New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-18
NASSAU'S BURDEN OF DEBT
FINANCES OF THE NEW COUNTY IN EN-
TREMELY BAD SHAPE
VALUATIONS MUST TAKE JUMP WHICH WILL
sTARTLE FARMERS OR PROPOSED IMPROVE
MrNTs MUST WAIT FOR YEARs-AN UN-
PLEASANT PREDICAMENT

MENTs MUST WAIT FOR YEARs-AN IN
PLEASANT PREpIcAMEYT
Tho condition Of Nassau Co1a'y. which started
out with n flourish the first OF the present year.
is not satisfactory TO the taxpayers. Tho county
appears 70 he saddled with a debt which exceeds
its 10 per cent limit and unless there is big jump
I'm assessed valuat ions IN the three towns which
constitute the county, or some specihi IN" i
passed allowing the county for term OF years TO
exceed the 10 per limit. there will be no pos
sIbnitv Of any improvements. not even 10 the
roads and the project 20 erect handsome COURT
house and Jail will have 10 be abandoned TOT nearly
n quarter Of a century ~ least.
II f. n matter OF dispute as 10 what portion OF
tho debt for road improvements was contracted
inter the rassage of the charter law II Is claimed
by officials OF Ncw-York city. and prominent law
vers have said that the claim Is well taken that
Section o. the charter forblds expressly Inc
creation by tho Queens County Board of super
ylsors Of any debt 10 he sadded upon that part OF
tho county which was named being the part to
ho included In New-York City This section Is en-
rhotlc The going into effect ~ this section Is
provided for in Section 1911. Section is only one
OF many that went into effect and were an Old
story before New York. as It Is now constituted
came into being.
Between May T. 1897 and January !. 1895. there
were issued road bonds by tho Supervisors OF
tho county Of Queens to the amount OF Ssoie"
4 large proportion Of this amount was spent IN
the part Of the county lying outside OF the Bor-
ough OF Queens and part OF IL was spent on streets
and roads within tho borough. suA. 1t Is con
tended that under Section 7, Nassau county must
now bear the burden OF the whole bond issue.
The assessed valuation Of the properties lying IN
Nassau County was. according to the last assess
rnent 81 OoGO in round figures. j Will he seen
that even II Nassau County has 70 bear no more
than this the lebt Will be brought periiousy near
the limit allowed by law on this count alone the
lr tVQ
ant Still II the courts should rule that IN equity
Queens should bear portion OF the burden ana
having derived some benefits from tho issue al
though not directly. perhaps should pay per
centage Of the issue. that percentage woula be so
small that the relief 70 Nassau County Would ne Oh
little help 10 A.
The Appellate Division recently decided that
when the Town Board OF Jamaica entered into a
contract with the jamaica Electric Company lot
the lighting Of streets in that town as IL eA'S''u
prior 70 consolidation It exceeded Its powers me
law was violated. and the contract was null ana
| void The contract was entered into on Decem-
her l. 1897 The resolutions for the road bonds
vera nassed by the Board OF Supervisors after
Nav, 1897 and the actual contracts for the Work
were entered into after the Jamaica Town Board
entered into that with the electric company.
The road contracts were made on December "a
1897 n week prior to the birth o. the city as no"
constituted No work could be done on the roads
~ that season OF the year and work was not
actually begun until the spring of 1895 This would
IL is claimed bring the road contracts. even II
binding on Queens County as n whole as IL e@
listed prior 10 consolidation. under the same mead
as the Jamaica light contract. and make them nun
and void at least I'm 80 far as the territory 10"
tho Borough OF Queens is concerned $1,000
BAD as the foregoing outlook Tor Nassau st'l,S
30 u.s. only part OF the worst that may % ms
+ County has claimed from the first mat IN me
division % assets and Iao.Iues utoe p ror cent
OF the assets and ~ per cent oi me lhut
Nassau claims larger peIceitase o. NJ Soss-is
Of the twc counties have been fighting over ne
ouestion queens viii not consent 10 Nassau taking
noro. and - matter has already Ie'cne' '''e
ncrsonoI Iropcrty OF queens as queens existed
prior 10 the formation OF Nassau, then = per ceS
The total debt OF Queens County Is, or was on
January lest. a. which date the division mus
oar rom Sf ~ e, 1os 20 on Nassau county This
IS .bc most favorable calculation that can DC mace
for queens hut the provisions OF the la" are az
Tbr law provides that tho division shall be &C
oording 90 Tho asses ed valuation. IN" behtnls o.
rived and money expended The last TAX levy maae
and the division Of the debt for road ana 9iher
bonds al that time was apportioned on the amer
Oueons. and the interest raised without pro
WSi. n'G to divide he present debt Nassau would
have 10 shoulder .o9 ''eo et 500 ., ba ne
basis upon which the division w2ma he maze o,y
alone would exceed Tho don't limit OF the 'ou"'S
undcr FRS present assessment 80,
IL Is claimeI that no matter which morn OF me
dilemma Is taken. Nassau debt must exceed "''
That the assessed valuations ~ Nassau are lower
than they might bee Is hardly admissible OF dispute
4 few wears ago nc valuations or Queens were "ot-
sidored about equitable 20 all In Long Island Cly
INC oseeceueuts in the last TWO years of us exist
ence were most marked. Valuations were increased
several hundred per cent There was no similar
increase i'm what IS now Nassau County. The as.
sceerneut valuations IN the country towns or
Cuaans Borough were This year increased ny the
CIV assessors and the fact now exists that prop,
cry lying in the borough along the city hne ana
af Joining similar property I'm Nassau County -
assessed q much higher rate than that adjoining
bur In Nassau This fact presents. II Is thought.
Nassau's only way out OF the difficulty. without
purtfn, excessive valuations on any property ~
%assau County Il Is calculated that assessed
valuations may he greatly Increased in fact a 30
nor cont Increase e. s asserted. would not ne OK
coseivc bat even then the margin would not be
comfortable &c.,, ., .. .s
cofIr-v buildings These are estimated 70 cost Slp-
Gn TO enable II 90 have these and TO carry us
roads I'm as good shape they now are there must
ba an Increase in assessments which VIII startle