Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-12-23
PUBLIC OPINION
Perth Amboy, Dec. %. 1904.

OF Ferth Amb0Y IL, PERSONALS, o YelJ
amiable and estimahlo personage and,
likely enough, may have made an efhc'
lent official for aught | know, yet,
with the evidence before me. he mus
hnve got his dates mixed or the calen'
dar which hangs in his sanotum il
either an ancient one or is altogether
too progressive.
According to a missive received by
yesterday s mail, which was Decem'
Der 81, 1904, | am expected (like 9th
ers)to do ;mpossibilities-that is, &c
pay my poll tax before the twentieth
(the day before yesterday, failing In
which | ain to pay 50 cants extra for
cost of collection and interest.
/ hold myself 10 be a law-abidinR
citizen, and il there is q possible way
by which l can obey this mandate Of
the tax collector 1 am most anxious
and willing to do So, only | shall be
obliged to ask his aid that he may
show me how this retrogressive move
ID TO De accomplished.
Judging your editorials, however,
Perth Amboy is to .'move on" which
is progressive, and | am willing TO do
my share, but ism e this new policy of
being virtually compelled to pay yes
terday's tax bill on the day before
Yesterday more retrogressive than
progressive?
That little pink slip is pretty to look
at. The color chosen is mild and the
amount requested is small Bat, after
all, it is a comedy of errors; for On
the third line it says that THE Com.
missioners CT Appeal will meet on tile
fourth Tuesday of October, 1904. -
etc. to correct errors. What errcsi
The tax Collectors? it must be; for
how can | get to the CITY hall OH the
fourth Tuesday in October when
receive my bill on December q, rs a
Christmas present, as it were.
Remem Der, | am not finding fault
~it1 the tax collector, but rather his
methods. If the printed dates on the
bill were wrong. the bills should not
have been distributed until the errors
in the dates had been corrected. II
The dates printed on SAID bill are cor.
rect, and according to law, why was
] this tax bill not sent out in time so
bat the taxptyer had al opportunity
to appear before tho commissioners in
October and also tn make payments
before December 20 n possibility?
This wns done last year, AMI was done
according 10 law. Why not in I9042
WIS the recent election the indirect
cause Of it? Or is the business of
tax collecting assuming such enorm-
ous proportions that the present tax
collector unable to attend to it pro-
perly? Why not relieve him of his
office if it IL so onerous? Here is a
beautiful chance for the public, whose
servan any public Official is, he he
yer so highly stationed, TO step in and
demand a change in municipal affairs
and the system in vogue at present
The result of the recent election has
most emphatically demonstrated thar
the public wanted a change from dem
ocratic management and expressed its
desire to give the republicans the
chancs to do b sitter than tlieir prede-
cessors. Now the city fathers are at
loggerheads because the democratic
members desire, in the dying hours OF
the year 1904 and also in the dying
moments of their power as aldermen,
to ra-nominate present hold -overs for
years to come, and thus foster on the
publicmen whose talents, if they ever
possessed any, were not of that high
order which would merit re%-appoint-
,nent to offices for the public veal
Public off ces should not be made u
pr ivate trust, not even a democratic
trust, and inasmuch ns the welfare Ct
the city demands the best possible
timber ont of which the municipal
slip should be constructed, it is to te
hoped that of The. session OF the hoard
of aldermen, If any there be on Friday
as predicted, no other business be tran
sacted except as is needed to decently
windup the business which has been
left TO the care of those members Of
the board whose duty It ia to retire tc
private life when the last toll of the
y ~ So II. = $3.50 - A 5
the year 1904.
One thing the old hoard might do
and that with evident propriety-tc
pass tile pay rolls OF those who have
worked for the city ana are entitled tt
their just and proper share from tbs
ciiy's eofers. Then, indeed, will they
be blessed for at this season of the
year the lowest ma is grateful fol
rho emaltaet p~itfanea