Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-03-03
A Letter FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
Hn Huspieious Opening Of
the Season 1897.
REASON why ATLANTIC CITY is POPULAR.
HIGH RENTS MAY KEEP AWAY MANY COT
TAGES-THE WATER TAX EXTORTION-
RINGsTERs AS REF COUNTY
SEAT REMOVAL BILL "HELD UP"

RINGsTERs AS sREFOIRMERs-THE COUNTY
| SEAT REMOVAL BILL "HELD UP"
The large number of visitors last week,
in spite of bad weather, was surprise,
| for no one expected to hear of big hotels
like The Brighton, The Windsor, The Gar
! den and Haddon Hall being full of guests
/ at this season of the year. The railroad
people say that all previous records of
travel for Feb. 20 to 23 were broken,
and everybody looks upon the auspic-
ious opening as the promise of good
| season. At no other Winter resort has
the travel come up to the expectations,
and this shows that Atlantic City not
| only holds it's own but is increasing in
popular favor. There are several rea-
sons for this-the principal OF which are
easy accessibility, unsurpassed railroad
facilities, reasonable prices, well-kept
hotels, and, chief OF all, the salubrious
climate with it's health-restoring proper
ties. With the tide of travel rising, bust
ness is picking up, and the shops and
stores begin to get the benefit of it.
Real Estate is also more active. Quite
a large number OF houses have been rent
ed, and there seems to be good demand
for cottages of the better class. The
high rents-in many cases amounting to
extortion-has kept away thousands of
desirable tenants and it would seem
that hundreds of cottages that were
empty last season ought to be a warn
ing to those who drive away good Gus
toners by charging them rents that are
out of all reason. Some organized effort
ought to be made to meet this condition
of affairs aud that, too, very soon. In
less it is, the City will again suffer. Peo-
pie expect to pay big prices thou
sands are willing to-5ut they will not
submit to bare-faced robbery. l know
some owners here who will ask the most
outrageous prices for cheap cottage
during the summer months, and then go
'otf shore' and dicker and "beat down"
some wayback farmer who wants one
tenth OF the price for sheltering them
while their city cottage is rented.
There is one other matter here that
needs looking after, and that is the
water service. The water tax is simply
frightful, and nobody can say where it
isgoing to stop. Before the city obtained
the water plant which was owned and
operated by a private Corporation, there
were continuous grOwls of over charge
and lack of supply in which the city it
self took the lead, And yet, strange as
it may seem, as soon as the city got
charge, up went the rates-fOr which
there can be no good cause shown. The
effect has been that about everybody
that is able to do so has sunk well of
their own on their property, not because
they wanted to do SO, but to escape the
extortion of the present charges. This
is most important matter to every re-
sident of Atlantic City as it effects all
alike, be they owner, tenant or boarder.
That something is radically wrong
must be apparent when it is known that
responsible parties offer in good faith to
supply our city with the purest and best
water for less than one half the present
charges. Another drawback is the excess
sive rates charged for insurance and for
which there is no solid reason. All ofthese
excessive charges enter into consideration
when the rate tor rent is to be considered.
There is something radically wrong on
this question. To stop the waste of
water Is proper and right; but when the
matter is pressed to such an extent that
patrons of the different departments are
afraid to use sufficient water to properly
clense lavatories, something is wrong. We
have water commissioners who are busi-
ness men and they cannot fail to see
that the City's very best customers are
providing their own supplies from else
where. AS matter of business if moth
ing else, there should be an effort to-
wards relief. The Gas supply which is
none of the best, is another reason for
charging high rents. Perhaps a reduc-
ton in that quarter would be of benefit
to the city. | don't like to growl nor
find fault, but there is room for reform in
these directions-and d it will be dema 1ded
before long, and that in way not to
the credit of the power that be. That
is one of the sure things of the very near
future. While public meetings are being
held and vote buying is being denounced
and reform generally is the word from
now on, let the departments, not only
the city departments but all Others,
take look at them and see if they can
not put in something for the good of the
city. Perhaps the department of Sewer
age Company might do itself good
turn by taking a hint. The telephone
monopoly is another, that would do
well for itself. to take the hint and offer
better service and less money too.
That new "deaT' is on the cards
must be apparant to any one having
eyes. Some of the so-called reformers
who attend reform meetings and do the
most OF the talking are being depended
upon by the old ring" for assistance
whenever needed. This is well under
stood by the real reformer, and is dis
counted already. The people who want
honest election and honest service are
nearer to that now than ever before
since the city fell into the hands of men
who are readyito prostituts everything
for their own use and and benefit.
The removal of the County Seat or the
talk about the same has done more to
unmask certain peOple-some of whom
are looked up to as leaders-than any
other event in the last quarter of Gen.
tury. That the bill is being kept back
now by the order of these same men-in
view Of fixing up "deal' which, before
it is ended, will cost the city more than
million of dollars, is an open secret.
The people throughout the whole county
and particularly in this city, have begged
both Senator Hoffman and Assembly
man Jackson to give them q chance to
publicly express their opinions on this
very important matter, but in vain. All
that can be obtained from either is,
"Oh, there is powerful opposition at
this time" This talk has led some folks
to look for the powerful opposition
knowing as they did that the people in
general were not the ones to look to for
information. They went elsewhere, and
very soon found that little coterie of
politicians was the great power referred
to. And that brings us down to the
pith of the whole matter. No reform
can be expected while these men continue
to rule. How much longer their rule will
continue depends upon the taxpayers of
Atlantic City and County. There are