The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-18
Great Interest Everywhere
Regarding the Land
Company's Schemes.
SOME OFFICIALS INCREDULOUs.
Names Signed to the Call Of the
Odd Fellows Hall Meeting
Though Their Owners Oppose
Division.

The statements made by Colonel Edwin
A. Stevens and others of the Hoboken
Land and Improvement Company in in
terviews published in THE SUNDAY MORN
ING NEWS of yesterday concerning the
division of the county have but strength
ened the conviction among the people OF
the county that that company is the real
backer of the movement.
Colonel Stevens half admission that he
had himself ineautiously started the
story is given its due weight, and specula-
ton has taken wings as to the specific
purposes the company hopes to gain by the
division.
It is conceded on all sides that a strong
effort is being made to deceive the tax
payers of the district that would consti-
tute the new county as to the expenses
that would attend separation. In the first
place, they had been kept in the dark as
to the'necessity of large outlay for new
county buildings by the pretext that the
present public buildings in Hoboken
would answer for that purpose, till THE
JERSEY CITY NEWS of Saturday showed
how inadequate, even for her own uses,
the city's buildings are.
THE COUNTY DEBT.
Another evidence that the taxpayers are
being deceived in the discussion, is the
fact that they have not yet been informed
as to the division Of the county. debt that
will attend the division of the county.
Hoboken and North Hudson cannot take
themselves out of the county of Hudson
without taking their share of the existing
debt of Hudson county with them; for
the property which they take with them
represents part of the assets, on the
strength of which the debt was contracted
and Hoboken has, besides, shared in the
benefits for the security OF which the debt
was contracted.
COLLECTOR DUGAN's VIEWS.
While on my way to the Court House
this morning / met County Collector
Dugan and asked him what he thought
about the division of the county.
II do not think it will ever take place, 2
he replied. IF H0boken people want this
new county because of the arrearages of
Jersey City taxes they are foolish, for
within two weeks the city will have paid
all it owes the county, and, as | told you
once before, the money paid uby the
city will be invested by the county
in Jersey City bonds. do not believe the
Hoboken Land and Improvement Com
pany want the county divided. Neither
do / think Jersey City people care how
soon Hoboken withdraws. | do not be-
Eeve new county would benefit any one,
certainly not Hoboken."
The next gentleman saw was Counsel
lor Michael I. Newbold. He said with
emphasis:s-
II don't believe the Hoboken Land and
Improvement Company are such a pack of
fools as to want another county and make
another ring and set of thieves. This is
little strong and you may make it milder."
Faxed Names.
The Hoboken EUeaialg Ne,os, in publish
ing the names of persons calling for the
mass meeting of citizens in support of the
proposed division of the county last Thurs
day, printed the names of Rudolph
NaegeH, ex-Commissioner William Utz,
G. Jaegels, J. H. Rosenbaum, Charles
f.. Mattage, of Hudson street. Messrs.
Leitz and Fall, and William Mac
hold These gentlemen being strongly
opposed to any such scheme The first
they knew of the matter was when their
names We're published. They were not
called upon, nor did they in any way ex-
press their willingness to be quoted as in
terested in the scheme. Several others
say that their names were published with
out any authority
Mr.. Osten, president, and Mr.. Muller,
secretary of the Citizens Club Of Hobo
ken, told me that the members of the club,
which is composed of over one hundred of
the most wealthy citizens, outside of the
Hoboken Land and Improvement concern,
are decidedly opposed to any division.