The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-29
STREET AND WATER
AND ALDERMANIC
Where the Increases Come in,
Their Causes and Justi-
feation.
CUTTING DOWN THE DEFICIT
The Street Cleaning and Election
AppropriaiiOns-Some Tri fling
Matters Of Doubt.

1t Is not pretended by any one that the
City Budget for 1891 90 is an ideal one.
Under favorable circumstances, it Is adj
mitted, much better one could be drawn
up. II there were no load of debt upon
the city, IL there were no old errors to
remedy budget could be prepared which
would furnish the city not only with all
needs, but also many luxuries, and which
would yet impose no greater burden on
the individual taxpayer. But it is "a
condition not theory" that Jersey City
financiers deal with when they come to
lay out tax levy. and they must do the
best they can under all the circumstances
of the case.
The problem to be solved annually is a
double one. The tax rate must be kept
down to moderate figure, especially since
valuations have been increased as they
have been of late. This is one impera-
tive necessity A second necessity is that
all the regular running expenses OF the
City be reasonably covered, aud in thl S
necessity may be included that of extra ap-
propriations for the several departments
one year for one, one year for another-so
o. W kCCp tucLu III bOulE bOlb VI pEOpoA-
tiouate shape to the progress OF the city
in population, wealth ami inhabited area.
Last year the Police and Educational De-
partments were given large grants OF
money, partly from taxation and partly
by the sale of bonds-interest on which
must be paid out of taxation. This year
it is the turn of the Fire Department,
though indeed the Police Departme nj
does not fare badly either.
So it happens between these two neces-
stiles, the necessity of sparing the tax
payer aud che necessity of keeping the
CITY government abreast with the times
that the City Budget is very much a thing
of compromises. The various appropria-
tions are as high as the makers OF the
Budget can put them In respect to the
public pocket. and as low rs they can put
them in justice TO the public comfort and
safety. Sometimes they are put little
too high or too low, perhaps, through
error Of Judgement; but in all such COM
plex matters some margin must be
allowed for ordinary fallibility. Some
times they are put too low-never we be
lieye too high-deiiberately and intention
ally simply as a means Of spreading a
burden too heavy for one year over two
or three. The case of the street cleaning
appropriation which Is presently dis
cussed in this article will serve to Illus
trate this point.
With these preliminary remarks on the
subject In general. it is proposed now tc
take up the new Budget, which applies
TO the financial year beginning on De-
cember l next. and which. by the way
has not yet received the Mayors sane
ton. and examine its items in detail. en-
deavoring to ascertain whether they are
extravsgant or deficient. and whether
any serious danger threatens the city's
credit on account of any error made in
fixing them. Following the regular
order adopted by the Board of Finance,
we first take up:-
THE STREET AND WATER BOARD
And here are the various sums al
lowed it in comparison with the amounts
anpronriated last war