The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-06-09
His Honor Wants to Pay Interest
From the Sinking Fund-Star
Chamber Methods.

tinue the administration of city affairs
inspired by the same economical motives
that resulted in the creditable record
made last year, | assume to direct your
attention to the report submitted by the
Tax Commissioners h year u de-
creased total in the tax budget was an
tlcipated. and the Tax Commissioners
agreed that our views would be- met. Inc
result has destroyed our expectations
and amazed the taxpayers. i confess to
my inability to solve the problem when L
review the situation.
The Tax Commissioners of 1891
provided for a deficiency in
several funds amounting to-. 1861 0O
A deficit in election fun off,. 4,60l W
They also provided for more in
terest than is required TO be
raised this year ................ S,3o9 o0
Also a tax was levied to take up
9.OOo W
$50 1877 so
The Tax Commissioners of 1892 entered
upou their duties with n report wing
that not an appropriation had been over
drawn, on the contrary a large surplus
was on hand. NThey were not asked to
tax the people for the redemption OF
bonds. They had an interest account to
meet, several thousand dollars less than
confronted their predecessors, and with a
largely increased sinking fund 20 help
meet the interest. l assert that a great
injustice has been done, aud l ask your
assistance in repairing the wrong, I'M
plicitly believing that the tax payers will
sustain our action even though the law
right always prevail and are upheld by
court and jury.
r. EXTRAvAGANT FIGURES,
/ claim the amount determined as
necessary to tax the people for the conduct
of the city Is excessive and eXtortionate.
The amount ordered to be taxed for
the Sinking Fund is. ................ $4,000 90
This should be stricken out. 1t Is
Illegal to put a direct tax on the
people for that purpose. l have ad-
Vocated the establishment OF a Sink
ing Fund such as IS proposed in this
case, but L was legally advised that
it could not be done without addition
al legislation.
1900 yards filling in Hudson Square
This item should be stricken out.
| One year ago the Tax Commissioners
appropriated for the purpose of I'm.
proving the park, S4,l0o. Colonel
Stevens furnished S., 800. With this
| capital of $1,000 plans were prepared,
adopted aud contracts aggregating
$3.50 were entered into for the com
pletion of the work. In another por-
ton of the budget the Hudson
Square Park improvement appears
fof an additional $3.50 appropriation.
This is is a curious Incident.
Special appropriation for repairs to
NO. . Schooi: S,UVo w
This to be paid by So, GOO of Poll tax
of le9e. Strike out both these items
as the Board of School Trustees Is
lawfully entitled to all money col
lected for Poll Tax and the Tax
Commission has not the power to
say that they shall have only $4,000 of
that income. 1t is the privilege of
the Board of School Trustees to eXer-
else their discretion as 10 whether it
shall not be applied for repairs.
For Sanitary Map for Board OF
saedsta ont this item. The purchase i'"0 "
of such a map would be wasteful ex-
travagance. Aside from that fact
the ALLOWANCE to tho Board of Health
is regulated by a law that imposes a
per,capita tax.
For the use of the Water Commits
sioners during the present fiscal
year, for the purchase of pipe and
the laying of mains 1000 90
This item should be stricken out.
An appropriation for the Water De-
partment for water pipe and mains is
entirely novel, and aside from iasti-
tuting a bad precedent, is entirely il
legal; the laws of the State provide
the manner in which pipe shall be
purchased and mains laid.
IN MYSTERY.
For some unknown reason the acts Of
the Tax Commissioners have been shroud-
ed in mystery. and | find that the papers
containing the itemiZed schedule of
amounts deemed necessary to maintain
the several departments of the city, and
in fact all other documents submitted TO
the Tax Commissioners. have been sup
pressed or destroyed. These official coin-
munications not being on file nor con-
tanned in detail in the Book of Minutes
submitted by the Tai Commissioners, |
ain unable to accurately define cases OF
extravaganza.
In the perusal of the minute book l find
an item appropriated for placing sliding
pole in Chemical Engine $500" This work
was finished several weeks ago n the
Fire Commissioners had a balance at the
end of the fiscal year largely in excess of
that amount.
would also direct attention to the large
amount appropriated for cross bridging,
it is in two items. 81, 900 and $500.
One year ago. when | assumed the Office
of Mayor. the Sinking Fund showed a
| balance on hand of $1,000. Sc. by wise,
| judicious and faithful performance OF
duty by all the officials of the city during
the fiscal year, combined with receipts
from legitimate sources of revenue, that
fund has risen until it now amounts &c
$50, 800. II. II will be further increased by
diyerJing Sl1, l2l SO. the John Mcmahon
Bondsmen Fund, ana also the amount
due from State railroad tax. According
to the law OF the State and the charter
and ordinances of the city, the money thus
accumulated must be used for the pay
ment of interest due on outstanding
bonds, therefore / recommend tn It $50,
600 be taken from the Sinking Fund tC
pay part of the $63, III so interest due OF
outstanding bonds. This leaves only $t3.
7l7.50 to be taxed on the people for ip'
terest.
am assured by the Commissioners of
Adjustment, who are all intelligent ant
able dnanciers, that without a doubt thu
operation of the Martin Act will secure tt
the city during the fiscal year an amour
in excess of che Sl66, 500. 90 bonds tina
mature. 1t is evident that this Commits
sion has lone the city a noble service ii
saving them from u heavy tax that would
have been necessary to retire this large
block of bonds. They will further co!lec
through their channel money sufficient tt
meet All bonds that mature from now I'M
til 1891. The absolute foolishness oil
creating and retaining at this time
sinking fund of over $50. 600, therefore be
comes all the more prominent. A bust
ness man would consider it absurd should
il person suggest that he borrow $4,000
Notwithstanding the fsct that he had sos,
900 cash OIL hand, the proposition of tn
Tax Commissioners is identical with such
O case.
A HARD RAP.
trust that this dissection of the crude
report submitted bv the Tax Commits.
sioners will bear coed fruit aud serve u
waken the people to a realizing sense o
the ualtry aud contemplate tamperinl
with public money to serve privat
animus aud advance political trickery.