The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-26
COUNTYEXPENSES
In Ten Years Population
Has Increased 40 Per
Cent and Expendi-
ture 66 Per
Cent.
CAUSES FOR THE CHANGE
Interest on Bonds for Public
Improvement Large
Item.
CAUSES FOR THE CHANGE
Interest on Bonds for Public

While the countys population, as shown
by the recent census, has increased about
DO per cent. over 1880 in the ten years
the expenditures for county government
have increased about Sc per cent One
great source of the increase is the in
terest on bonds for the many public i'm
provenents. In view of the oft repeated
statement that the Board of Freeholders,
which will assume charge of county af-
fairs on December next, will be un-
able to live within the limit of the ap-
preparation fixed by the outgoing board
for the fiscal year commencing December
next, a comparison of county expendi-
sures with the growth of population be-
comes interesting.
With the increase in population, an in
crease in the county's legal business and
the number of criminals. paupers and
lunatics is natural, but whether or not
the increases should be proportionate is
the interesting question for the new Free
holders to solve.
The population of Hudson county in 1890
was 275,126; in 1895 it was S2S, $50, and the
last census showed 3S6,e4S people living
here. The appropriation for all county
expenses for the fiscal year 1SS9-1S9O was
S55657O; for 1Ss4-1Ss5 it was s7S4,71O, and
for the coming year it is 1884. .O07.5s.
Thus it will be seen that while the
countys population increased form 1880 to
1895 about 20 per cent. the cost of county
government increased in a corresponding
period nearly 32 per cent. The increase in
population from 1895 to 1890 will average
about % per cent, while the above figures
shew that the appropriation for next year
!, over 26 per cent, larger than it was five
years ago and a little less than 66 per
cent over the figures of ten years ago,
when the population of the county was 40
er cent. less than it is today
While a considerable portion of this dis
proportionate increase. as compared with
the increase in population, will be used
ior The payment of maturing bonds and
the interest on bonds issued to pay for
Permanent public improvements such as
the bouevards and bridges built during
the past ten years, it is a fact neverthe-
less that almost every department of
county government shows a surprise and
varying increase in its cost of mainten-
ance as compared with the increase in
population since 1880.
For the current fiscal year s110.0e0 was
appropriated for county courts. Next
year the appropriation is SIS, coo less This
item was s65 600 in 1SSs-90, but increased
to $4,000 in 1s94-95-70 per cent. in five
years, despite the fact that during that
time court expenses were materially less
ened by the passage of a legislative act
enabling Jersey City Police Judges to dis
pose of many cases that formerly occu-
pied the time of the county criminal
I,xr H.
an annual salary of $1,000 in lieu of the
former excessive fees of the office.
True, the establishment of the Circuit
Court, over which Judge Nevius presides;
the. appointment of sergeant-at-arme in
each of the three courts, where one for
merly did the work of all three, and the
appointment of three interpreters in place
of the one of ten years ago, have added
TO the cost Of conducting this branch of
the county service, but even these do not
seem to warrant the disproportionate in
crease shown in the figures of the last ten
years.
Ten years ago the cost of running all
the Snake GHill Institutions was s155, 600. In
1885 it had only increased to s163,500 but
for the current year 1t reached S204, 900
For next year but $171,o90 is allowed,
namely:-Asylum, s35, 600; almshouse, $52,-
600 and s17,5O0; penitentiary, $4,000; small
pox hospital, sS.O00 and storehouse $1,000
In addition to these an asylum
funsg will be added to nearly $780,
900 from the money received from the
State for. the support of lunatics by the
county and from the moneys received
for the boar of paid patients. To the
pen5tentiary appropriation will be added
the moneys received for the board of
United States prisoners and from the sale
of crushed stone.
The item of appropriation for the MAIN
tenance of 'public grounds court house
and JAIL, was $4,000 in 1890; in 1895 it was
$4,000; for the current year $4,000 was
used, and next year but $45. 900 is allowed
From these figures it will be seen that it
costs SO per cent. more to pay for the
board of prisoners and the care of the
Court House and Jail than it did ten years
ago. In this connection 1t might be mem
toned that the public buildings are no
larger today than they were in 1890, and
the Sheriff is receiving five cents a day
less for the maintenance of each prisoner
than the warden of the jail received ten
years ago.
So 1t is with all the other appropriations
made by the Freeholders. They seem to
have been increased disproportionately and
without sufficient warrant during the past
ten years, and it would seem from a
study of the figures since 1890 that If
moderate retrenchment and economy is
practiced by the new Board that they will
be able to live within their appropriation
for next year despite the fact that it is
actually over $4,000 less than was appro-
priated for the current year.
CT lllrv,c rAtp apcMc TnMtcuT