Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-09-03
NEwARK's NUM- JIpAL AFFAIRS.


Considerable comment has been raised
in Newark by the fact that citizens who
had previously paid their taxes for last
year have, in some cases, received no
tice from the Controller stating that
their property would be sold for arrears
Of taxes if amounts due were not paid
within a specified time On present
ing their tax receipts at the Office of
the Receiver of taxes, John A. Broad
well, they were informed that the double
demand was due to q clerical error.
The amounts involved were not large,
and the taxpayers thus summoned were
not numerous, but an uneasy feeling of
suspicion was excited which provoked
such censure that Mr. Broadwell asked
for an investigation. The Finance
Committee of the City Council have not
yet made thorough examination of the
booksand, to satisfythe public desire for "a
full and impartial probing of the matter,
will probably ask, OF the next regular
meeting of the City Council, on Friday
evening, for the appointment Of COM
mittee of citizens to take the matter in
hand.
J. d. Harrison of the Finance COM
mittee stated to Tribune reporter, yes
terday, that there was no ground for
supposing that the city had lost dol.
lar by the looseness of Mr.. Broadwell's
accounts. The amount of the taxes
which had been thus far ascertained to
have been demanded for the second
time this year hardly reached one thou
sand dollars and there was surplus in
the hands of the receiver which would
cover the amounts The Finance COM
mittee, on looking over the books, had
found that similar mistakes had been
committed for five years at least. Mr.
Broadwell had been receiver since
January l, 1871. Until this year the
informing of delinquent taxpayers of
the proposed sale OF their land if their
taxes are not paid had been in his
hands.
By the law passed last February that
business was transferred to the Control
Ter. M. Broadwell claims that, owing
to the rush of tax payers to the Office
on the last days when taxes are regular
ly payable, it is impossible to audit the
accounts as they are settled The
" stubs" attached to the tax warrants
are retained, and from these the pay
ments are checked in the books after
the crowd is over. If the stubs"
chance to be. ost, Mr.. Broadwell adj
mits that the accounts would be incor-
rect, and states that during alterations
in his Office, last April, some of them
were lost. Hence followed the demand
for taxes already paid.
Mr.. Harrison said that he knew of no
charges in circulation against the
management of other city Offices There
had been some complaints that street
opening commissions had used their
position for speculative purposes. Such
complaints were, however, confined to
persons who thought themselves ag-
grieved with regard to assessments or
awards upon their property and to the
columns of an irresponsible weekly
journal published in the city. Thence
they have crept into one New York
newspaper without verifcation. The
city council, Mr.. Harrison said, courts a
full investigation of its acts and inten.
tions.
Mr.. Broadwell, the tax receiver,
stated to the reporter that he had moth
ing to say with regard to the alleged IT.
Irregularities in his accounts, except that
some mistakes are inevitable among
forty-five thousand accounts covering
one million and five hundred thousand
dollars.
From interviews with city officers.
members of the city council, and lead
ing citizens of Newark, it is found that
there is no general dissatisfaction with
the present management of city affairs.
There are twenty-one republicans and
nine democrats in the board of alder
men. The minority prefer no charges
of ring rule against the majority, and
the large taxpayers do not make accuse.
tons of either incompetency OF corrup-
ton in the municipal government. The
prompt inclination of the city council
to clear its skirts of any suspicion, by a
proposal to invite at the next regular
meeting full investigation of the en-
tire conduct of city affairs by citizens
committee, is commended.
-----t4eps----
A SCENE IN CHURCH.