The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-27

This paper is democratic in principles and is
Independent in its vie,os on all local questions.


This paper is democratic in principles and il
Independent fn. its Uietos on all local questions.
How to Keep Down h Tax Rate.
The tax rate question is reaching a
crisis in this city, and the reason is
that the Tax Commissioners have
never done their duty in the matter
of assessing personal taxes. While
not, in many instances, assessed up
to its reasonable capacity, yet, on the
whole, real estate has had to bear the
public burden in this city with out as
sistance from other forms of we alth.
In the city of Newark. the annual
assessment upon personal property
amounts now to some 1874, 900, 600, and
even still complaint is made that it
should be assessed twice as high. In
this city, the assessment for personal
taxes is only about six million dollars,
a sum whose inadequacy is simply
absurd.
1t is safe to say that the taxable
personal propertYof Jersey Citywouid
very easily carry an assessment of
$40, 900, 900, If such a levy were made,
there need be no more talk of the rate
going above 8 per cent. 1t would be
cut down to 81 or less, instead. 1t
will be simple ordinary malfeasance if
the Tax Commissioners allow the rate
to go above 3 per cent. with such a
mine to fall back upon as this.
Besides; we do not see why the
withdrawal of lands from the levy for
public purposes has not its compen-
sations. Let the Tax Commissioners,
for instance, assess the Grove street
end of that City Hall block on the
ba sis of the prices which the owners
are now demanding of the City Hall
Commissioners, and the resulting in
crease in the levy will about effect all
that has been lost by the withdrawal
of the site already acquired from as
sessment.
There is a great deal of nonsense
being talked about the financial con-
dition of the city. Panic and pessi-
mism are in fashion. Let our public
officials show a little honesty, energy
and horse sense and there will be no
trouble worth speaking of.
@ --
The Brute Policeman's Brutal Club.
The custom of clubbing prisoners
Isl brutal relic of barbarism. which
should be stamped out. New York
has puta stop to it, and Jersey City
is too near New York to be far be-
hind in humanity.
Since the New York p olice were de-
prived. of those brutal batons and
night sticks, which they used to
carry, none of them has been killed
and none of them has even been seri-
ously hurt. The reactionary element
prophesied that there would be a
wholesale slaughter of blueeoats by
the criminals and thugs of the city.
As a matter OF fact, the newspapers
have not recorded a single instance in
which the lack of his club placed an
officer in the least peril.
The toughs Of Jersey City are no
worse than the toughs of New York,
and an officer has no more need for a
club here than there. If they did not
carry clubs, no such horrible exhi-
billions of cold blooded cruelty would
be witnessed a that resulting from
the clubbing OF Thomas Hogan. last
night, by Policeman Skiff.
This fellow Skiff ought to be kicked
off the force, Mr.. President Feeney, if
it is proven that he did this clubbing.
Tit was done on the street, it was un-
pardonable. because the Ganewell sys-
tenn makes it easy for an officer to
summon all the help he needs. If it
was done in the station house, every
one concerned in it should be in
dicted. II the man resisted being
searched, the station house afforded
ample assistance to control him. and
the proper place to punish him was
in court this morning by regular
process of law.
The club must go. It is an uncalled-
for, wanton, brutal anachronism. 1t
depraves the man who carries it, and
is an outrage on the citizen. Abolish
the club. Mr.. Feeney.
--
II Z -
In the Hogan case, however, insult
is added to injury. After horribly
cutting the man with their savage
weapon, the police took his own
money to pay a doctor for intending
him. We had an idea the police sur
geons were paid for this. But. mob to
go into that question just now, it is
plain to anyone that the taking OF
Hoganss money was an absolutely
high handed and illegal act. II
Hogan presses the matter, he can
not only get his - back. but, per
hapa, he can have q couple Of indict-
ments for larceny found as well.
THE party who went up to Oak
Ridge yesterday with Nj. Bartlett
saw good deal of water, and some