The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-07
Tnas paper Is Democratic IN prtnctptel
r and is Independent in its UietDs on al
local questions.
Elizabeth's Disaster-A Lesson to
Cities.

DlSHSbcf-SA AeSSOA =
Cities.
It is sad to think of the suffering
and loss that our sister city, Eliza
beth, must undergo on account Of the
confiagration at the Singer Sewing
Machine Factory at 1.-THE Port" last
night. Over thirty-fve hundred men
and women are without work today,
and will be without income at the
end of the week. Some of them may
be idle for months, others will have
to go far and wide in search of stu
ations. Homes will be broken up,
friends separated. the hard work of
years will be ~neutralized, and the
hopes Of hundreds will be wrecked.
Nor will the disaster end with the
employees of the Singer Company. All
the business interests Of Paterson will
feel the blow. The company paid
out $40, 900 every week in wages, or
over two millions of dollars a year.
It is safe to say that a million and a
quarter Of this, at least, was spent in
Paterson. For the next year this will
be missed. The company will hardly
be able to rebuild and start work
again inside that time. Some Of the
employees, perhaps, will get work near
by, and will still bring money to
Elizabeth; but it is to be feared there
will remain d net loss Of q million to
the trade of the city.
1t appears the magnitude of the
calamity might have been greatly re-
duced but for a false and lamentable
economy in the city's affairs. The
roads were SO bad that the fire engines
could not reach the burning building,
and the water supply was defective.
There Is the story. told over again, OF
many a lamentable disaster.
1t is a terrible lesson for cities touch
ing the error of the penny wise policy.
No economy is profitable which places
the livesor the property Of the citizens
at the mercysof accident. In the com
ing year the community of Elizabeth
will lose more than would have made
the needed improvements, and If the
money had been spent on them, she
would still have had something to
show for her money.
- Ff
Our only competitor raj frantic
yesterday over the beat which Thu
JERSEY Cry News scored on it on
Monday respecting the application fol
a recount. 1t scolded Lawyer Record
and Judge Dixon, and the Republican
County Committee and the whole
world in general. 1t said one amusing
thing
Mr.. Record was very much disinclined to tall
GU the subject this morning when approached bJ
a Journal reporter. He said that as soon al
there was anything ready for publication h'
would give 1t out. Just as though the public, sc
deeply interested in this momentous subject
has not a right to be kept informed Of all th'
steps taken.
Don't be alarmed, neighbor. TIL
JERSEY Cry NEWS is keeping Tho
public posted.
Unhappy ACKNOWLEDGEMENT b,
M e
The Newark sunday Call had
beautiful sermon on municipal virtu,
in its editorial columns on Sunday,
and the Erenang Neecs took up tn
strain on Monday, and went it on
better The way both papers ID
up" the wicked officials of their city ]
beautiful to behold. The Aqueduc
Board is the special object Of their at
tacks, but Mayor Haynes, the Sherii
and his office, the Prosecutor of tn
Pleas, the Grand Jury and the Demo
cratic and Republican parties in gen
eral come in for their share Of tn
scolding.
Now, we must confess to a mos
unchristian 10y at these editoria
agonies Of our Newark contemporar
les. We haee not borne with to-
great patience their insane frenzie
over Hudson corruption, but we con
ass that it is balm to our harrowe'
feelings to see them writhe under th'
smart of their W sores. It is quit
plain that the government and til