The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-05-17
ALDERMEN ORGANIZE
Continued From First Page.

to him as truly as his private house and
lot, The value of a mans property de-
ponds in great part on the condition OF
the town at large and thus what he
pays in taxes for the improvement OF
| the town may be returned to him, all
and more too, in the betterment of his
own house and grounds. The intelligent
citizen will not object to taxation as
such, but will only demand that the
money collected from him and his
neighbors be judiciously expended.
Public expenditure like private outlay
should be carefully considered but OBJ
lection to all increase of the tax rate
may be as unwise as for man to refuse
to lay out money on the schooling of
his children or on medical attendance.
| 1t is the conviction of many of our citi-
zens that our charter should be so
changed as to allow the expenditure of
| a larger amount for town improvement.
To increase the amount of money
available for town purposes license fees
are collected from various forms of
business. From liquor dealers was ga
thered last year net amount of s., 420.
The hackmen about forty in number,
are charged five dollars each. Licenses
must be paid for by each show that ex-
hibits in town; also by each billiard
room: also by auctioners, hucksters and
junkmen; nay, in our nun lcipal poverty
we are compelled to demand share of
the bootblack's gathered nickels and of
the coppers of the organ grinder. The tele
phone company pays $50 mile for the
right of way of its underground conduit
g. miles in length. From all sources
the money raised last year for munich
pal expenditure was $53, 690.33.
can assert that the money of the
people has been carefully laid out. The
Mayor and Aldermen receive no salary
and the chairmen of some of the COM
mittees of the Board give to the town
an amount of unpaid service of which
the ordinary citizen is not aware. l do
not hesitate to say that no board of bank
directors or college trustees has given
more conscientious consideration to the
trusts committed to them than has been
given by their Board of Aldermen to
the interests of the people of Morristown.
The members of the Board have faith
fully studied to make each dollar of
municipal funds go as far as possible
The members of each committee have
been obliged so to do since the total
amount available was so small that
whatever was voted to one department
had to be taken from some other.
The salary list of the town is as fol-
lows Collector. $780, Assessor, 5000;
Chief of Police, $40; Street Commits
missioner, $72O; Police Sergeant, Rounds
man or Patrolman, $500; Treasurer $500;
Health Inspector, $3.50; Clerk, $500;
Chief Engineer, $3.50; Surveyor, 500;
Counsel, $780, Police Surgeon. 800;
Overseer of the Poor, $50 A compar-
ison with amounts paid by other
municipalities will show that these sal
aries are moderate.
The published report of the Treasurer
gives detailed exhibit of the various
items of municipal expenditure for the
past year. Each citizen should give this
report careful study. If he can point
out how the money of the town can an
other year be more wisely expended he
should do so. If not it may be a COM
| fort to him to know that the taxes col
lected from himself and his neighbo1s
have been disbursed economically.
The town owns property as follows;
The two fire company houses on Mar
ket street with the two on Speedwell
avenue are worth some $4,000 The
two steam fire engines with their hose
the chemical engine, the carriage of the
First Ward Hose Company, the various
sets of harness used with these, also
5000 feet of hose, have value together
of some $780, 900. Independent Hose Co.
has purchased at it's own expense a
team of horses with set of double har
ness, also private fire alarm system
while Resolute Hook and Ladder Co. has
furnished at its own expense an addi-
tional building on Speedwell avenue, at
cost of 81, 900, also team of horses, a
wagon and a private fire alarm. The
First Ward hose Co. has built with the
aid of citizens house costing about
81, 500. the lot being furnished by the
Railroad &c. The Fire Wardens have
purchased their own wagon. These
items of property which practically be-
long to the town are worth say $1,000.
The Gamewell Fire Alarm System with
20 boxes cost $5,770.
The Street Department owns quarry
on the Mendham road just outside the
town limits, gravel pit on Mt. Kemble
avenue about two miles from town with
rollers, plows and other implements.
The town owns the Police headquarT-
ers and the furniture of the municipal
rooms The whole property of the town
is worth upwards of sixty-five thousand
dollars. We have no bonded debt and
the only outstanding obligations are two
notes, one of So, 900 to meet special ex-
penses of the Board of Health and one
of 80 900. On the whole there are few