Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-11-07
GAM ON & SHBEHY
% Smith St.
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term lasting but two years, about city
affairs. That may be So, but | want
to state that aldermen are elected by
the people, to serve tie people and not
any one man or set of men. While
the alderman may be slow to learn,
the people rs a rule are pretty apt
scholars and know when they are get
ting their money 8 worth.
Perth Amboy during tho past ten
years has grown wonderfully in
wealth, industry end in every other
way. Yet despite all of our advan-
tages our taxes today are more than
forty per cent. greater than ten years
ago. Now will some one tell me just
how such a state of affairs was
brought about. True, We have paved
several streets during the past ten
years, but the property owner paid
two thirds of the cost at the outset,
and have more than made good the
remaining one-third as the result of
the increased valuation placed upon
their holdings ss the result of said
improvement. Consequently the city
is nothing out on this score. But we
must remember that our police force
has been incres sed. / will admit a
slight increase in this line. But do
we not obtain annually from the sa-
looms and other licenses more than
enough to pay the entire police force
TWO years? The most important item
Of expense is our school system, but
it is we'll TO remember that the in
creased sun derived from taxes il
properly used would not only pay all
Of u expenses, but we should today
have Our rate decreased to such q
point rs would enable the taxpayer to
nay less today in taxes than he did
ten years ago.
Now BIS to our water department.
The cost of buying the plant outright
t first was in the nature of n bonded
debt and if hat department. is not on
a paying basis, that is if We do not
realize enough of money from it to
meet current expenses as well as pay
the interest OH the bonded debt. The
sooner we get rid of it the better for
the people of Perth Amboy. Taking
all in all 1 have grave doubts as to
tho efficiency of the Perth Amboy
water department. 1t was n serious
mistake at first to attempt to supply
q city such as Perth Am5oy promises
to become by means Of mains running
under n great river. II will be only q
few years before another new main
will be required and besides, if those
mains are put out of commission,
what will the people of Perth AmboY
and it's industries do in that event?
Has it ever occurred to the average
citizen to inquire as to the cost of
making rep,irs to the water mains
lying on The river bed Turing the past
ten years? or has our citizens forgot
ten that it was the same crowd that
purchased the plant at Runyon that
are now i;ollering for equal taxation.
But my friends will say We intend to
build q reservoir. and that in connec-
ton with the Eagleswood plant will
insure MS against any emergency that
may arise. Well the reservoir is a
thing of the future, and we cannot
depend on the Eagleswood plant as
we only use the water from that plant
for the purpose of adding color aud
favor to the pure and wholesome wat
or thai flows through the mains from
Runycn.
Now, as to the question of giving
away valuable franchises to the troll
lev comp mics and other enterprising
individuals who seek the use Of our
streets for money making p irposes. Is
il notsstrange that while the taxpayer
is taxed almost to death, individuals
can obtain valuable franchises. strong
their deadly wires and adorn our
thoroughfares with unsightly poles
and paw nothing 10 the city in return
for said privileges, except the preli-
minary cost, whatever that may be.
Just u word about the great and
} only Perth Amboy bridge. ] am in
doubt as to the PURPOSE forr which 1t
was built. At first it struck me tina t
It was erected for political pioKings
/ ard again | rather concluded that 1t
u was erected to serve. as an inc breaker
lspoke.