The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-02-17
MUNICIPAL
GOVERNMENT
Counsellor Hartshorne Con-
trasts English Methods
With Ours in an
Interesting Paper
READ B-FORE THE BOARD OF TRADE
Resolutions Urging Support
Of the Benny Bridge Bill
Passed-Improvement
Of Montgomery
Street.
READ B-FORE THE BOARD OF TRADE
The Board of Trade transacted but lit

The Board of Trade transacted but lit
lie IS last night, but the members
pl tened to a very interesting
pl Jared and read by Counsellor
Char.e4 aartshorne comparing or con-
Hasting the method of conducting muni-
sipal affairs in many English cities with
hat in vogue in this city and Newark.
Prier to the reading of the above men
toned paper, a resolution was passed de-
slarihg the Boards support of the bill in
Eoduced in Congress by Congressman
Benny, urging the construction of
bridge over the Newark Bay from Ber-
gen Point to Elizabethport; also urging
q. S. Senators Dryden and Kean and all
the New Jersey Congressman to support
the Benny bridge bill
President David R. Daily announced
that he would call special meeting soon
10 listen to and discuss the report Of the
committee appointed some time ago to
zee what could be done about the widen
ing of lower Montgomery street.
In his paper comparing the municipal
government of English cities with those
Df this city and Newark, Counsellor
Hartshorne selected that of Nottingham
as an average English example because
its area Of territory and its population
are nearly the same of those of this city
and Newark Among other things he
said
Nottingham covers a territory about
six and half by three and half lineal
miles. Jersey City covers about six and
a half by three and three-quarters miles
by extereme length and width. Like our
two cities it contains much land cultivat-
ed by the farmer and market gardener.
1t is also a manufacturing town, and is
the centre for two or three important
railways. It's population in 1901 was
239, T52-about the same as that of New
ark (24e,07o in 1900, and was then not
much larger than that of persey City
GOO, ,433). 1t increased 1211a per cent. in
the last decade and ITO per cent. since
1870. Moreover its area is now more
than Eve times as great as it was in
1870"
After discussing the history of the
town and of its ear-marks of medieval
times and yet what had been accomplish
ed since 1882, Mr.. Hartshorne went on to
say
1.-THE city of Nottingham owns water
plant supplying water to the people at
about the same cost as in Jersey City,
and upon scale of charges not very diff
ferent. The water department costs a
little nnaer S500.OO0 a year. including in
terest on the water debt and charges for
depreciation and sinking funds The city
also owns and operates gas plant, and
Supplies gas al a maximum charge of 20
cents per 1000 feet. 1t owns and oper-
ates the electric light and power supply,
and an excellent electric street railway
system. The fares vary from . cents to
s cents. the average fare being consider
ably below FIVE cents, but no transfers
are allowed. 1t also owns and operates
the markets. and maintains and leases to
tenants a block containing so houses or
fats called ARTISANS dwellings," built
by it for the use of laboring people; also
$40 smal houses. which it rents at week
ly rents to poor people Some of the
land upon which such houses stand has
been owned for centuries. These several
properties-that is the water. gas and
electric plants. the street railway. mar
kets and real estate excepting artisans
dwellings, are so managed that after
paying costs of maintenance and repairs.
interest and sinking fund charges upon
the funded debts incurred for them sew
orally. they yielded he city a net revenue
in the fiscal vear eag Mareli 1909. of
over s2l7 0o0 'Ae city has
also a good svsfsni of t'on
different fron sea plica-