The Lambertville record., 1921-08-05
TAX BOARD
HEARS COMMUNI-
TY HOUSE APPEAL

exemption of the Sergeantsville Com
munity House, was held Wednesday.
| About thirty witnesses were called,
and all the evidence was not in until
late In the afternoon. James Trewine
presided for the Tax Board. The
other two members are Ramsey, of
High Bridge, and Leary, of Lambert
VILE. Harry Stout was acting attor-
ney for the township, and A. o. Rob-
bins for the Community House.
Stout contended that the evidence
submitted should be confined to the
period previous to the opening of the
property as a community house un-
der the direction of the Sergeants-
Methodist. His contention was grant
ed, but not until evidence had been
received to prove the activities of the
property as moral and mental i'm
provemenet operated without pecun-
iary gain" Rev. John NJ Jaqueth,
pastor of the Methodist Church at
Sergeantsville, was first examined.
His testimony occupied more than an
hour, including the cross examination.
All his statements were substantial
ed as to the moral and mental i'm
provement activities of the Communi-
ty House, producing proof that in
stead of the project being operated
for gain, it is now 1920. in arrears
for its operating expenses. Attorney
Stout contended the property was not
owned by the Church as an incorpor-
ated religious organization. This was
refuted by records from the Court
House showing that the church was
incorporated in 1888 when it first be-
gan as the Ebenezer M. E. Church.
Frank J. Eppele was next called.
He testified that as an executive in
the church and Community House
management, submitting evidence to
prove that the undertaking was paid
for by funds secured from the New
ark Conference of the Methodist
Church, and contributions from men
who gave for religious purposes. He
submitted his books to prove his con-
tons.
Other witnesses appearing for the
Community House were Frank john
son, j. A. Harmed, C. ]. Bearder. They
testified that they believed the pro-
Ject was community improvement
free from pecuniary gain. Witnesses
called by the township were John
Case, William lRittenhouse,, Isaac
Crum, John Cray, Township Conn.,
John Barber, Fred Matthews, Erva
Cline, Clark Holcombe, John Hoag-
land, VIM. Ent, W. R. Stevenson, Jer-
ry johnson, Chas. Updyke, (T'ship
Conn., Willis Myers, Isaac Haines,
(T'ship Conn., and N. v. Myers, As
SCISSOR. Stout's leading question to
these witnesses was if they believed
the Community House should be ex-
empted from taxation. This was OBJ
jected to by Attorney Robbins, and
Stout's recourse was to ask if they
believed the property should be tax
ed for $4,000. (The amount for which
it was prviously taxed as a hoteD
They all agreed that it should. Then
Robbins on cross examination, John
Cray (who as member of the Town
ship Comn1itte had voted to recon-
mend reduction to $1,000. to N. V.
Myers, tax assessor). was asked if
he did not know the Committee ex-
ceeded its authority in making such
recommendation. He said he did
not. He was then asked if Frank j.
Eppele had not told him that when
the Committee had taken action. He
said he had not. Isaac Haines, an
other member of the Committee, was
called and asked if Mr. Eppele had
!ic authority to make such a recon-
mendation. Contrary to the testimony
Of Cray, he admitted that Mr.. Eppele
had made the statement.
When VIM. Ent, one of the petit
toner's, was asked by Mr.. Robbins
who had instigated the filing of the
petitions against the exemption Of the
Community House, he claimed that
he had done it of his own accord. He
was then asked why he had
signed the petition. In his reply, Mr..
Ent used the word they" as having
brought the papers to him. WHO
were 'they?" Mr.. Robbins asked.
Ent answered, "John Cray and"
Then he stopped, and looked, about
him as if confused. "And who?" Mr..
Robbins prompted. At this point Jno.
E. Barber spoke up from his seat.
go ahead and tell them. I'm proud
of it." Incidentally, Mr.. Barber, on
visit to the Record office protested
he had nothing to do with the filing
of the petitions.
Several of Attorney Stouts wit
nesses failed to take their cue
properly, and on the question of their
conviction that the property should
be taxed for $4,000, said $1,000 in
stead. They maintained the position
that as long as the valde was being
considered before October first of
last year, that the property at that
time was dismantled and not worth
its present value.
Both Mr.. Stout and Mr.. Robbins
made good pleas in their summing up,
But Stout had very little to work on.
Dr. Fred C Baldwin, District Supt.
of the Newark NJ E. Conference, was
given five minutes for plea on the
enlarged freedom of the Church. He
aptly stated the position of the Com
munity House movement when he
said, "The Church is where we yield
to God; the Community House is
where we yield to thee World"
A decision was reserved by the
Board for a later date after the tes-
timony has been Transcribed.