The Penn's Grove record., 1921-05-27

.lt.lt. That phase of the states imam
rial situation is certain to face the
leXt legislature. however, and already
some thoughtful men are giving at
tentiou to the crisis they feel will
arise. In the last session the special
commission authorized by a previous
legislature to make a study and re
port upon the taxation question. was
not given authority to continue its
work, but it is to present TO the neXt
Legislature the draft of proposed bills
designed to meet the situation.
That commission was composed Of
some of the best posted men in the
state in the matter of taxation. in
Guiding Frank Il. Jess. of Camden
county, for years head of the State
Board of Taxes and Assessment and
looked upon as a tax expert without
a peer in New Jersey; Senator Clar-
ence f. Case. of Somerset county, re-
gardd as one of the most reliable of
authorities, and n of the ableSt men
in the state; former Speaker Arthur
n. Pierson. of Union county, than
W WI ~ lliClilbtl VI IL tSlSiuluIt II
recen years has presented and had
enacted more constructive and bene-
fetal laws George L. Record, of .Jer-
sey City, who has single tax notions,
but also possesses brains. and George
I. Smith, of Jersey City, long re-
report they agreed to disagree as to
the course properly to pursue in solv-
ing the taxation problem, and each
had his own views of the situation,
expressed and implied.
Mr.. Jess has since enlarged some
what upon the views he transmitted
In that report, ana the cruX of the sit
uation. as he views it, is an income
tax levied upon all the inhabitants of
New Jersey, such a tax as is now
levied by New York and a few other
states. He believes that the present
so called personal property tax is a
farce. because such an infiniteSimal
portion of what is legally due is col
lectable. Mr.. Jess is not alone In this
conclusion. Other prominent author
tiles have reasoned out the situation
along the same lines and reached the
same conclusions. but the maj who
finds the way TO reduce. not to in
crease, the taxes is going to win the
hearty cheers Of about three millions
of J~erseYmen.
This is more than likely to be the
dominating issue Of the campaign next
year for governor. 1t viii figure this
year in the election Of the legislature.
and the name in which it is APP
preached and handled in the next SEES
sion will shape the destiny of the
party which happens to he in control.
Public Service Walls
That many miles of worn-out and
unsafe trackage will have to be aban-
doned and trolley service stopped be-
cause the State Public Utility Com
mission refused its plea. for a 1O-cent
fare the Public Service Railway Com
pauy has taken an appeal from the
order. Upon the application of Frank
Bergen counsel for the company. SUI
preme Court Justice Swayze, at Jer-
sey City, granted a writ of ce|rtioran
which viii take the decision to the
court for review.
Declaring that the decision is in CON
hict with decisions Of the high courts,
the company AYERS that perhaps it
may continue to exist on limited ra-
tions after it has been starved under
forms Of legal procedure for three
years"
It is further declared that no i'm.
provements or rentals of any kind
can he made, that operation will con-
tiuue where the car can be kept run.
ming. and that operation will cease
when the tracks are so bad that some
thing must be done with them.
President McCarter, Of the Public
Service, SEN out a statement on the
company's attitude and what he de-
clares to be a situation it cannot long
survive. 1t IS he says:
The company is advised that the re-
port of the Board of Public Utility
Commissioner filed in the so called
10-cent fare case, is based on erron-
eous premises; hat it is in direct con-
tiict with the decisions of the New
Jersey Supreme Court and the Court
of Errors and Appeals in the case of
OBrien VS.. Public Service Railway
Company, and that it Is Illegal.
In so far as the board expresses a
preference TO fix the ultimate rate aft
er it has finally passed upon the states
valuation Of the company's property,
which. as the board states, must done
on or before the 18th day of July next,
perhaps the decision is not so harm
full. A property that has been starved
under forms OF legal procedure for
three years past can perhaps, continue
to subsist on limited ratiOns for seven
weeks more, but. to the extent that
the premises of the board and the
legal principles adopted by the board
are in conflict with the law, they
should be corrected by the proper
tribunal to the end that justice may
he done. The company will, therefore,