The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-24
CONSOLIDATION? !?
Mr.. W. D. Edwards Advo-
Gates Union Of Hudson Be-
fore the Commission.
GENERAL REDUCTION OF EXPENSE
Tax Rate Would Go Down
and Municipal Improve
ments Would Bene-
f1t AL
GENERAL REDUCTION OF EXPENSE

| After a long discussion yesterday after
noon the Commission appointed by Cover
nor Voorhees, to consider the advisability
lof consolidating all the municipalities of
iHudson County into one city decided that
| it would not vote yesterday ON the propo-
sition. The opposition to consolidation
came from Hoboken and West Hudson
| Commissioners.
The Commission unanimously decided,
however, that in case of any consolidation
each community should bear and pay off
the principal and interest of it's own debt
The Commission sat in the Mayors
office, City Hall, and ex-senator Rudolph
| Rabe presided. President Henry Brauti-
gam, who is very sick, had sent in his
resignation, but no appointment of his
successor was made.
/ Chairman Rabe announced that it would
be advisable to take up the various recon-
mendations of the Committee on Plan and
Scope preparatory to making up the report
to be presented at the approaching session
of the Legislature
The first proposition presented was:-
In case of this commission recommend
Ing consolidation shall each community
bear and pay off the principal and inter
est of its own debt; or, in other words,
should there be different tax rate in
each portion of the consolidated city made
up of Q) to cover the general expenses of
government, and (2) to cover the principal
and interest of the debt of that section?"
Chairman Rabe explained that it would
result in different tax rate, but the plan
suggested could easily be adopted as it
had been in Hoboken and part of Wee
hawken in 1870, when it was found to
work well.
|ea Mr.. VIM. D. Edwards, in support of this
proposition explained that one of its OBJ
jects was to prevent any township just
prior to consolidation running up a tre-
mendous debt to be shouldered by the con-
solidated city as had been done by outly-
ing municipalities in New York State
A general discussion ensued and the pro-
position being put was unanimously ap-
proved.
second proposition was before the meet
ing for discussion. 1t was Shall this
Commission recommend to the Legisla-
ture that all the municipalities of Hud-
son County be consolidated into one
city2'
Mr.. w. d. Edwards then took the floor.
At the outset he declared himself in favor
of the proposition, for the reason, he said,
that a consolidation of thirteen diff
ferent systems of municipal government,
as now existing in the county, would in
his Judgment unquestionably result in a
great financial gain to every portion of
the county. Fortified with data he show
ing sections of the county would be very
much less if consolidation was effected
than under the present system.
My Judgment resumed Mr. Edwards,
SIS that under consolidation the number
of officeholders would be materially de-
creased in Hudson and consequently their
salaries saved. Further, streets would
then be laid out and improved between
various municipalities on definite and
uniform lines if the plan were carried out.
Educational facilities would undoubtedly
be simpliied in the townships especially,
and these would be put on a par with
the school systems in the larger cities.
The great material improvement effected
in Jersey City alone during the past ten
years would be shared in by the town
ships and cities joining in consolidation"
argued Mr. Edwards.
''Just look at the absurdity," he con-
tinued, and the members smiled, "of the
absurdity of having thirteen chiefs of
police, thirteen chiefs of the fire depart
ment thirteen superintendent of schools
and thirteen assessors and collectors of
taxes when one man could run each de-
partment efficiently with little extra
clerk hire. Under the proposed system
the dual form of city and county gov
ernment would be abolished
Mr.. Edwards then showed the great in
crease in the county expenses within the
past Is years, and how they now amount
ed to 1894, ,007.53 for the year. Such extra
expense would surely exist and continue
to increase so long as the right of appro-
priation remained in a board which was
not charged with the duty of raising the
taxes. 1t was an absurd system which
permitted a board to say what it would
spend during the year, and then spend
that amount. The system should be that
in operation now in Jersey City, where the
various boards submitted their estimates
for the coming year to the Board of FL
nance which fixed the appropriation ac-
cording to the limit of it's revenues.
A question being at this point raised as
to the debt of Jersey City, Mr. Edwards
showed that during the past fifteen years
no substantial change had been made in
the gross amount of debt, although dur
ing that period the valuations had jump
ed from $7o000,000 to 100000 900. Dur
ing that time, Mr.. Edwards pointed out,
a great many improvements had been
made. He cited the new City Hall, new
Free Library, which cost $295, 900, exclu-
sive of the real estate worth about $4,000
more, new public schools costing upwards
of 100000, miles of asphalted streets,
parks and improvements.
Mr. Edwards, who seemed to have at
his tongues end the statistics of the var
ious municipalities, showed that the tax
in Jersey City per capita for municipal
purposes was much less than in any other
city of the State in spite of all the ex-
penditure. Summing up an effective argu-
ment he said
consolidation is bound to come sooner
or later and, this Commission ought to
seize this opportunity and make 1t a con-
dition and not theory.
Mr. Edwin A. s. Lewis, of Hoboken, said
he opposed the plan and cited the In
furious effects Of the consolidation OF
Eov. . f7o1d II fha Had