The Jersey City news., 1899-10-21

HOBOkEN IS SLOW
Greater Jersey City Com
mission Anxiously Waits
for It's Report.
MR.. EDWARDS DISCUSSES FINANCES
He Shows That Consolidation
Will Greatly Lessen Cost
Of Running City.
Mr.. EDWARDS DISCUSSES FINANCES

send in the data required by the Conn
| mission to inquire into the consolidation
| Of the municipalities of Hudson county
very material headway would be made by
| the Commission. Every other city, town
! and township in the county has furnished
the Information required, but Hoboken
| justified the remark of one member that
"Hoboken is agin u.s.
! The Commission met yesterday after
noon in the Mayors Office, City Hall. with
President Henry Brautigam III the chair.
It was Mr.. w. D. Edwards who gave
out the information that Hoboken was
the only city which had not sent in its
report. He thereupon turned to Mr.. e.
A s. Lewis, of that city. and asked about
1t.
ut is In the hands Of the City Clerk
replied Mr. Lewis
Does he care to get it up?" asked Presi-
| dent Brautigam
"Oh, yes said Mr.. Lewis. sI think he
viii have it ready in week
| Mr.. Edwards then made report of the
| Committee on Plan and Scope. He had
with him certain data which tended to
| throw light on the question of abolishing
county government. He thought that if
| consolidation were effected it would be
| advisable to abolish the present county
| government and thus save expense. A
| charter could be adopted by the vote of
citizens provided the lines of the cities
were coterminous. The functions of the
county government could be consolidated
| and money saved.
| Continuing Mr.. Edwards said that the
present county offices, like Sheriff, Surro-
! gate and County Clerk and others would
| not be affected. The change would be
that the appropriation made by the Free
holders would be made by Board of
Estimate and Apportionment, or as in the
| City OF Brooklyn, where they have a
Board of Supervisors. The executive off
GERS would remain the same under the
suggested new regime but the appro-
| priations for these offices would be made
1 by the financial board of the new city.
I 1.-THE trouble of the present Board of
Freeholders Is" said Mr.. Edwards, "the
same board which spends the money says
what money shall be spent and in my
! opinion you cannot have such a state of
/ things without extravaganza
| As an object lesson of the Board of
Freeholders' expensive mode of financier-
4 ing, Mr.. Edwards plunged into a mass of
! figures showing that in Hudson County
/ the expenses had increased one hundred
/ per cent. while the ratables had not in
| creased by any such ratio. He began
with the year 1871, when the ratables
| were SOC, ,G00, 600. There was decrease un-
/ til 1888 and then a rise of to 5 millions
a year. In 1894 they were 147 millions or
an increase of 40 per cent; 1856, $50 mill
lions; 1878, 153 millions 1889, s15s 312 900,
or an increase since 1872 of sixty per cent.
For the coming year 1t will mean in
round figures, $1620O0,oO0
| Mr. Edwards then showed the expense
| account and here 1t is:-In 1884 1t cost to
run the county government, $473. 900, and
! rate was AIT. In 1885, $513, 600; 1886, s577 00O
1887 $509, 900; 1885 ss71 600; 1882 s55sO0o; 1880
| S675 600: 1891, 1874, 600; 1885, $3.50, 600; 1885,
ssO6 900; 1897. ss17, 900; 1878, ssss,oOo 1899,
| 1867 49s. .s8.
During that period the city rate was
e. 40 and the county rate, 4S0 This year
the city rate will be 2O.3o and the county
| 5s2 You can thus see the reductions in
the city rate" said Mr.. Edwards.
ITO what Is that due?" asked Mr.. Her
man Walker.
| Mr.. Edwards replied that it was only
! fair to say that 3125 900 of the Increase
was legitimate, being interest of the
| Boulevard debt but without that in 1899
the appropriations were double that of
1854 OF late the county had grown. In
the cities they had taken advantage of
low rate fer funded debt
what about the judiciary?' inquired
| Mr. Augustus Rich.
| MT. Edwards replied that when the
| Courts were asked how much they need
| ed they always replied the same as last
year but Invariably they always wanted
| about SIS 000 more. Tt took about $4,000
to run them
ssWill it be a saving by changing the
| county government as proposed?" asked
| Mr.. Walker.
"Undoubtedly,'' was Mr.. Edwards re-
| ply ..It would where body spends the
money 1t appropriates itself. There's
sure to be extravaganza when that Is
done 1t isn't so in other boards Take
| the Board Of Finance here. 1t says how
much shall be spent and keeps that
amount down. Dual government is al
ways expensive In Philadelphia and San
Francisco, where amalgamation has taken
place, it has wrought much economy. 1t
! is futile to form one city and have two
| governments in it. You know what our
Finance Board here does Each depart
me1hC SeQuS III what II tulilhS II OuBAl "
have roS the coming year II the Board
| of Finance granted all their requests the
1 tax would be 5 per cent. Instead, how
| ever, they scale these estimates down.
or course there are some amounts they
/ can't scale down. When the Comptroller
! saws he wants so much for interest on
bonds. there's no argument about that
| 1t has got to be paid and the amounts
| then go in the tax levy. Not SO with
/ the F'reeholders,', continued Mr. Edwards,
.sthat is purely government by commit
! tee. Each takes $4,000 and spends It,
There's no veto If there IS anything to
be done In making one city that system
| must be abolished.
.tCan you abolish the Board of Free
holders?'' inquired Mr.. Walker.
"The Legislature couldn't do ii, at
least only in the way Of giving us a
| charter which would say that where city
lines were coterminous the government Of
that city could then make what arrange
ment it pleased. We must do away with
the county government. not SO much for
/ its extravaganza, but for the evils Of its
! constitution.
| Mr. Walker said that before the people
1 or the commission could inteIIdgently dis
~, GO f1,A ,,rn3ant f1e d44a. III the hands