The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-08-18
For THE RECORD
"P4Y AS TOU co."

Mr.. EDITOR I'll sec that correspondent
last week takes pains to show that when our
City was bearing the burden Of heavy debt
there was at one time over SIS, 900 of uncol-
lected taxes upon the duplicates, the greatest
part of which has doubtless been lost to the
city, with corresponding injustice to those
who paid their assessments. There could be
no more forcible evidence given of the corr
rectness of the "pay as you go " principle
albeit the information was not given for that
purpose. | say nothing against the creation
of the bounty debt. The end justifies the
means. But burden that could properly be
placed upon the people when the nation was
struggling for it's life, it would be utterly in
excusable to repeat in tllese times of peace
when there exists no such necessity.
The very facts quoted, showing that it coul1l
not be properly collected, proves how hardly
it has borne upon the people, aud every one
knows how odious it has become. Yet now
that our City is getting out of deot, although
the times are harder and money more difficult
to spare, under the charming influence of
hope and the nowledge that the nuisance
will soon be ended, THAI very tax was. paid
last year almost to the dollar. Saeh 10 the
difference.
Now why should we wish to repeat this dis
agreeable experience Who wants to see an
oeher SO, 900 of uncolleeted and unoolectable
taxes accumulate, which the people either
cannot pay or consider SO outrageously unjust
that they resist the payment 1t is not the
theory of our government that the people are
taxed by some superior authority which they
must obey. On the contrary they tar them
setoes, and the body which lays the taxes are
but their representatives. Turn to the tax
ordinance advertised in this same paper, and
you will read that ''the inhabitants of the
City of Lambertville do ordain," &c. Now
what will an honest, sensible, practical people
ordain Why first to do their duty, and to
faithfully fulil every just and honest oblga-
tion to the Nation, the State aud County, as
Lambertvillc has ever and always done. And
second, to have an honest aud economical 10
cal administration of their funds which will
enable them to live without the fear Of having
their snug homes levied on and sold by tie
Tax Collector. Our City is full of perso
who value their comfortable little horaes. not
for speculation, but to hge IN, and peing com
PEELED to live upon moderate means thew must
have moderate prices, and amongst other
things which must be moderate are the taxes.
And these cannot be, if wild and fanciful
schemes are to be ir.dulged in, and we are to
ape the manners and the expenses of cities of
ten times our Wealth and population.
And nov a word upon the manner of memo ;
ing orr s,treets, which has been stigmatized
as pitch work. Although not an expert
in sdch matters, it is evident to me that this
Work has not been judiciously done. Dirt
/ put upon dirt remains dirt at last, and soften
cd by every rain rapidly becomes mud, which
washes out again. Had a system of street
mending with broken stone been adopted ten
years ago, which would have cost but trife
mole, we would, in my opinion, have had ex-
celent streets to-day, without the cost Of
matchmaking at all. Yet moments
thought will show any one that street re-
pairs of any kind may be stigmatized by the
minimizing as patchwork" Streets will
DopVuio ootoObisC az DPOte5 toPcoiniiy Hhoh
you have Water Company and Gas Com
pany continually ripping them up but you
cannot pave a new street every time a spot
becomes defective, and to mend 1t is "patch--
work" At this very moment the macada-
mized portion of Union street, which cost so
much money, needs patch. work badly. At
the crossing of Union and Coryell streets
there is hollow in which water stands,
through which teams are obliged to wade
nearly knee-deep after every rain. Is 1t not
to be mended because it would be "patch--
work y?
AS patch upon an honest mans coat looks
great deal better, and is deal more cred
table, than patch against him on ledger,
which makes store-keeper scowl every time
he looks at the page, SO will it be much more
to the true credit Of our City to patch her
streets the best she can affJrd, rather than
purchase improvements which she cannot pay
for. Not dollars worth of the macadamiz-
ing on Union street is, in reality, yet paid for
! (rhe City's share of the expense, mean y
True, the contractor has had his money, bu
that much more floating debt still exists il
consequence. II is also true that for brie
period il was wiped out in the bank. But i