Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-06
PUBLIC OPINION
EDITOR EVENING NEWS:

kindly permit Ell expression OF
public opinion upon a matter OF SER
ious Importance to the taxpayers OF
South Amboy.
Last year q determined effort was
made to bond this city for a sum OF
money sufficient to build an $4,000
school house, upen q plot OF land
then owned by the mayor of this
city, for which 1t was agreed to pay
$1,000. isis proposition was met
by a strong protest. and public SEN
timent aroused itself with sufficient
strength to defeat the scheme-for
the time being. The price was con-
sidered by good Judges among the
citizens to be fully three times it's
value for any purpose, and wholly
unsuitable as q site for a school OF
this kind at any price. 1t Is situated
on the extreme outskirts of the city,
bordering On the line dividing South
Amboy from the township OF sayre-
Vile, and In a location that the
future development of the city will
not follow.
It is " -seded by all who profess
to favor this plan that four add
tional rooms would supply all the
required class rooms needed for Ave,
and possibly ten, years to come
A capable architect has been con-
suited, and he has given his opinion
that school No. / can be enlarged
and remodelled to supply this need
at a cost OF $4,000. This does not
take in the purchase of that ground,
and Is not acceptable to those who
are disposed to accomplish that
purpose.
The plans outlined will require
the raising Of not less than one hun
dred and twenty-five thousand dol
lars, and perhaps more, by bonds
AS this matter does not come before
the people for an expression OF opin-
ion by vote, the people feel that they
are at the mercy Of representatives
whom they never imagined we're
clothed with power to involve the
city Ia debt TO this degree. Coming.
"a this does, together with q very
serious financial problem now al
ready confronting the municipality.
The people are not unmindful of
the fact that a sewer bond issue of
$4,000 la nearly exhausted, and
the second section OF the sewer sys-
tenn not yet finished. and not forty
peM cent. OF the house connections
are yet made to the first section,
with none at all made to the second
section. There remains still two
sections to be built, Ii the city's
pledges to the people are to- be kept.
An additional feature remains In the
fact OF the city's pledges, through
Its representatives, made to the
State Board Of Health, that q W
disposal plant should be built dur
Ing this yea This was the condi-
ton upon which the sewer plans
were originally approved BY the
State Board OF Health, although the
fact was moi generally made public.
These items alone will consume
another s100,0 900 at least, making a
grand total of $~175,000. IL another
$I25,000 OR more Is added to this
indebtedness. the people say they
are at a loss to understand how any
sane person q offer a reasonable
excuse for what they feel certain
will prove to be q public calamity to
this city. that will be fully realized
when the remedy Ia too late.
The only redress. according to
tho popular sentiment as heard in
many places during the past week,
Hes In the two members OF the city
council, who compose one-half Of
the committee Of superintendent, to
rigidly refuse to give their approval
60 n plan that calls for more
money than Is enough TO remodel
school No. /, to make 1t large
enough to provide the additional
rooms needed, and the essential CON
veniences- that circumstances re-
auire, and $4,000, 1t Is stated by
the architect, is ample for this pur-
pose.
The people are looking to these
two ceunciImen for protection OF
the city's vital interests at this time.
CITIZEN.
South Amboy, Feb. 6. 1919.