The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-04-21
IN A DEEP
HOLE.
Pagan and His Cabinet
Trying to Tinker the
New Budget.
MAYORS COSTLY FADS.
Advisers Don't See Where
the Money to Pay for
Them Is Coming
From.
DILEMMA BEFORE HIM
Must Repudiate Ante Election
Pledges Or Boost Up the
Tax Levy.
DILEMMA BEFORE HIM

The new administration is now spend
ing most of its time trying to solve the
puzzling problem of the tax budget.
From Mayor Pagan down to little Bob
Carey they are worried. Consultations
are held daily in the various offices.
Mayor Pagan has all his cabinet in his
office singly and collectively from the
time he reaches the City Hall until he
leaves. and the process Of arranging the
troublesome matters is slow and labor
ious
What bothers the Mayor most is how
he will get ont of the hole he
has placed himself in by promising
parks. free baths, free bands and free
madeleine to the people He went to
Trenton when the bills for these improve
ments were being consfiered by the Leg
islature and enthusiastically urged their
know as much as he has since learned
in course in municipal finances under
the instruction of President Jacob Kim
gle, of the Board of Finance. The Mayor
would not listen to President Ringle in
time He saw an opportunity to excite
the voters in his favor by promising i'm
proyements and went ahead. President
Ringle's experience in the Board of FL
nance and his thorough knowledge of the
city's finances showed him that most, if
not all, of the Mayors schemes could not
be put through, and he went to Trenton
and urged against the bills the Mayor
was begging Sam" Dickinson and the
Beef Trust leaders to push through. The
Mayor and President Ringle had several
disputes over these matters and an open
breach was narrowly averted. The two
are not yet the very best of friends.
The success of the Mayor in Trenton
was very gratifying at the time. But
now he sees matters differently. He
knows that it is impossible to do what
the Legislature gave him the right to do
and what the people expect him to do.
The Mayor finds that the very lowest
cost of his various schemes will be
S134000. and then no one would befmore
than half satisfied. This sum would be
above the usual expenses of running the
departments now. This years budget
will be at least $4,000 over last years
This sum will be necessary for the in
creased expenses of the Education and
Police Departments.
The increases in teachers salaries will
require $28,000 this year over last year.
Schools Nos. % and % are expected to
be ready for occupancy by next Decem-
ber. The salaries for teachers here will
be $4,000. That is a total of S43, 900.
The increase in salaries for policemen
will demand $1,000 These are the usual
necessary increases.
To get enough money to meet these
unavoidable demands the ratables this
year viii have to be increased 50, 600, 600
at least Only $4,000 taxes can be col
lected on S1,000.O00 ratables.
To get the $134,000 necessary to put
Through the Mayors pet schemes the
ratables would have to be increased near
Iy $10,000000. This is utterly impossi-
Bile. The only other course left open is
to raise the tax rate.
Thus the administration is forced to
choose. being admitting that its cry for
improvements was all bluff and a play
to the gallery, OF jack up the tax rates.
With the fall campaign so near an in
crease in the tax rates is not to be
thought of and the improvements will
have to wait.
The understanding of the situation at
this late day by Mayor Pagan is a vic
tory for President Ringle, who spent
many hours trying to show the Mayor
the light.