The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-30
Mr.. STUHR'S PROMISES.
If Elected Mayor He Will
Bring the Millennium
to Hoboken.

The first gun of the campaign in Ho-
boken doomed last night at Odd Fellows
Hall, when a meeting was held under the
auspices of the Stuhr faction
Oscar Frommell, candidate for Council
man in the Fifth ward. was the first
speaker. Frommell said he had never
looked for the contract for removing city
garbage. as Mr.. Pagan had imputated.
The Mayor offered him the contract, he
said and then threw him down. From
nell also denied that he had sold two city
lots in the meadow section to a railroad
corporation after having the Mayor send
police to protect the property.
| William S. Stuhr was the next speak,
er. He read his address. which embraced
his long delayed letter of acceptance of
the Mayoralty nomination. giving as a
reason for following his manuscript the
desire mot to be misquoted in the pub
lie prints"
He said in part:-.I have accepted the
nomination at the Urgent solicitation of
many citizens and organizations having
the welfare of the city at heart. My rea-
sons for SO doing are that from a careful
observation of the administration of our
municipal affairs for the past six years. /
have come to the conclusion that a chanSe
is absolutely necessary. An area of ex-
t~ravagance has been inaugurated unparai-
leled in the history of Hoboken. Many
old residents have left our city because
of the manner in which its public affairs
are conducted. and still others have sold
their possessions because the tax rate and
valuation on property has been constantly
increased. Favoritism has also been
shaun IN Ty;pp tho yra11a of nronorfyr for
purposes of taxation.
1.-THE taxable value of all the property
in this city in 1893 was s22. S95, 1874. This
has been steadily Increased until it now
reaches the sum of S27. 449. 90. Our tax
rate six years ago was S2.0 on the yalu-
alton first above mentioned and now is
SPAS on the last above mentioned, show
ing that unless this increase of five mil
lions in the taxable value of the property
of the citizens of Hoboken had been made
the tax rate today would probably equal,
if not excel, the lowest fixed by the city
charter, which is 8 cents on the dollar.
From the time this city was Incorporated
in 1855 up to the year 1895, the whole bond
ed Indebtedness was only 81, 600, 900. Within
the last six years the bonded indebted
ness has increased about $500, 600. All we
lave received for that extra half million
dollars was one school house at an ex-
pense of s113, O00,- for which amount two
school houses could have been built ae-
c~ommodating twice as man. as the
present school house. A sewer costing
800, 900, which. ] understood, is of no
practical use whatsoever has been built.
Also a number of a~sphalted streets which
are already showing signs of wear.
I'm addition to the -aforenamed, /
might also mention that the only other
thing the city received was a park in
front of the Mayors residence for the
privilege of tearing up an asphalted
street and locating a railroad thereon.
IN looking over the records we find
that we are compelled to pay more for
water than our neighbors in Jersey City.
Wherever one~goes, in fact, he hears
complaints about these great bills for
water rents. We in this city pay $3.50 for
one million gallons of water and Jersey
City pays but SS7. Then, too, look at
the valuable franchises given away with
out receiving any compensation therefor.
1.-THE Rutherford Railroad pays $1,000
per annum for the use of a strip of land
from River street to the ferry; all the
city demanded from the company was
$40, 600. For the other franchises it re-
ceived nothing.
Another means of making money
would be in the matter of public printing
and stationery. Much stationery is fur
nished the city-over 10000 worth per
annum-without calling for competition.
This practice I am strictly opposed to.
Again, rumors and charges of bribery in
connection with public matters have been
frequent, and in one instance even adj
mitted in the official newspaper of the
city.
I'm certain cases people have even
Dragged about the amount of ill gotten
gains they had secured for betraying
perfectly appalling. The condition of
affairs has become such that when the
citizen complains about certain doings
which he does not consider right or proper
he is met with a most brazen effrontery
n asked what he IS going to do about
it. This manner was once pursued in the
city of New York and the indignant pub
lie responded by RELOCATING those people
to private life.
1.-THE issue presented in this campaign
is not between individuals or parties, but
sound government and preservation of the
public welfare on one side and corrupt and
-extravagant government on the other"
In conclusion Mr.. Stuhr promises to cor
rect all these evils if elected. The meet
ing concluded with speeches by Colonel
Myron of Alabama, Counsellor J.. T. We'll
Ter n the Ccuncilinanic candidates.