Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-11-02
SOUTH AMB0Y
EXPENDITURES
Tax Payers Attention Called
to Matter of Finances.
EDITOR EVENING NEWS:

EDITOR EVENING NEWS:
There has been SO much comment
recently in regard to the expendl-
lures, actual and prospective, In u
city that a few words of explanation
In the way of further comment may
not be amiss, but, OF the other hand
may be a source of interest to those
who have the welfare of the city at
heart and favor an economical adj
ministration of affairs.
In the first place, u citizens
should guard against confusing bond
issues with direct assessment and
taxation, as appears to have been
the case recently when the question
of paving Broadway was a live topic.
Very little is being said just at
this time In regard to bond issues,
but it is not such a long time since
this was a very live topic, when 1t
was proposed to saddle the city with
an $4,000 issue for a new high
school. In this connection it may
be of interest to our citizens to know
the approximate amount Of bonds at
present standing against the city:
Water, $4,000; public dock, $4,000;
sanitary sewers, s75,000j schools,
$4,000. A total of $4,000, all
bearing interest at the rate of five
per cent. per annum, which means
that the taxpayers have to contrib
ute nearly five thousand as interest
alone, regardless of the bonds which
1t is necessary to pay off each year.
1t can be readily seen that a further
issue of $4,000 would nearly
double the mount Of interest paid
each year, and 1t Is not difficult to
figure the effect this would have
upon the taxpayers of our city.
There are some improvements en-
failing a moderate expenditure that
are necessary for u well-being and
means money we'll spent, but the
erection Of q new high school at the
present time Is really such an alb
surd proposition that we hope 1t Is
buried not to be soon re~surrected.
Great stress has been laid upon
the crowded condition of the
schools, particularly No. 1. Should
anyone be interested enough to
make an actual count they would
quite likely find about % per cent,
more seats in this school than there
are pupils. OF course 1t is impossi-
BILE to evenly divide them in the
various grades, but this excess per-
centage shows the possibilities. The
use of the city hall as q classroom
might appear as a good argument,
but 1t should not be lost sight OF
that there is still a vacant room In
school No. 1. And while on this line
of thought, has 1t occurred to the
public generally what additional
room the proposed new high school
afforded? Has anyone ever seen the
plansf Quite likely not and for this
reason we wish to state, as near as
we can recollect, the plans provided
for four or five additional class
rooms, the larger part of the build.
ing being taken up with an auditor.
fum, laboratory, chemical room
gymnasium, etc. This all sounds
nice to everyone but the taxpayer,
who would be responsible for the
greatly increased current expendi-
lures incident to such a building
Better build a small addition tc
school No. l as was done a few
years ago to No. 2 for the additions.
class rooms.
We have principally referred tc
school No. / In our comments, but
the same conditions apply to No. 2
only to a greater extent 80 far as
surplus seating capacity is concern
ed, 1t being a well established fact
that great difficulty is experienced II
having the younger children go tt
school No. 2 as being SO far away
from the vicinity of the greater
number, which fact should be giver
very careful consideration and aci
as an argument against sites in the
locality that was mentioned some
time ago.
Mr.. Taxpayer, It is items of ex.
penditure such as I have endeAvoret
to briefly outline that you should BIZ
careful to watch, rather than ths
items of improvement to our streets
that r taken care of by direct as
sessment and entail little, II any
hardship upon the public at large
Thanking you for your kind indul
gence, MI. Editor, / am,
Very truly yours,