The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-06
CITY PROGRESS.
Mayor Hoos Writes Of MUM
cipal improvements to
the Board of Fin
ance.
STRONG ARGUMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL
Parks and Meadow Reclama-
ton Discussed-Our Com
mercial Advantages.
STRONG ARGUMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL
Parks and Meadow Reclama-


Board of Finance at its meeting TINS
afternoon. a lengthy communication rela-
five 10 certain desired improvements IN
the city. These in brief are: the new
High school, park in Lafayette, new
No. School. and the improvement of the
Haekensack meadow front. The letter
was read to the Board and referred 70
Committee of the Whole. The communl-
cation was as follows:-
December 6, 1893.
Honorable Board of Finance.
MISUNDERSTANDING that the average
citizen OF this city has, IN genera WY, e,s.ss
for the better which has come over 9 tlls
much abused municipality Tor tne pasI
eight years one naturally naleS bso,,aht alnq
about this change. On careful refleetlon
we find this: A city splendidiy located Up
posite the great metropolis OF the New
World and by virtue of It's position
naturally the point of arrival and de-
parture of hundreds of passenger ana
freight trains of nearly all the great rali-
roads of the United States; q CITY oHerlng
unrivalled sites for factories; and for resi-
Dental purposes a section known as the
hill section which cannot be e1celleu Tor
healthfulness and beauty; an excellent,
though not yet fully perfected, rapid
transit trolley system connecting every
part of the city; an ample supply or good
and wholesome drinking water; an en-
larged system of sewers; great improve
ment in the way of paved and aspnaH
streets, and, though still far from perfect.
a decidedly improved method or Keeping
them clean; rapid filling in and occupation
of meadow land in some sections; the
building of yiaducts; the purchasing OF
lands for parks partly laid out; the eree-
tion of a number of modern school build
ings; a new City Hall and a Free Public
Library building, which in point of archi-
tectural beauty will be the handsomest in
the city: many other obvious improve
ments and all Of which have been accom-
plished in the short space of eight years
under former Mayor Wanser and myself.
Now the question which presents Itself,
a serious one for some of our people TO
grasp, is, shall we stop right here, call a
halt and fall back into the old rut to linz
ger slowly by the way side or shall we
needed, in my opinion essential, and Srong-
ly demanded by the people who desire
that Jersey City shall not drift back
wards? The Industrious merchant goes
into the market of the world and stocks
his store or warehouse with the latest and
best stock Of goods, and through the co..
umnS OF our great newspapers acquaintS
the public with the fact that he has an
enormous supply Of goods and sets forth
his superior facilities as compared with
competitors with the result that provided
his statements are true and no false rep
reservations are made he has such rush
OF business thaazhe is unable to supply the
demand. Such Is the case with a city. II
1t has no live men or only so small a
number that the So-called .kickers'' and
everlasting fault finders are in the ma
Jority then progress in that city is sadly
marred and usually postponed, mark it,
gentlemen, postponed and future progress
rendered doubly difficult
Gentlemen Of the Board of Finance, you
are all in large measure self-made men.
have you gained your position in life your
wealth, by lying down and waiting? Have
you delayed till tomorrow what you could
40 To-Day! III l judge you correctly you
are not of that stripe, you like and Should
like to see our city go on with works of
improvement, no matter who is at the
mead of the city government SO long as
that man is honest and sincere and toler-
ates no squandering of public money.
me question of a new High School Is
and most serious consideration You
know from report that the school Is over
crowded and In no way fit to be called the
name It bears so far as the building and
equipments are concerned. You have the
law which enables you TO build the High
School and enables you to issue bonds 10
{ne extent Of $500. 900 and the land can
pc had at any time. A suitable locality
mas been recommended, then why this
delay? It has been said that the cfty
coulo not stand this increased indebted
this city in a good financial condition. in
Yestors are willing to buy our bonds and
Willlng TO pay a premium TO get them SO
that this contention does not hold good
It Is further stated that there Is a great
rise In the price of labor and material
What has that TO do with the matter?
2lad when goods are on the rise and men
get high wages. Are you living low be-
cause, perchance the merchants and la
Dorers VIII earn q few dollars more and
you prefer to wait till dull times come
In order to build? Why, gentlemen the
very fact OF the increased cost Of such
pllidtng means more money in the hands
Of our working people and the small frac-
fion OF increase which the taxpayer is
compelled to pay will be more than made
up by him In Increased rentals which the
mechanic or laborer is only too willing to
pay provided he has employment and
good wages. So this argument falls by
try is on the road to prosperity and I
sincerely hope the time for lower prices
and wages is very far off. Unless all
former experiences and signs fail the
country usually enjoys a ten years rise
and everything but enjoys a ten years
faA; Therefore, If you prefer to wait till
no High School for fifteen years and by
that time many parents who wish their
young sons and daughters to attend the
High School will have found homes else
where. They only need to go to Newark.
Hackensack or Montclair pay taxes or
rent to those municipalities and let Jersey
Slty's wise government draw its own con-
clusions.
Next In order Is No. School That
building is utterly unfit for use as a school
building and 1t is nothing short of Grim
inal to maintain 500 school children in
that building. / must sincerely hope and
recommend that land be Immediately pur-
CHASED, d new Duil0lQR erected forthwith
and the old school maintained until the
new one is completed, and when the new
one is completed the old building be sold
at public auction to the highest bidder
The next matter presented for your re-
spectful consideration Is the question OF
parks. We have a law which authorizes
your Honorable Board to issue bonds for
a park in the Lafayette section. This sec
ton has been sadly neglected and should
have a park. Also the parks partially
improved should as soon as possible be
made parks in fact and not in name only
What is the use Of buying land paying
for it. taking 1t out of the tax levy and
then let 1t lie wild to grow thistles. bur-
dock. tomato and fish cans, and become
sort of garbage vault. This Is a waste of
the peoples money and should no longer
be tolerated. Improve the parks, tax the
surrounding benefited property and the
city will lose nothing by 1t.
Another matter which equals in impor-
tance the preceding subjects Of consider
alton is the buying of some meadow land
on the Hackensack water front. 1t has
been lamented by almost every one who
takes an interest in our citys welfare
that we have no water front and no
chance to secure any along the beauti-
ful Hudson, but we have chance to
secure water front If we are not too
show and short-sighted. A bill. Introduce
ed by Assemblyman Hall. was passed at
the last session Of the Legislature which
provides for this very object. This is a
matter which merits careful c0nsidera-
ton and should not be delayed Jersey
thankful people Will sooner or later