Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-23

III tic saihficc INV pau jury
siouers and provides that the maximum
salary Ia list class counties shall not
exceed $500 instead of 5000 as now; not
more than $500 In second class counties
instead of 500 as at present, and in all
other counties not more than $3.50 per
annum, instead Of $500 as now. The
$3.50 salary would apply to the counties
ofSalem, Warren, Somerset, Gloucester,
Hunterdon, Sussex, Ocean and Cape
May. 1t is claimed that the duties of
q jury commissioner require only a few
hours work each year and that the
salaries fixed when the jury com mission
Act was passed are Out ofall proportion
to the services rendered.
There are as usual some bills provid-
ing for additional offices. Que of them
is Assembly Bill No. 79 which would
require that 10 each county where tax
maps are used land that will shortly
meal all counties) there shall be en-
ployed a competent draughtsman
whose duty it shall be to plot on the
assessment maps after they are made,
the names or name of each owner tr
owners of each parcel or plot of land as
shown by the deed of conveyance as
recorded in the Office of the county
clerk or register of deeds.
At present, local assessors are ex pect-
ed to do this work, but not u In fifty
is competent to do the work. 1t is the
kind of work for which particular train
ing is needed, and assessors should not
be expected to do 1t.
The bill requires the board of free.
holders to provide a suitable room for
the draughtsman and necessary paper
and accessories for carrying on the
work. The draughtsman would be APP
pointed by the board of freeholders and
his work would be under the super
vision of the county board of taxation.
His salary would not be less than $500
per year nor more than 50 500.
1t has been suggested that the Bill
should be changed to require that the
secretary of the county board of taxa
ton be a man competent enough in
draughting and surveying to do this
work and thus avoid creating another
office and providing additional room,
etc.
1t is asserted that in all except first
class counties, a secretary of a county
board of taxation who was qualified,
could do this drsughting work for a
small increase in salary which would
save the counties a large sum in the
aggregate each year owe the proposals
of the Bill as introduced.
The whole tax map e. Expense is unpop-
ular in all the smaller counties, but it
is not probable that the law requiring
the maps will ever be repealed. The
maps must be corrected up to the Goth
Of May each year, for the use Of asses
sors. The yearly work in connection
with a map may be illustrated by the
map made last year for Pennsgrove.
What was a farm or vacant land one
year, is divided into building lots with
many different owners inside of a year,
so that wherever lot selling is brisk, a
draughtsman would find lots of work
to do.
" y "
There are a number of bills which
affect taxing problems. The State AS
sociation of local assessors are backing
a bill providing for tenure of office.
Under it they could not be removed ex-
cept for cause.
There is another bill which is a merit
orious one, providing for an increase In
the salaries of assessors. Their work is
being increased and will continue to
increase under the provisions of the law
and the requirements of the state and
county boards of taxation. Efficiency
cannot be expected with the present
salaries.
The Bill repeating some 400 laws re-
lating ts the government of cities, town.
ships and other municipalities which
are companion to one C 'mprehensive
bill to apply TO the government of all
municipalities, appears to have merit.
There are a number of road bills and
several relating TO motor vehicles, one
of which would raise the license fee on
trucks with solid tires, on a graduated
scale according to ton age capacity of
truck.
" " "
There are a number of bills providing
for tax exemptions, some with the
single tax on real estate in view, ,thers
to EXEMPT household goods. one To ex.