The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-15
THE rOURTH,s COMPLAINT.

A Lively Meeting to Discuss Taxation
and Other Matters.
The monthly meeting of the Fourth
Assembly District Property Owners
Association, at Kessler's last night, was a
very large and very spicy one.
President N. P. Merseles presided and
A. A. Frank, the secretary, was at his
post.
Communications from the Lafay cite,
Citizens Protective Association and the
Greenville Citizens Association asking
for the appointment of a conference COM
mittee to consider city legislation IN the
matter of Improvements were read, and
the requests were complied with by the
appointment of DIR. U. Allen, William III.
Wheeler and M. MCGOWAN as the COM
mittee.
Martin Logan, chairman of com nit
tee appointed some time ago to ascertain
and report the rate of taxation, presented
a long report showing that the valuations
IN the Fourth district had been increased
S182, 900, a sum greater than the combined
increased valuations of the rest of the
city. The report brought out the views
of many members, and then it was de-
cided that the committee be continued
and authorized to call a public meeting
to protest against the unequal discriml-
nation against the Fourth district.
THESE NEED ATTENTION.
A list of places requiring attention OF
the Commissioners of Streets and Sewers
was read, including the junction Of the
twenty-four inch sewer in Webster
avenue. The larger empties into the
smaller, and every rain produces Hooded
streets at that point. 1t was voted to re-
quest the Board to erect a bulkhead at
the point to remedy the matter. 1t was
decided to urge the Board to construct
receiving basins on Ogden avenue, OPP
posite South street, and at the corner of
South street and Cambridge avenue.
Also to repair crosswalks at thu corner
of Central avenue and Bowers street, and
to provide crosswalk on Central avenue
between North and Irving streets. 1t was
further decided to request the Police
Commissioners to provide additional
lights on Bowers street, between Central
and Summit avenues, where there are
only two lamps now, and to erect lamps
on Summit avenue, between North and
Irving streets, where none have been To-
Gated.
INCREASED TAXATION.
The question of the increased taxation
then came up again, and general chorus
of indignant citizens was heard. Many
members asserted that their valuations
had been increased from 10 to l25 per
cent over those of last year.
Secretary Frank said he sold lots two
months ago in the district for sums 500
less than the valuation subsequently, put
upon them. He mentioned two which
he sold for 1865 and $500, which had been
valued respectively at $500 and $500.
j. M. Van Tassell thought the Execu-
tive Committee should invite all tax
payers of the district who consider their
taxes exhorbitant to attend a. public
meeting and there exhibit their bills, and
that they should go with the Executive
Committee to the Board of Appeals,
November 26, to demand relief, and fail
ing to secure such relief they should pre-
sent their grievances to the Mayor.
MR.. MERSELEs PROTESTS.
President Merseles took the floor and
made a spirited address against "the in
Justice done the district" He claimed
the Fourth District had been punished
for the heavy vote it gave against adopt
ing the new charter. He quoted from the
Building Inspectors reports, from June,
1883 to 1889, showing that in the Sixth
District, buildings valued at 1926, 900 had
been erected, while those of the Fourth
District were valued at 1888, 600, and said:
-s.Yet there is decrease OF valuation in
the Sixth, while the increase in the
Fourth amounts to $1S2, 600. "
He made other contrasts, and presented
figures to show the injustice, which he
claimed had been done every resident of
the district and added" Ii the increase
throughout the city had been proportion
ate with that of our district, the tax rate
would be 81. SO instead of s. S0."
1t was finally decided that the Execu-
tive Committee call public meeting to
take action in the matter
NIGHT SCHOOLS.
The matter of night schools was dis
cussed and it was voted that the secretary
be directed to ask the Board of Finance
to provide means for maintaining night
school in the district. John E. McArthnr
moved that the secretary be instructed
to ask the Street and Water Commission
ers to give the people a photograph of the
Inspector appointed over the Cambridge
avenue sewer. 1t was stated that the I'M
provement had been under way long
time and that no Inspector had been seen.
The motion was adopted.