Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-06-28
LEONIA HEIGHTS
Sewer HAS INNING


| less than that charged per foot in the
Eastern section.
"The meeting was presided over by
! Mr.. H. d. Schall, president of the coun-
| Gil
Judge Seufert was on hand armed
with Il copy of the report of the Com
missioners of Assessment, and Auditor
Weisker had with him figures showing
the cost of every item connected with
the sewer construction.
"Of course, the lightning mathema
tician and the legal expert were on the
job, the one trying to tell the borough
attorney how the assessment could
have been confirmed sooner and how
the soldiers and sailors act might be
set aside, while the other endeavored
to enlighten the borough's certified
public accountant how he might have
taken care of the financial end to bet
ter advantage.
''The taxpayers those who will have
to pay the sewer assessments, however,
appeared to be perfectly satisfied with
the explanation made by Judge Seu-
fert and Auditor Weisker.
"The fact that it will cost the prop
erty owner in the LeOnia Heights sec
ton only $3.50 per front foot, or 5000
% foot lot, was a great relief for
those who for some time have been
hearing the wild rumors circulated by
the propaganda, some of which were
that the cost of the improvement was
so great that many would be obliged
to hang out the For Sale sign. But
had these rumors been carefully sifted
it would have been easily seen that the
object was nothing more than an early
political move on the one side, and on
the other pure selfish motives.
st must have been terrible shock
to many when the figures were pro-
duced to show that the Leonia Heights
sewer was the only one constructed in
the borough which was built for less
than the contract price. The second
shock was the comparatively reason
able assessment, and the third shock
the fact that the judgment secured
against the borough was due to the
manner in which the sewer was de-
signed and which was no fault of any
of the former or present officials, be-
cause the plans were approved at the
time by the State Board of Health.
"With the report of the commission
ers in front of him, Judge Seufert
asked if anyone wished to know what
his assessment will be. Mr.. C. E. Goe-
bel was the first to speak. He gave
the Judge the numbers of his lots and
the latter promptly read from the re-
port that his assessment will be $62.50
a lot or $3.50 front foot. Mr. r. Mae
MILAN was the next to seek informal
ton regarding the assessment on his
property. The judge again consulted
the schedule and announced 'S62.50
lot Mr.. Jacob Bach, too, wanted to
know how much he will have to pay
and received the same reply. The
other property owners were evidently
satisfied with the assessments an
nounced, as no one else cared to ascer-
tain the amount he would have to pay.
Judge Seufert stated that the only
reason why the report has not been
confirmed by the court was because of
the federal act which was passed at
the time the United States entered the
war eXempting soldiers and sailors and
which made it impossible to have the
report confirmed until the army is
demoblized or the peace terms are
signed.
''The judge further said that Fort
Lee was not the only borough in the
county in the same position. Fair
view, haywood and Garfield, too, are
waiting to have reports confirmed. He
also explained that the interest which
is being added pending the confirma-
ton of the report must be borne by
the entire borough and that the prop
erty owners on the Leonia Heights
sewer have only been charged interest
up to the time the report was handed
to the court, which was more than a
year ago"
Anyhow, when the accomplished
judge got through with the meeting
he never alluded to his $4,000 rejected
water company fee there had never
been anything the matter with the
sewer in the first place. People were
Just barking up the wrong tree, were
alarmists, etc The meeting was a
huge success. especially the absence
of Mayor White without leave, but
which he can explain to anybody's sat
isfaction, of course, or at least let us
hope so. And if he can, all we'll and
good. and as the election is coming on
again in the fall, and as he is the per-
petual motion candidate, and is expect
ed to run once more just for "vindica-
ton" when the poor man has never
done anything to be vindicated for eX-
cept break his solemn pledge to put
commission before the voters if they
would only elect him again the last
time, and which the saloonerers told
! him he must not do or he would be
showed under by the 80 votes they
/ ooptroIIed or something like that