The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-17

FOR C|TY'S Good.
Mr.. Halls Plan for Improv-
ing Property on the
Hackensack.
The BENEFITS EXPECTED.
viii Build Up West Side
and Increase Our
Industries.

III -
the property which the city owns upof
the Hackensack River. Last year, al
will be remembered, Mr.. Hall got I'M
same bill through both Houses OF tns
LEGISLATURE. but struck a snag in Cover
nor voorhees,, who refused to sign TN
measure because he did not believe hs
said in authorizing an additional ISSUE
of municipal bonds unless actually oe'
handed by the property owners. ms
year Mr.. Hall called upon the Governor
with a new. bill and told him that ms
amount of bonds had been reduced ano
explained what a great advantage the
measure would be to Jersey CITY me
Governor was impressed with Mr.. HAIRS
remarks and said that if the bill passed
tba Legislature again he .would sign IL
with this encouragement Mr.. Han "eh'
on to success. =,
The property which Mr.. Halls law Will
improve is situated on the pahhs VI .ne-
Hackensack River beginning at a POM
200 feet from Newark avenue. II runs
along the river for a distance OF ozs iee.
and fronts at the eastern side on Dunielu
avenue. on which it has a frontage OF az
feet. The entire depth OF the properly
from the river to Duffield avenue Is oFo
feet on the southerly line and BAL feet on
the northerly line. The average size VI
the land is 474 feet by 6SS feet, about 10y
city lots, 25x100 feet.
Newark avenue is a paved ~oroushl
to the rivers edge n Duffield avenue IS
merely graded. At the present time the
land sought to be improved is a 10"
meadow which at high tide is covered
with water. All that is on the properly
at the present time is a small whart, To-
Gated there for the use of the Heaitn
Department.
Recently Mr.. Hall held a consultation
with Chief Engineer Van Keuren regard
ing the cost of improving the property,
and Mr.. Van Keuren estimated that TO
build a proper and durable bulkhead the
entire length of the river front, extend
on northern and southern boundaries a
pile dyke for the purpose of retaining
filling, as it is the intention to raise the
entire plot up to the street grade; do all
the filling and pave a proper oadway
from the wharf to be built on the premises
to Newark avenue, would cost about
$40, 900. For this comparatively small ex-
penditure the city would have a public
wharf, extending along the river 69 feet,
and land enough between the dock rail
and the street which could accommodate
any industry that desired to use it. After
this Improvement has been made the only
expense to the city will be $500 a year
81. 400 for interest on the bonds and $1,000
for the salary of a wharfingers
Many people might ask the question
what this expenditure of money would
accomplish and would the result be worth
the cost? In the immediate vicinity of
his city, property, which it is proposed to
thus improve are acres of vacant and
which cannot be sold for the assessed
valuation. 1t is of no use for residents,
being principally meadow lands, and can
not be used for industrial purposes as
there are no facilities for shipping or
receiving goods by water. The erection of
a public wharf by the city at this point
will remove this objection and there is
little doubt that within a few years that
entire section will be covered with fac
tories and various industries. These in
dustries will bring many people to this
city and will provide employment for
many others now here, all of which will
greatly increase the prosperity of the
city. A large amount of the yearly cost
of maintaining this improvement could be
saved if the city officials would set apart
a portion of the land for its own uses
and have delivered there many of the sup
plies the city now receives and has carried
to its different yards. The saving in cart
age would be quite large.
There is no doubt that this proposed
improvement woul enhance the value of
all the vacant meadow land in that vicin-
ity and although for the first few years
the city might lose money by the i'm
provement within three years the receipts
and benefits derived ,therefrom would be
of material advantage financially. No
more desirable place for a wharf can 10
found in Jersey City than the one under
consideration as the channel of the river
is close to the eastern shore from about
where the city begins to a point about
$500 feet north of it. Both above and
below these points the channe is along
the west bank of the river and wnen
this whar is to be built any vessel can
sail or steam up Newark Bay can safely
lie in this dock at low tide and have
plenty of water under the keel. No
dredging is necessary and will not be I'M
less the channel changes, something
which only seldom happens.
BY a reference to the ma of Jersey
City i WILL SCcn lidt III III
point on the Hackensack River could
have been selected. as the distance from
the wharf to Duncan and West Sid
avenues is only 64 feet. and to Montgom-
cry street along Newark and Tonnele
avenues ZIG feet.
Mr.. Halls act provides for the raising
Of funds for the Improvement. The
method proposed permits the Board hav-
ing charge and control of the city finances
to issue bonds in an amount not exceed
ing " mills for each dollar Of real and
personal property assessed for municipal
and county purposes in the year next
preceding the issue of such bonds; said
bonds shall run for not exceeding four per
cenfum per annum. payable half yearly;
they shall be In such form and in such
denominations as said financial board
shall determine; they shall be sold at
public sale for not less han par and ac-
crued interest.
The citizens of Jersey City owe a great
debt to Mr.. Hall for his good work in
having this law passed.
z HnMET,IEST Wan TN