The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-14

per acre or $40, O00,0 900 for the section lying
within the limits of Newark alone. The
dredging of bitches through the marshes
and using the dredged material TO MI the
intervening space would cost some $1,500
per acre, but the dredged canals would
leave the area undesirable for city pur-
poses as it would be impossible to secure
a good circulation in the canals. The
same difficulties would be encountered
that are now felt in the Gowanus Canal
and similar instances. Either of these
two methods was pronounced much 100
expensive for general application to the
whole district.
When we come to consider the legal
and financial methods by which the inn
provementS shall be effected we take up
the most difficult part of the subject. The
following is offered as tentative suggeS-
tion;-Let the Legislature create a Drain
age Commission, empowered to issue
twenty-five year bonds, which are to be-
come a lien upon the land drained, also
to condemn land necessary for construc-
ton and construct the entertainments,
main bitches, sluices and pumping plants
and TO maintain and operate the same
created comprising the entire metro
polftan district. Let interest charges on
the bonds and sinking fund charges sufii-
cient to retire them at the end OF twenty
FIVE years be assessed one-half upon the
land drained and one-haf upon the com
munity. Let pumping charges ana oper-
ating expenses be assessed directly upon
the land. Give the owners a reasonable
time to clear 1t up n bring 1t under
~ultivation but insure this being done by
giving the commission power to do it in
case the owner fails and to tax the cost
upon the land. Give the commission fur
Their power to prescribe COMPREHENSIVE
plans for the improvement OF the WHO'S
bulkhead and pier lines and street grades.
Leave all of the ultimate Improvement to
the owners OF the properly +e or g 70 ang
plans of the drainage eonsEa oa- Allow
the separate municipai.a. ~ ACQUIRE
water front by condemnation if they
choose and to improve it subject to the
plans of the drainage commission.
This plan leaves all that can safely be
left to the separate municipalities and TO
would be distributed about as follows
To allow literally for lands, administra-
ton and Incidental expenses we Will prac-
and one-half million dollars. Allowing
four per cent. interest and three per cent;
sinking fund charges we shall have $l75,WO
to be assessed, one-half upon the marsh
owners and one-half upon the surround
ing community. The assessed valuation
of the metropolitan district is $4S0, 0V0, go,
so that this charge would represent an
rate, making an average charge upon eaen
family in the district. of fifty cents yearly
at the beginning. decreasing with the
growth of the district to less than twenty
five cents at the end of the twenty-five
year period, after which 1t would entirely
cease.
E liz WOutQ represent SOSt ~ ~ POcRNS
| at large Of banishing mosquitoes, improv-
ing their sanitary condition and dding
| largely to real estate values. The owner
of the marsh land would have for sinking
| fund and interest charges IN average tax
of 1925 per acre. Maintenance would
bring this up to s4.25. until pumping be
| came necessary. This will be from five to
| ten years hence, giving him some oppor-
! tunify to bring his and to a productive
point. Pumping will add an average an
nlral charge of 1915 per acre, making $7.99
| in all during the first twenty-five years,
| after which 1t will fall to s4.75. As this
land is now practically worthless and VIII
| then be rentable and rapidly increasing in
value. / think it will easily bear these
| charges. OF course these figures are only
| averages. The assessment would not be
| by the acre, but would be based on a
| careful annual valuation by the drainage
| commission"
Mr.. Vermeule was warmly thanked at
| the close of the address. A collation. was
| served and then a general discussion fol-
lowed