The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-19
10 KILL TWO Birds.
Does the H. L. and |. Com
pany Want to Split Ho-
boken, Too?
THAT WOULD BE NICE, OF COURSE.
Because 1t Would Bring Down
Taxes on Water Front Holders.

The county is still agog over the proofs
THE JERSEY CITY News has presented
that the Hoboken Land and Improvement
Company is back of the county splitting
movement and over the explanations that
have been made as to the purpose which
the company aims to accomplish.
II see, said one citizen to me yesterday.
that there are intimations that some
great shore front scheme of the company's
is behind the movement. The JERSEY
CRY NEWS regarded that suggestion as
somewhat chimerical; but there is more
in it than you imagined III tell you
Why
Twenty years or more ago the most
valuable property in Hoboken was Castle
Point, 1t had been beautified and inn
proved by the late Mr. Stevens for his own
personal use, and when his palaces had
been erected on it-for even his stables
were mansions-a the grounds laid out,
the tax bills became simply enormous
In order to escape the payment OF the full
city rate, he had all that part of Hoboken
north of Sixth street and east OF Wash
ington street set off into the township OF
Hoboken. Al township tax is a very much
! lighter affair, you know, than a city tax
Castle Point thus became a part OF Wee
hawken, and remained SO till Senator
| Rabe brought it back into Hoboken.
what has all this got to do with the
new county? Perhaps you don't see, but
| I'll tell you. The main objection to the
new county among the township people
now Is that Hoboken will be the boss. AT
| the proper time the Stevenses will come
| along with a scheme to counteract that
objection. That scheme will be the adding
OF share of Hoboken to Weehawken
again. This will impair Hohoken's inftu-
ence in the new county and add to the in
| fuence of the townships.
1.-THE part of Hoboken which it is In
| contemplation to set off into Weekawken
again lies between Third street and Wee
| hawken and Washington streets and the
| river The company by such movement
would kill two birds with one stone.
| This would put an end to the cry against
Hoboken influence in the new county
and also exchange q large city tax for q
small township tax on the great steaIn-
| ship docks with which the cOmpany's
| river front is lined.
ssOf course the new county agitation is
necessary to the carrying out of their
| scheme. If there is to be no new county,
| there can be no excuse for taking the
most valuable of the company's Hoboken
! property out of the city's taxable pro-
| perty"
called on ex-senator Rabe this morn
| ing, to learn what he knew about the old
time bit of history with which the story
given above is prefaeed.
MANY years ago. said ex-senator
Rabe, when the township Of Weehawken
was formed by the Durers. the Browns
and the Kings, the Stevens family, who
| owned the Castle Point and other land
on the strip, wishing to be classed with
the other families, had Castle Point cut
off from Hohoken and annexed to Wee
hawken 1t remained a part Of that
| township up to 1874, when while was in
the Legislature, the piece WIS again am
nexed to Hoboken."