Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-02-28
COUNTY BOARD
SHOULDERS ALL
RESPONS|B|[|TY|
Local Assessor Was In
structed to Reduce A. S. &
R. Assessment $264 600
CALL INCREASE UNJUST
County Tax Board Meets to-
day-Copy of Missing
Letter Is Found
CALL INCREASE UNJUST

The Middlesex County Board of
Taxation at meeting held in New
Brunswick this morning approved
the Perth Amboy tax duplicates ~
originally submitted showing the
American Smelling and Refining
Company's assessment for this year
$4,000 more than of last year.
The county board also approved the
removal of the increase of 1854 900
which had been made to the assess
ment of this company following pro-
tests from the Raritan Copper
Works that the A. s. & r. asseS3-
ment was low. The county tax
board members take full responsihIl-
ity for the removal of the z5 !, ,5frs:
from the Cuggenileim company'g 49,
sessmenfs.
The county tax board members
held that there was nothing nyst r
ious about the letter written by
their secretary. Frank Deiner. To
John Hunt, clerk of the Perth AM
boy Board of Assessors, and the con-
tents of the letter were made known
The original figures of the Perth
Amboy assessor. Walter BieIecki.
SHOWSQ tllt A. >. IL. d<ff+crlA1Et4A
for 1924 to be $193, 600 IN excess Of
last years total, ac ording to the
statement given out by the county
board members A. Clayton CLARK.
superintendent of the Raritan Cop
per Works, protested against this
assessment on the grounds that the
Guggenheim plant was underasse ess-
ed in comparison to the Raritan Cop
per Work S assessment.
Assessor Bielecki was Instructed
by the county tax board to serve
both Industries with personal tax
blanks in order that the Companies
might give their own figures. Al few
DAYS later Mr.. Bielecki made an In
crease of S264,000 in the A. s. q r
assessments, consisting of s259 ,oeo
in personal and $14.0 900 In buildings
An inspection of the A. s. e. r.
plant was then made by the local
assessor and the county board at the
conclusion of which the county
board members held that the prop
erty was overassessed. They held
that the increase of 1884, 900 was not
justified and instructed Assessor
Bielecki to make a reduction of this
amount so that the original figures
again prevailed.
The American Smelling and Ref7n-
ing Company officials claimed there
was no foundation to the Statement
made by Superintendent Clark OF
the copper works that one million
dollars had been spent in plant ex
tension during the year. The of1l-
cials said a large amount was spent
in replacing old equipment and held
that 1t was unfair to be assessed on
the new equipment and old equlp1
ment. which wos no longer used. n
well.
The capacities of the two plaa
were considered hv the members
the county board, it was said
morning, and it was found the RI
tan plants capacity was $4,000,
pounds per mouth whereas the
S. & r. had capacity of 20, 1000
pounds per month together with
other 5,000.0 900 pound Capacity
lead. According TO the county
board, the situation in Perth An1b
is that either the A. S. & r. a.
over-sssessed or the Raritan Coppey
Works are assessed.
The letter sent TO the clerk Of the
Perth Amboy Board of Assessors BY
the secretary of the county board
did not contain anything which
should not be made public. it was
said by the members of the county
board. and a copy of the letter was
found this morning by Frank Deiner.
the secretary. The letter called the
attention of the Perth Amboy asses
sors to the conference and inspec-
ton held at the A. S. & r. plant and
ordered the assessors to make the re-
duction in that particular assess-
Ysac A OF Fof = ell rs
showing all changes was enclosed
with the letter and the clerk was
instructed to check up these figures
in the comptroller's office.
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