Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-06-15

fali 10 locate the ptoBIcSoiTc spun aiifS
in all directions )" except in the steady
growth of the county bonded and floating
Indebtedness.
There are some exceedingly remarkable
admissions in this letter, which must sur
prise those confding taxpayers who were
promised more economy in court expenses
with one Republican Law Judge and
Republican Prosecutor, than under the
Democratic system of two Lay Judges and
one Law Judge.
In accounting for this being a $4,000
and SIS 900 county now. instead of a $780,
900 as 10 80 TO '93 be cites increased court
expenses over which the Board of Free
holders have no CONTROL averaging $500
in the years 80, '91, go. and increasing to
an average of $I1 900 in late years.
As matter of fact the court expenses
the past year were ST., 1862, and not a
single case OF Importance was tried.
A second connt in Mr.. Persons defence
of $4,000 appropriations is ~ the erection
of that crumbling monument of reckless
Democratic expenditure-the Woodbury.
Broad Street Bridge
Mr. Pierson is really ungrateful in his
abuse of that bridge, because besides carry
ing railroad over which trains have been
run every fifteen minutes for the past five
years, it was a convenient assest of
the Republican Boards of Freeholders
from '93 to '96 Every year they appro-
priated money to pay the little indebted
ness against it, but squandered the money
in some other way, and the bridge carried
the load without cracking or breaking, or
asking cent for repairs. As matter Of
fact, that structure carries more travel of
greater weight than any highway bridge
south of Camden, if not in the State, and
Mr. Pierson descends TO plan not COM
plimentary to gentleman who has held
so many offices, when he intimates that
there was reckless expenditure in its con-
struction. He knows otherwise, because a
civil engineer of wide experience has
examined it critically (at Republican re-
guest and informed the Republican Free
holders that it was the best highway
bridge he ever saw. The Democratic
Board is in no way responsible for the botch
wing walls which the city built and the
county paid for. Neither is the Demo
cratic Board responsible for giving the use
OF the bridge to a corporation for the
annual rental of 800.
The extraordinary expenditures Tor stone
roads is one the Board cannot avoid.
When the people have enough of that
expense they will change the law or cease
to petition for more, but the record of
their construction is not one which Mr..
Pierson is enthusiastic oyer. And he is
probably relieved of all responsibility in
that direction because it is not as a road
builder that he processes a high degree of
ability, or public usefulness.
But as financier he must excel, because
according to his own statement, his
brethren of the appropriations Committee
have accepted his estimates and his con-
illusions, 10 all appropriations.
This being so, credit for the manner in
which our county debt is floatted the greater
portion of which has been incurred under his
auspices, belongs to him. We see by the last
excellent report that the county indebted
ness is $78, 5OO-$39, 500 of which is in
bonds at 4 per cent. interest, and $50 600 is
in notes of various amounts. at 5 per cent.
interest. No provision is made in the
appropriations for the payment of this 5
per cent. interest bearing debt, and
no intimatiOn has escaped the county
financier that it is to be funded at a
reasonable interest rate. The bonds of
this county ought TO sell at as high a rate
of premium and low an interest rate, az
any bonds on earth, yet we are paying an
interest rate procurable by individuals on
ordinary security, and paying it on the
bank plan of interest in advance" If
we were to characterize this fnanciering in
language just as courteous as Mr.. Pierson
has employed in his structures of the
Woodbury. bridge. it wouldn't be pleasant
reading for either himself or his colleagues
who have placed implicit confidence in his
ability as fnancier.
Mr.. Pierson knew what he was about
when he procured an advance of $50 in
the salary of the County Collector to cover
extra labor demanded by the construction
of stone roads, We understand that a
great portion OF Count Collector Bsrber's
time is occupied in watching and renewing
county notes in bank, and his present
salary is really greatly inadequate for the
extra labor put upon him by new
fnanciering methods. 1t was not
necessary for Mr.. Pierson to assure
the readers of the Constitution that
County Collector Barber and himself would
get together after the nomination 10 Sep
TENDER. OF course they will they have so
much in common it could not be otherwise.
and if Editor Barber will write himself up,
as Mr.. Pierson has done, the people will
know what it is that keeps them together.
II is impossible 10 the space we can give
this subject in a single week, to enter into
the details of the methods by which this
county has become $70,O 900 county; but we
assert that the carry ing of floating in
debtedness OF 500 000-as the annual state
ment shows-interest at 5 cent. payable in
advance, is hut one of the monstrous
schemes by which we have reached that
point.
Reduced Rates to Richmond. Va, via Penn
sylvanta Railroad, Account International
Convention Baptist Young Peoples Union.
On account OF the International Convention of
the Baptist Young Peoples Union Of America, to
be held at Richmond, Va, July 10 to 49, the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company has arranged