The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-11

&S4& MNESfSa
| is worthy of notice that the State Conven-
ton of Exempt Firernen, at its last ses-
| sion, passed resolutions advocating tue
abolition of all exemptions Iroln fha
| ton. and expressing the Willingness o. lne
| members of that association to aequlesce
in such abolition. SO far as they are eo =
| cerned, provided the same rule snouio DC
The report of the State Board Of Taxa
| ton contains numerous Suggestions y
amendments in the laws regulating .aAa :
ton. My judgment is that the ldull 70
not so much in the theory and nuInpe1 VI
| our tax laws as in their inadequate en-
forcement by the local assessors; ana that
in this way they are upheid py pupiie 9T
timent in the several communities. Inc
State Board of Taxation IS DONG soou
work in compelling, in cases broughl u.-
| der their jurisdiction, assessments 70 De
levied in accordance with the CONSTITUTIONS
al direction at the true value OIL the prop
erty assessed. The legislature, II II oedis
! with this subject at all. shouId 40 u
| Thoroughly and completely. not
by patches here and there, to cover the
defects in the great mass or statutes nov
in force relating to this subject, put py
General revision and condensation, wnlcn
Will leave the law compact and complete
~ STATE REFORMATORY..
There has been appropriated by. the Leg
isIature $3.50, 900 for the purpose Of erecting
the buildings necessary 10 estapiiaA ene
| State ReIOrmalOTS at -
The commissioners in charge OF the
work have, with the money thus appro-
| priated. erected and enclosed the norm
east wing, which is capable OF accoH1hao-
dating IS inmates, and the central or
guard-room building. NO appropIlalip
was made by the last Legislature LOT me
continuation OF TINS Worh, entire
ments of money for other State purposes
of an extraordinary nature. Inc coniin.s-
sion reports Nthat in order to open a ne
! $780, orxy II will he necessary TO cOI1pitl0
! and equip the northeast wing, ana iLe
central or guard room, erect ana EQUIP iue
power house, domestic euila fnr se eve
| heating and lighting OF the i1stilulaoE'
| They estimate that 1926, 900 Will pc necSs-
sary for those purposes n;s IL ,n Is 1i inn
should be completed and in operation as
| soon as possible. Not only the benehcent
purposes for which It was ass1sn S again
filling up. Notwithstanding the increase OF
two hundred in the number OF cells nia9e y
by the addition recently bulll anu ~ -
necessary to find some relief for the over
croWding Which will soon recur IN tndt
prison. / recommend that the Legislature
appropriate as large a sum as can ee
spared out of the States income TO pc de-
voted to the purposes of the
in order thai the work ma be resumed
| and forwarded as rapidly as possipie
toward R efPR1sfIaaNHi COMMISSION.
THE mast wear has been one of increased
activity in the demand for riparian grants.
The report of the commissioners SLOWS
| that fhe receipts of the riparian fund from
| all sources for the fiscal year just closed
| aggregate SOS, 6Sl-W: or.
Grants of riparian lands IN lee were
made to the amount of S21 1853
New leases of riparian lights We're
granted of property a~ggregatlng S14,soe.Vo-
The commissioners nave been VerS 10 20
board of the State and the interior Waleas
of the bays and rivers for the purpose OF
u - rnfnrC hl-
discovering what rlpar1 an w ssIen nos os
session of without right, and nave sue
ceeded in finding very many lnstanses
where wharves,, bulk,heaos cnfa nrnn.
erty without grant, lease or any otnei
privilege whatever. In these cdsesd no
tees have been served upon tne pSlso'
so ~wrongfully in possession, with me re-
suit that applications for grants or proper
leases have been made, and many thou
sands of dollars thus realized TO the Slate.
RIVER POLLUTION.
Tn nv last annual message l calied the
attention of the Legislature TO tne apo
pointment of the Passaic Valley oewefase
Commission pursuant to the act OF Inc
legislature approved February 70, 1870.
When my message was submitted 20 me
Legislature this commission had NOT IN.
ished IFS work or made its report; put
subsequently to the meeting of the Leg
islature, and in the month OF Fe5ruary
last. they presented a very 1ull anu com,
Dlete report of their inyestlgatlons anu
Conclusions of fact, accompanied by rec
Standardization for legislation and a draft
of an act prepared by special counsei lot
the purpose of dealing with the problem
presented. BY a special message sent TO
the last Legislature on March 70; IsSt,, l
called attention to this report ana 10 the
likelihood that, on account OF the aaiSsn nr5
of the session. IL WouIu mo- ne
Al nv SUGGESTION the last Legislature, by
concurrent resolution, appointed a spec,a5
COMMITTEES consisting of two Senators ana
two members of the House of Assembly,
10 sit during the recess OF the Leglslature
and to take into consideration lne suojee.
of a better system of sewage disposal Tor
the valley of the PaSsaic River ana the re-
port of the said commission on TINS SUD
ject. with q view of nearing sugges.ioas
objections and recommendations from per.
sons and municipalities interested, ana OF
recommending to this Legislature such
action as the committee might deem wise
and expedient concerning the subject.
The subject is one of such pre-emlnent
Importance that | feel called upon to press
1t upon your attention. and to urge that
this year be not allowed to pass W1thout
the adoption of some adequate measure TO
remedy the evil from which the inhabi-
tants of the Passaic Valley are now sui
ferinp. The commissioners appointed by
me under the act of 1896 made very thor
ough investigation into the nature ana
cause of the pollution of the river; they
considered the various plans OF sewage
DISPOSAL in use in this country and in the
countries of Europe. and, under the ADVICE
of expert engineers, reported a pan Wnlch
/ tnGV dSTG04i~ II 80 Os
feasible and practicable method or dlspos-
ing of the sewage of the Passalc valley
without causing pollution to the river
The commissioners reported that the river
in its present state of pollution. has be-
come a nuisance to residents along the
hanks by reason of the stencil, and has
caused depreciation of property and injury
To health. and hat it has ceased to be de-
sirable for pleasure purposes; thal us use
for manufacturing purposes is .sufiertng on
account of the pollution. and that the
river from the Great Falls to the Newark
Paw is a public nuisance and a source OF
imminent injury to health and an 1ncreas-
ing menace to property interests.
# is manifest. from the growth OF popu-
lation in the cities and towns along the
liver. that this deplorable condition Will
increase from year to year, unless some
hing is done TO divert the great dis
charees of sewage and other polluting
natter which are now daily poured into
#. TO trifie with the subject and to delay
action is to take a terrible risk OF cpl
demic outbreaks of diseases such as arise
from sewage polluted waters and infected
at~no0snheres. / therefore urge upon the
Tegislature that they give serious con-
sideration to this subject, and that they
enact some remedial laws. If the proposed
fill submitted by the commissioners does
not embody the wisest plan that can DC
devised. then let that plan be abandoned
and some wiser plan adopted; but IT nc
better plan, endorsed by higher authority
and devised by greater wisdom, Is laid be-