The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-29

80 tIIUL II 5JlIIE lew Td5Ea WUIN WJTIE
privately has been one wen, but IN the
great majority of instances a non-lasting
Improvement has been made-improve-
ment where low cost and temporary behe-
hts have outWeighed good work with a
consequent degree of -permanency. The.
individual whose property was thus i'm
proved vas a decided ain by the opera
ti0n- He could better dispose of his SUR
plus lots His street could be turned over
70 the city for public uses and when ac-
cepted (which was the custom) would be-
come for all future time a charge upon
the city for maintenance. It must not
be inferred that We are opposed to the
but we insist that it must Be done under
official guidance, and hence have estab-
lished a rule that no work of this eharac-
Ter VIII be permitted, except In accord
ance witt specifications to be first pre-
pared by our Chief Engineer and APP
proved by the Board. The wisdom OF
self TO a fair mind, in that while the prop
erty owner is relieved of the costs Incl
dent to the making of a public improve
ment, the city is assured that the Work
being done is of a sufficiently good char
acter TO warrant its acceptance.
LICENSE MONEY FRTTTERINGS.
As Is generally known the fund from
which we draw the monies to pay Cor the
reconstruction OF streets, Is derived from
the amount received by the city for
liquor licenses At the time of the in
ception of this fund the law creating il
distinctly provided that it hould be ex-
eiusIvely used for the repair and main
ttQdQcE OIL DdFcQ SITCtLSt dL0 WllEH q
fund Of such magnitude could be utilized
exclusively for such specific purpose. IL
was but natural to expect that a great
deal could be accomplished This ex-
pectation proved a reality, and the i'm
provement was so manifest. SO. decided,
that a new era seemed to have dawned
en- the community. The people we're
pleased, we were pleased and the financial
officers of the city were pleased. for they
saw the conditions Of the city being large
" and substantially bettered while they
-. - al - nr.Nrd Ahz ~ AnnHr
for the piper. 1t was indeed very pleas
ant until it occurred to some one that the
same fund could be made TO pay fer
other things, and then was added at var
ious times by legislative enactment, pub
lie places. which has been construed to
mean parks, etc, The reconstruction of
Sewers Repairs to Sidewalks" and
other matters, until a request now made
for money for any purpose is not granted
until it is found hat license monies ca3r
not in some way be made TO foot the On
This no doubt is an easy and happy
method of finauciering, but we must ear
nestly protest against it, and serve ear1
notice that with a fund thus depleted 1T
cannot be expected OF US TO produce TO
the same extent result which in the past
have proven so satisfactory.
As instances of what we refer to let Us
say that the reconstruction of the New
York avenue sewer system, the Thir
tenth street sewer system and the otheE
sewer reconstructions viii tax almost, X
not quite half of an entire years money.
To this must be added the cost of main-
tenance of macadam streets. The partia.
manning of parks and various other mat
tiers, all of which reduce by SO mach the
money heretofore permitted to be exclu-
sively used on streets. We believe that
a mistake is being made; that citizens
generally are proud of the improved c9n-
dition of our th~oroughfares, and want tine
work continued along the same line; that
when sewer reconstruction rs necessary
1t should be paid for as it has been in
the past, and that the other matters
which are sapping the life blood of our II
cense fund Should be taken care OF N
some other way. To continue the ~fritter-
ing process means a speedy depletion OF
the monies with a c~ompensating benef1t
of the piece meal and unsatisfactory or
STREET CLEANING.
The proper cleaning of the streets OF
this city and the lack of sufficient funds
therefor, have gotten to be quite old
themes with us. 1t would seem that at
last a responsive chord has been UGH
for signs are not wanting that public
sentiment is forming to demand better
conditions. Other and nearby cities have
already awakened to the necessity for an
improved sanitary condition of the public
streets, and we must fall in line or cease
all effort to be classed as a healthfui and
progressive community. That the paucity
of the fund available for street cleaning
preclldes that sufticiency of change IN
an enlargement of present methods. which
would seem 10 be required, is a fact which
Will appear on the slightest nyestiga-
ton, but the small sum we have can be
utilized TO greater advantage and - APP
preciably better showing made. II resi-
dents and storekeepers will lend their
aid; receptacles for ashes and garbage.
for old paper and debris of all descriptions
will hold no more n their capacity. and
when such a receptacle is full. the placing
of more debris on the top or in its i'm
mediate vicinity, must result in adding
to the u~neleaniiness of streets. and is in
direct violation Of a city ordinance. The
sweeping into the streets and upon the
sidewalks of paper and paper boxes, and
OF other waste material, from stores. has
gotten to be an intolerable and expensive
nuisance. And We would especially urge
that the th0ughtlessness which has caused
us SO muchs trouble in the past viii give
way to greater caution. With the aid OF
good citizens and the persuasion Of the
needless by the police, the evils noted
should cease to exist.
In an effort to improve existing con-
ditions we ave had prepared by our
Chief Engineer a schedule for the coming
year which seems quite practicable for
times when the available appropriation
is small tt is a schedule which, though
its promises are not so alluring as soma
adopted in the past, is intended to COM
prehend all that a limited purse viii pro-
vide; but we propose that a proper recon-
peuse shall be had for the money ex-
pended. and hat quality rather than q
somewhat elusive quantity shall be made
the new standard. We sincerely hope that
it viii produce better conditions, but such
conditions will not prevail without earn
est and untiring effort on our own part.
without the cooperation of our citizens
and without supplement by the police
authorities. not spasmodic supplement-.
but persistent and insistent and forcefuf.
Finally, we are but distributing agents
of the fund allotted for these purposes.
We have done in the past all that our
means would permit of. We pro-
pose 10 do the same in the year to come.
and then. if it has been successfully PROV
en- that ii is q lack of money rather tnaa
its uawise expenditure which prevents
clean streets. We would refer the dissalis-
fled to the source of our resources.
HOBOkEN AVENUE SEWER SYSTEM.
The residents OF that section of Hudson
City. the centre of whose drainage area is
Eohoken avenue, have been uniting in the
effort to secure adequate sewerage facili-
ties. and haEe several times petltioned for
relief. The several Boards nave been
DESTROYS TO accord what was
asked for. but &ave been met at almost
every stage by disheartening and almost
insurmountable obstacles. The first pe-
tftfon failed for the reason that 1t was iln-
property drawn. the second. because both
citizens and officials subse-
quent7y agreed that q change Ia eiaH
be mutually beneficial. the third.
all parties Interested progressed to the
point where TIE contract had been awards
ed. aud q considerable portion OF The
work completed when the Erie Railway
Company ~interpose1 the objection that to
the system on the lines cor<
only the tunnel OF that company, bat The
lives Of the passengers who were being
transported through that tunnel.
IN It's memorial to the Board the Com
pany cited the foregoing, as reaSoH6 for
a partlnt change OF rpute by which 1KA
Of III patrons migh be overSome. safnfnff-
ted an agreement offering 10 n4Fzfhe adds.