The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-31
TAX RATE, 28,72.
Municipal Budget Shows q
Material Increase in the
Burden on Property.
OPPOSED BY MlDLIGE
He Says 1t Only Serves to- De-
lude the Public Chances
for Economy.
RAILROAD TAX GAIN FIGURED IN
Lawyers Say This Cannot Be Rea-
lized in the Coming
Fiscal Year.
TAX GAIN FIGURED IN
Fiscal Year.
The Budget sent 10 the Mayor
at Neon by the Votes of
Four Financiers.

The Finance Commissioners met this
morning at eleven o'clock, and adopted
the tax budget, showing the appropria-
tions made to the several branches of the
city government.
Commissioner Midlige was opposed to its
adoption, and made stiff fight to have
it defeated in its present shape. Unless
vetoed by His Honor the Mayor, 1t will
cause the tax rate to be $2s.72 on the
thousand as against s27.4O last year.
Owing to the courtesy of Martin Finck,
Clerk of the Board, s'The News" is able
to present the budget in full. 1t will be
found in an adjoining column.
Before acting on the budget, the Com
missioners held an executive session
which lasted fifteen minutes. Every eff
fort possible was made . to induce Mr.
Midlige to vote for the budget. He posi-
lively refused
+ 1t was eleven o'clock when the Board
met in open session. AS soon as the
budget was brought ap. Mr.. Midlige said;
"Gentlemen-I am opposed to the adop-
tion of this budget for the reason that it
is padded to the extent of $2l1,ooo
ITO adopt it is only to deceive the pub
lie and to that am opposed. That sort
of business has been practiced before, and
only disaster can result"
Mr.. Midlige was not interrupted by his
colleagues He announced that he would
not sign any reports looking to the adop-
ton of the budget. In strong terms he
denounced the action of the other four
members for omitting from the Board of
Finances appropriation 81, 500 for the pay
Isment of the salary of Assistant City At
torney Willard Fisk.
tsI rnove,'' he said, that the 81, 500 sal
ary for Mr.. Fisk be inserted in the bud
GET
The motion was not seconded.
| IF that motion will not be entertained
| then | move that the $1,000 set aside for
the payment of the salary of Personal
| Tax Collector Broas be stricken out,
said Mr. Midlige.
| This motion failed to be seconded.
THAT man Broas does nothing for his
salary. said Mr.. Midlige warmly. He
! never does any work and 1t is our duty
as watchdogs of the city treasury to drop
him from our heavy salary payroll. II
| he did anything but draw a fat salary
would not object. 1t is a useless office
and one which should be dispensed with"
| Mr.. Midlige's appeal had no effect.
| His next attack was upon the Police
| Board and he insisted that there should
| be stricken from that Boards allowance
| the $1,000 set aside for five new police
men.
"Our city Is sufficiently well policed
! now. and to provide for five more men
under the present financial circumstances
| is an outrage We do not need the men
| and the members of this Board know it..
| 1 move the item be struck from the list. :
1 fai1a 70 he
seconded.
| .sIf you will not make that reduction,
| perhaps you will cut out the $3.50 set
1 aside for the payment of the salary of q
| door keeper by the city Hall Commits
| sion. The man who holds that position
does nothing except hold aschair down
all day. 1t is sinecure and officials
/ who wish to conduct an economical ad-
| ministration would certainly cut that
man off our payroll. :
| A motion to strike out the $3.50 was not
! seconded.
Mr.. MidIige demanded next that $500 be
| cut off the City Hall Commissions al
| lowance This sum represents the salary
| of an elevator man.
| 1--WE pay two elevator men, he de-
| clared, land there is not enough work
| cupy chairs nearly all day. and it is not
right that they should be retained to
| do nothing
| A motion to strike out the elevator
mans salary was not seconded.
sWell, if you will not make any OF the
| reductions I have yet mentioned" Mr..
4 Midlige went on, perhaps you will cut
| down two more items Of the City Hall
/ Commission have consulted with the
members of that Commission and they
! tell me that they can get along very
well with two firemen. You have pro-
| vided for three, and It is piling an un-
necessary expense upon the city. The
1 members of that Commission have also
| advised me that they can get along with
! $500 less for supplies. That being the
! case. / move that the salary of the one
unnecessary fireman be struck from the
/ budget and also the $500 for supplies.
The motion was not seconded.
L Have you any further suggestions?"
asked President Brautigam.
Nothing further" replied Mr. Midlige
Except that wish to say that the
i budget is padded with the one intention
of deceiving the public. In order to keep
down the tax rate one-fourth of the
| LIQUOR license money which should go to
the Sinking Fund to wipe out maturing
bonds has been inserted In the budget to
| meet current expenses. That scheme was
never practiced before last year, and it
was done then as now to keep down
| the tax rate 1t is useless to go on fool
/ ing the public. You have also inserted
/ in the budget as an asset the s115,000
i which should come from the tax upon
railroad property surrendered by the