for SIS a foot. Years ago much
9ligher prices were offered. The in
Vestments Of the receipts at interest
would have doubled the capital also
the value eff The property for assess
ments from which to get revenue to
run the Borough. Much higher prices
have been offered for the river front
and refused years ago. Lowlands
have been bought al cheaper prices
and filled in at the cost of hundreds of
dollars and it cost hundreds of dollars
to build and keep TIE streets in re-
pairs thru the frog ponds. After q
person bought a lot it was assessed at
building lot prices, while the adjoining
lands held at building lot prices was
: assessed as farm land at 800 to $3.50
an acre. The tax assessments were
usually copied for years with little or
no equalization until this year.
To illustrate. The land on which
the Record Print Shop stands, No. 8
Oak Street, was purchased about 80
years ago and built on "a years ago.
The lot for many years has been as
scssed at the cost price, SIS a foot
front. On the opposite side Of the
street there was 300 feet frontage
with two buildings thereon rented, tax
$500 only until three years ago, the
same as COW pasture meadow fifty
years ago.
The publisher of the Record bought
two lots at the corner of South Broad
- R4AA1 - i
was assessed at $1,000 an acre, yet
only strawberries, corn, potatoes were
groWn for eight years, the same as on
adjoining land held at high price.
Five years ago the editor of the
Record examined the tax duplicate
and compared valuations. Having
built a home we found the lot on the
opposite corner assessed at half and
the lot opposite our garden at half
price, $500 an acre, where a house was
rented for $40 a month before the
boom.
While our garden was assessed at
$1,000 an acre the adjoining land held
at double the price 20 a ago was
assessed at $3.50 an acre. We went
after more information for publication
but were informed that some did not
like to read such -uninteresting news.
When the powder boom arrived in
1915 others saw needs and had visions
of wealth where the natives did not
have the initiative to venture. Three
land companies bought the Morgan
tract, Smith tract and Diver tract
which were surveyed into building
lots. Many lots were sold and all the
land has been assessed aas building
lots. The nj and agents do not
complain that they were assessed as
lots, but claim the price put on out
all of proportion to other sections of
the Borough where there are water,
gas and electric light. Adjoining and
adjacent properties held at high or
building lot prices have heretofore
been assessed as farm land. Some is
now and some is not. Hence appeals
for equalization.
The greatly increased expenses of
the Borough requires big taxations.
The best lands for building are held
at high prices, but to tax them be-
cause only corn, potatoes, tomatoes
are grown is not justice when a man
has a house and lot several hundred
feet beyond assessed at city values.
The tendency of all taxation is to
put public demands on land values
and less on improvements and enter
prises- If a man does not want to
pay tax on land the same as his near
neighbor e Thin improve or sell it.
The principle of equalization begun
this year is good, but the values need
as to- sections.
Wilmington, Newark, N. J., and
other cities have systems of assess
nnanfc hu a mr. scale -Adioinino