The New York herald., 1872-09-30
The HOB0KEN FRAUDS.


ticiens--Tho Priceless Water Front Of
the City 10 BE Given Away-More
About the street ''ImprOvcmcnts'' nnd
Conhscatiom Of Property.
In the article published exclusively in last Mon
days HERALD relative to official corruption, 1t was
announced that the politicians who rule the city
intended to compromise with the Hoboken Land
and Improvement Company on the momentOus
litigation which has been going on between the
city of Hoboken and the above named company
relative to their respective claims to the ownership
of the water front. The announcement has not
proved premature proposal-an extraordinary
one--has been made by the company to the city. 1t
Is about the same as if one man addressed another
thus:--' owe You ten millions; let us compromise
the dispute, and shall pay you one million" The
case Is simply as follows. IIoboken is bounded on
the east by the Hudson River. Nearly all the land
along the eastern border Is owned by the company.
The city of Hoboken
ALWAYS HAD THE RIGHT
to extend her streets to the river, but until few
years ago she asserted that right for reasons
which her political rulers knew most about
When she did assert this right her claim was
resisted by the company The case was brought to-
the Courts, and the Courts decided in favor OF
HOboken The company determined to have the
dispute settled by the Supreme Court, and day
after day saw their chances OF success become
fewer. A decision in behalf OF the rights OF Hobo
ken seemed Inevitable The value OF the disputed
waterfront may be imagined from the fact that
the company recently received for about 45O feet
thereof the sum or s600,OO0. AS already stated I'M
the HERALD. the gain to HobOkeI Wy the acquire
ment OF her riparian rights Will be incaicuiaoie'
But just as The C.ty was about TO be thus Deuenteh
the Common Council
AsroNIsHED THE PUBLIC
ny appoinling committees ITO confer, & WIN tne
company on the matter: This was the first move
In the game. Mcssrs. John Lee, John Logan, A..
sandiord and seba Bogart were appointed mem
bers OF this committee To this committee cOnl-
muncatlOn was sent by the company Offering to.
consent to the extension OF Fourth and Fifth
streets in case the city would demand nothing
further IN compensation 10 the city for ren-
gushing her claim to extend the other streets the
company pro1ered a dock worth about 900. This
offer Is regarded huge Joke by many Of the tax
payers. IL is rumored that the company intends to-
have this astounding proposal
ACCEPTED ny THE POLITICIANS;
but for all that 1t is highly improbable that the
committee will hazard the introduction OF report
advocating the disposal Of millions worth OF prop
erty for a dock worth $4,000 BY reforming tho
printing abuse alone iIoboken could save enough
offers to the city, However absurd it may seem
that so valuable a water front should he disposed
OF by politicians, nevertheless the accomplishment
OF such design Is
FAR FROM IMPOSSIBLE.
Last year E0Uoken AsSembiymdn positively de-
clned to introduce bi! that would bring back to
Hoboken the vast estate OF this company which
mad been detached rom the city to put thousands
runored that this same hssemblyman is actually
seeking reelection. The taxpayers, however,
are determined TO oppose vigorously any politician
who VIII hep 10 saddle heavy taxation on the
shoulders OF the property owners by alliance with
corporations. 1t Is, therefore, probable that some
respectable person will be sent TO Trenton WHO
VIII be patriotic enough 10 aid in smashing the
TIE SAD EXPERIENCE
OF the past year. Sc ms TO have reused the honest
property owners to full consciousness of the me-
ccssiy of sending an uninpeachabe man to Trenl
ton this Fall. By 50 doing only can the oppressed
taxpayers he materially relieved Another cryina in
a IN
unnecessary grading and laying out of unneeded
streets, a. alieady stated in the HERALD The
manner IN which the politicians deceive the prop
erty owners along the line 0! the socaled i'm
provements is nothing less than outrageous. When
property owners were told that 1860 cutie yards
MtgI sSaf' Ssf o ns cubic RDrrSss ysr. TSs nSs
estimated quantity lor allnq Thirteenth street was
less than l2foo yalds; the quantity charged TO The
property owners is 42,jSs yards TO nll in Eighth
street 10 ,46 cubic yards were accounted suncien5
by the surveyor. The actual number OF yards
alleged TO have been used thereon reaches =, 500;
he charter requires the consent Of ma ority OF
the property owners along the line OF fimpr0vemcnt
before such improvement can be commenced.
without the consent Of half the property lt
can hardy seem credibe-and yet such Is the fact
,s IN oTaer 10 gs' nte aie eet the men '
therein are alleged to nave
OF large property owner to the petition for the
Improvement This gentleman subsequently, pro-
tested 70 The Council That he had never signed his
person TO do so. In spite Of his protest tho
work went on although without his namc
the consent Of half the property owners
was not obtained. Like the men who own the lots
on Thirteenth street, the persons along Eighth
street are now assessed more than the property ia
worth. In word, all the property 'improved" on
Eighth Twelfth, thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
Is not worth more than forty-fve per cent Of the
assessment made thereon. II Is virtually conhs-
Gated and the owners must give up the lots unless
the supreme Court remedies the evil The mem-
bers of the Ring resorting to the same artfces
to which the Jersey city officials had recourse, in
order TO shield themselves from public indignaI
ton. when the HERALD. a week ago, exposed thel
Official frauds and corruption Of HOboken the poli1
which were calculated 10 make the untutored taxi
payers imagine that the ACCOUNT IN the HERALn
was erroneous. II the people or Hoboken allow
themselves TO be thus grossly deceived they tbeml
selves shall be the sufererA