The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-21
What This State Will Get
From Uncle Sam the
Coming Year.
NOTHING IF NOT MODEST.
Newark's Post Office, Light Houses,
Powder Works aud Riparian
Improvements.
specioi 10 he Jersev cify ve.r,

the officials In the Executive Departments
are looking out for the next fiscal year,
although the present one has just begun.
In other words they are engaged in the
preparation of the estimates upon which
are predicted the appropriations for car
ryine on the operations Of the Govern
ment. These estimates are by custom
placed in the hands of the Secretary of
the Treasury.in September, ana under his
supervision they are properly compiled
and printed in book form for delivery to
Congress on the opening day Of the ses-
sion in December. They take notice. of
course. of expenditures of all kinds,
which, in the Judgment of the cabinet
ministers, may be needed to cover twelve
months. but 10 is the intention of your
correspondents TO mention those only In
which provision is made for public works
and again, such as are Of local interest 10
New Jersey.
ONLY A LITTLE.
It is, perhaps, needless to say that the
people of the State get little from the
Government. comparatively speaking, in
the way OF public Improvements. Indeed,
unlike some other communities, they fail
in many proper instances to heed the
biblical injunction-"Aska and thou shalt
receive" There are in life as well as In
fiction some statesmen who are always
hot in pursuit OF an appropriation. no
matter what may became OF the old flag,
but this breed is not raised in New Jer-
sey. There are, however, some few pub
lie works protected and which will he in
cluded in the forthcoming estimates. 1t
should be said first that the treasury peo-
pie estimate for no Governments work
which cannot be based upon some law OF
Congress: hence there Is much difference
in these official requests from the desires
of the home people or their representa-
tives in Congress.
First In Importance comes the estimate
of 5000, 900 for the completion of the New
ark Custom House and Post Office, which
will be submitted by the Supervising
Architect of the Treasury. This amount
will make up the full s650.000, the limit
of cost for this improvement.
The Supervising Architect would also
like TO have a further appropriation of
$50. 600 for the erection OF public build
ing at Camden. There has already been
sl00, 900 allowed for this project.
The Lighthouse Boardjwill make several
recommendations for local projects to
aid safe navigation The most important
Is that for the establishment OF a light
station and fog signal at Big Oyster Bed
Sheal at the mouth Of Maurice river, for
which an allowance Of $25, 900 is required.
The light station, iI Is said, is greatly
needed by the numerous fishing craft
navigating the river
1t is also proposed to raise the tower
and increase the power or the light at
Ship John shoal lights station. New Jer-
sey, at estimated expense of $500. The
department says that the interests OF
commerce require that this be done.
DOVER POWDER DEPOT.
The Ordnance Bureau are anxious to
have a number or improvements provided
for at the Dover powder depot. An
allowance of $4,000 Is desired to build
one set Of quarters for the commanding
officer, and like amount for barracks
for enlisted men. For competing the
Office building $500 is needed and for
general repair 5000. Strengthening the
dam and repairs TO raceway will take
81, 600, and building roads and other i'm
provements. $4,000.
The ordnance officers say that an ur-
gent necessity exists for these appropria-
tions, as no quarters for officers or enlisted
men have been provided for this depot,
and the officer in command is compelled
to sleep at distance from his post. Five
powder magazines have been completed,
wherein there are stored about 300 900
powder, valued at 65.2s6. and 1929. SO
pounds of nitre and sulphur, valued at
1897, los. The protection at present af-
forded 10 public property and buildings
by the few hired men employed Is wholly
inadequate. Hence IL is proposed to sta
tion command of regular troops at the
depot, il Congress can be prevailed upon
to make provision for the barracks.
u can be said, though, that the ord
nance officers DO not snare the fears of
some of the residents In the neighbor-
hood that an explosion might occur at
the depot. The greatest danger, they
say, is from forest fires; but this is kept
down by removing the underbrush in the
vicinity. The public highway through
the property permits the passage of
drunken and disorderly persons, but this
road is not very close to the magazines.
The department is OF the opinion, though,
tnat the estimates noted above should be
allowed in the interests of security to
public property and to quiet the fears Of
apprehensive people.
Under the law the Chief of Engineers is
not required to submit the estimates for
the improvement of rivers and harbors
until the first Of October. but his bureau
is already at work making up the neees-
sary calculations. 1t can be said that
they will be for pretty liberal amounts, at
least for the more important projects, as
the funds on hand viii have been about
exhausted by the expiration or the pres
ent year.
AS said 10 the beginning, New Jersey
does not ask great deal OF the govern
ment in the way Of public Improvements.