NOTE. The attention of the officer making the return is called to the following provisions of the act referred to above: SEC. 4 of said act, after providing specifically for the taxation of “telegraph, telephone, cable, express, electric light, gas, parlor, palace or sleeping car, fire, marine or accident insurance, oil or pipe line companies," reads as follows: "That all other corporations incorporated under the laws of this State, and not hereinbefore provided for, shall pay a yearly license fee or tax of one-tenth of one per centum on the amount of the capital stock of such corporations; provided, that this act shall not apply to railway, canal or banking corporations or to savings banks, cemeteries or religious corporations, or purely charitable or educational associations, or manufacturing companies or mining companies carrying on business in this State." SEC. 5. * "the State Board of Assessors shall * * * * have power to require of any corporation subject to tax under this act such information or reports touching the affairs of such company as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and may require the production of abstracts of the books of such company, and may swear and examine witnesses in relation thereto." SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That if any officer of any company required by by this act to make a return as aforesaid, shall, in such return, make a false statement, he shall be deemed guilty of perjury; if any such company shall neglect or refuse to make such return within the time limited as aforesaid, the State Board of Assessors shall ascertain and fix the amount of such receipts in such manner as may be deemed by them most practicable, and the amount fixed by them shall stand as the basis of taxation of such company under this act. Returns should be addressed to THE STATE BOARD OF ASSESSORS, Trenton, New Jersey. Your attention is called to the provisions of "An act for the taxation of railroad and canal property," approved April 10th, 1884, and particularly to sections, 21, 22, 23 and 24 thereof, to wit: 21. And be it enacted, That on or before the first day of July next, and on or before the first Tuesday of May in each year thereafter, any person or company running, operating or constructing any railroad or canal in this State, shall return to the State Board of Assessors statements or schedules, subscribed and sworn to by the president or other chief officer before some officer of the State authorized to administer oaths, of the property of such railroad or canal as it existed on the first day of January preceding, which, for each railroad, shall be as follows: I. Of the real estate, specifying its extent and dimensions, which may be shown by a map or maps, setting out in detail the total length of the road, including branch and leased lines, the entire length in this State, and the length of double or side tracks; and the number, character and value of all buildings and structures in each county and in each taxing district through or in which it is located in this State, designating the main stem or road-bed, and the width, wherever it exceeds one hundred feet, and designating particularly any portion in each taxing district which is not used for railroad purposes and which is locally assessed and taxed, and the value thereof; II. Of the rolling stock and tangible personal property, giving the number of freight engines, passenger engines, passenger and freight cars, ferryboats and other movable property of every description, owned, used or hired, and the value thereof; III. A statement or schedule, showing: a. The amount of capital stock authorized, and the number of shares into which such capital stock is divided; b. The amount of capital stock paid up; c. The market value, and if no market value, then the actual value of the shares of stock; d. The total amount and the details and particulars of all indebtedness. Such statements and schedules for canals shall be as follows: I. Of all the real estate of said company, giving the depth of water and dimensions of such canal, the length of the canal and of its feeders in the State, and the number, character and value of all locks, and of all buildings and other structures in each county and taxing districts, designating particularly the width where it exceeds one hundred feet and designating any portion in each taxing district which is not used for canal purposes and which is locally assessed and taxed; II. The floating and movable property; III. A statement or schedule containing all the particulars above enumerated and to be returned by railroad companies in the third statement or schedule; such statements or schedules shall be made in conformity with such instructions and forms as may be prescribed by the said Board, and such further statements shall be furnished as said Board shall require; the said Board shall prescribe the form of the oath to the statements and schedules required by this section, and any person who shall make such oath falsely shall be guilty of perjury. 22. And be it enacted, That any railroad or canal company claiming exemption from taxation under this act, by reason of any alleged contract with the State, shall, together with and in addition to the return required by the last section, make a further return specifying the act or acts of the Legislature by which such contract is claimed to have been created, and also specifying what portion of the property of said railroad or canal company is claimed to be exempt from taxation under this act, and the particulars as to character, location and value of the property, if any, admitted to be liable under this act; such return shall be in no manner conclusive as to any of the facts therein stated, but said Board shall investigate and determine whether any, and if any, what portion of the property of such company is, by contract, beyond the power of the State to tax under this act; the residue of said property shall be assessed, apportioned, valued and taxed pursuant to the provisions of this act. 23. And be it enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any railroad or canal company having any contract with the State, whereby any of their property is exempted from the taxation imposed by this act, to acquire and hold, directly or indirectly, any property in this State (except such property as such company may be entitled to acquire and hold pursuant to their said contract with this State, if such company has any charter provisions on this subject which the Legislature cannot abrogate or repeal), unless such company shall, by a written instrument, executed under their common seal, approved by the Attorney-General and filed with the Secretary of State, first agree that any and all property acquired by such company after the passage of this act shall be subject to taxation under the provisions of this act, or any amendments thereto, or any further act of the Legislature, in which case such property shall be so subject. 24. And be it enacted, That if any person or corporation running, operating or constructing any railroad or canal shall wilfully neglect to make returns as required by this act, such person or corporation shall forfeit as a penalty not more than ten thousand dollars, to be assessed by the jury, for each offense, to be recovered in any proper form of action in the Supreme Court, in the name of the State, and paid into the State Treasury; it shall be the duty of said Board to certify any such default to the AttorneyGeneral of the State, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney-General to prosecute for such penalty; any person who shall make falsely any oath required to be made under this act, and any person who shall testify falsely, when called to testify under this act, shall be guilty of perjury, and on conviction thereof shall be liable to all the penalties prescribed by law therefor. Prompt action in making returns is desirable. Each return must be subscribed and sworn to by the president or other chief officer of the company making the same. Forms of affidavits to be annexed to returns are herewith sent. The term "taxing district" is defined by the law to designate "any municipality, city, township, borough, incorporated town or village having power to assess and levy taxes, through which any railroad or canal may run." The extent and dimensions of the real estate of any company may be shown by a map or maps (vide section 21). Such maps are urgently requested by the Board, and companies sending them will greatly add to their worth by tracing thereon the lines of the townships or taxing districts through which their roads run. Address all returns to THE STATE BOARD OF ASSESSORS. Trenton, New Jersey. |