The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-04-30
County Tax Boost Contention
Considered Vital Test Of New
Jersey Law.
HIGHWAY BOARD FAvoRs PLAN
Warnings Being Sent Out Urging I'm
necessary War on Destructive
Caterpillar, Which Did SO
Much Damage Last Year.

dered in seven Monmouth county AK
ing districts, having combined assess
ments of $40, OO0. 200, the State Board
of Taxes and Assessments has asked
the aid of Attorney General Katzen-
bach in combating Court action start
ed by the districts to have the in
creases set aside, it was announced
by the board.
Writs of certiorari have been obs
tanned in the Supreme Court by the
districts in question as a preliminary
to reviewing the increases While the
raises were nominally ordered in the
name of the Monmouth County Tax
Board, the county's action was the re-
suit of a probe started by the State
Board, acting under authority of laws
passed in 1921 and 1923. These acts
require the State taxing officials to
make Investigations of assessments in
the various counties.
"This action is one that not only
affects the present situation in Mon
mouth county" said members of the
State Tax Board, but goes to tbs
question of whether or not the county
boards have the power to equalize and
increase, when assessments in the To-
cal taxing districts are not satisfac-
tory. 1t is the most important tax
question, in the opinion Of the State
Board, that has arisen in some years,
and for this reason the board has de-
termined that it will assist in every
possible way the efforts of the Mon
mouth county board to uphold the in
creases accomplished in that county"
This is the first time the power of
the county boards to equalize assess
ments has been considered" said the
State Board, in expressing the determ-
nation that every means will BIZ
taken to prevent the taxing districts
from lowering the assessments.
The probe undertaken by the State
authorities in Monmouth show the
average assessment in that county to
be 43 per cen Of true valuation, 1t
was said. This was a~scertained by a.
comparison of purchase prices on GER
tain property with the assessments on
the respective properties examined.
The lowest percentage of assessments
was in Keansburg, with 30 per cent,
while the highest, in Monmouth
Beach, was so per cent Of true value.
With these alleged facts as a basis.
the State Board turned the attention
of the county boards to the situation
with an injunction that the county
authorities examine the assessments.
Upon the completion of a check con-
Quoted by the Monmouth board, as
sessments for 1925 were boosted $751;
100000 yer the total of 1924.
Following the ordering of the in
creases, the sever complaining dis
tricts appealed to the Supreme Court
and writs of c~ertiorari were granted
by Justice Lloyd to review the action.
Besides Monmouth county. increases
in 1924 assessments have been OBJ
tanned by the State Board in Burling-
ton county, $4.555, $50; Cumberland,
$7,454,294; Atlantic, SAL, sos, 1856; Cape
May, $12,916, 564.
Historic GaveIs Presented
Made of wood from the tree under
which George Washington. in 1775. as
ouAlOQ COlt1ldAu VI Lie AluGilCdH
army in the War for independence,
two gavels were received by Secre-
tary of State Thomas F.. Martin for
use by the speaker of the assembly
and the president of the senate. The
tree became known in history as the
washington Elm" but during the
past year was found tt have died and
61oovo1 Y.~oof1 Ioo-ff1 = =. zffA-+~
to invigorate it.
On each gavel is the inscription:
"a Piece of the Washington Elm,
which Formerly stood in Cambridge,
Mass, Presented by the City Of Cam
bridge, 1924"
The gavels were sent here by the
board Of park commissioners of Cam
bridge under instructions from the
| council of that municipality. The
council has forwarded similar gavels
to each state in the Union for the
presiding officers of both legislative
bodies.
Senator Bright, president of the
senate. received his gavel, but be-
| cause OF, the illness of Speaker Powell
the gavel was turned over to him
later.
Bobolink Protected
With the governors signature on
Senate Bill 81, the bobolink protection
measure, the New Jersey Audubon So
/ ciety marks another victory in its ten
year battle for the little songster.
The society gratefully acknowi.
edges the support Of its members and
| the cooperation Of the New Jersey
Fish and Game Conservation League,
the Women's clubs and other organ
cations and friends who have aided in
the good fight, al well as the able
handling Of the bill in senate and as
sembly by Senator Williams mi AS.
semblyman Comstock, in a statement
issued from It's Newark Office.
What was won in 1921" adds the
Audubon statement, 'lost again the
following year and now finally recov
cred all by desperate lighting on nerve
alone, might, with adequate financial