The Morris County chronicle., 1902-05-23
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apparatus will wear out and must
be repaired and replaced the same
as private property. The usage
they are given is necessarily hard
one. Human life depends on
their being in the best of condition.
And when the house ON fire is our
house, it comes home to us with
peculiar force that the commend
able desire of the fremen to get on
the scene should not be lessened, nor
his life endangered by rough crossing
at sharp turn by defective or worn
cut equipement. The firemen give
their time, risk their lives and go
down in their pockets to protect the
town in which they live. The effici-
ency of the department depends in
not small part on the financial aid
given by the various companies in
supplying the means absolutely neces-
sary to get the apparatus ON the scene
of action. The drain on their pocket
books at least should be lightened, if
possible.
The lighting OF the streets of the
town which in times past was ade-
quate to its size and the demands of
the people has long ago become less
than the people demand and are en-
titled to. What once would be consi-
dered entirely adequate Till now no
longer be tolerated without protest
Since the systematic macadamizing
of the main thoroughfares was be-
gun few years ago no one is con-
tent to let the good work done under
the supervision of your Street Com
mittee stop till all the streets are
similarly fixed. And our beautiful
park still makes its mute appeal
to the public spirit of each one of
Morristown' citizens and we'll
wishers. Till such time as the
amount of money placed in your
hands for the necessities of munich
pal life is greatly increased it must
make its appeal to you in vain.
The oft-expressed hope that someone
of our citizens who has the financial
ability would be seized with desire TO
build memorial OF his public spirit in its
5eautlticatlou has TIL this time reInain-d
unrealized. In these days of organization,
let us hope that.some ody of our people
either already organized 1rto be organic, d
for that eXpresS'purpose, may take this in
hand.
Morristown has about L.. 900 population
and every cent Received last year aud at
the disposal Of the retiring board to meet
the necessary demands in all departments
was 500. .399 So This Is less than five dollars
per capita; with which we are--I was
going TO expected to furnish means
for protection from fire equal TO that of
The best PAID departments in our cities
(and with The indispensable aid of the
voluuteer frenen We came close to doing
it); TO light our streets shaded as they are
with trees, as a city should be lighted and
to give adt quate police protection besides
all thr thousand and one things necessary
to be done aud each year the size of your
town Increases and our citizens demand
a better service III all department. and
and they should 50 do But how can more
be given them without more money? We
cannot increase the amount received and
needed for attending TO all these things not
to speak OF tue improvements WE sea are
so much needed aud which are so urgently
demanded. Unless We have mastered the
art OF making bricks without straw it il
plain it cannot all be done We have no
bonded Indebtedness and he would be a
rash man who would advocate such an in
debteduess 10 make up au accumulation
of small indebteduesses for current ex-
penses and comparatively small improve
meRts such as we have been making. The
visitation of smallpox which we had
three years ago left us with floating in.
debtedness which has not Yet been wiped
out. We have also to pay one third of
the costs of The roads built by tie County
of Morris within the limits of our town.
This amounts 10 practically $4,000 as l
understand IL, aud is liable 10 be called
for at any time. The floating Indebtedness
should be wiped out and sinking fund
established 10 pay our third of the
county roads Indebtedness. II the owner
ship of sewer system, OF public light
ing plant and water works are ever TO
become for this town more than tue idle
dream of Impractical vi-ionaries, we must
show ourselves able 10 restrict our tx
penditures 10 our income. Aud | have
sufficient confidence in the people nf this
town 10 believe that they do not want us
to make improvements, even those for
which they themselves are ciamoliug,
where IL must be Gone at the cost of au
Indebtedness whicL we have no right TO
mortgage their future for, We must pay
as we go OF hand down heritage of debt
with our regulations as efficient public
officials blasted
We are seut to this service uuder these
conditions and ii is fair to presume We
knew 1t was not an easy service when we
undertook it, Aud as l look al IL, it is not
our place 10 take our time from the things
we can accomplish and spend It in the
fruItless effort o get more II oney o spend,
even for things tpat would b. good 10
have. II the people want the things bad
enough they will 2ive us the power TO get
the money. and till they do, il is fair iu-
ference that they would rather nave the
money IN their pockets than TO have II
axrd out to pay for what is demanded.
The situation is not gloomy aud even
With the old floating iudebtt dness already
referred 10 the town is not ia any worse
condition than II has been mauy times