Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-01-06
MAYOR MAKES SUGGESTIONS
FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN 1920
CONTINUED from page -

Continued from page ID
cost of upkeep of different units of the
fire or street departments. A separa-
bion of accounts is urged, that each
fuel, supplies, repairs and labor, nay
be separately recorded.
Tax Assessor.
With the idea of placing a curb on
rent profiteering, and at the same
time making possible a jHst taxation
of all new buildings and additions, II
is recommended, if within the law,
that the present Board of Assessors,
consisting of three members, serving
part time, at $500 per annum, be abol-
ished, and in their place II man be
employed full time. To him a COM
plete report shall be made by the
Building Inspector, on cost of all
building operations, as a basis of taxa
ton, n to him excessive rents should
be reported, that taxation of property
may accord with its earnings.
Personal Tax III Automobiles.
Your attention has already been
called TO the lax and Improbable sys-
tenn of collecting personal tax on auto
mobiles. Under the present method
of ~infrequent reports from License
tAgencies, and State License Bureau,
it is possible for many auto owners to
evade a tax the first year of owner-
ship and to be assessed ON a depre-
ciated value the next. In this way the
City lose a large revenue.
Additional Dockage.
The city has been offered dock
property at the foot of Fayette street.
The question of the future Of this
property is of very great concern to
Perth Amboy. Its location is ideal;
because it %adjourns our present NUM-
Icipal dock, 1t will be more valuable
to the city than to any private owner.
Prospects of construction of the In
~ter-coastal Ship Canal. terminating at
Morgan. point 10 a large maritime
business here. for which we should
be prepared.
My recommendation is that ascer-
talning the cost of this property, and
the advisability of it's purchase be en-
tered into very carefully and thor
loughly.
80 Light Plant.
h light plant now costs the city
about 100000 per rear, u figure On
siderably higher han thatat which
the same service could be bought.
Against this plant, we have 5000. coo
outstanding in bonds, of which $780,
600 were issued for a term of fifty
Years,
According to the construction en-
gineer's figures, the plant depreciates
seven and ~one-Quarter per cont. per
year. This causes the fifty year bonds
to mature about SO years after the
life of the plant is ended. The re-
maining $4,000 is largely invested in
unused underground equipment, which
will deteriorate very rapidly.
1t should be ascertained at once
from a disinterested competent en-
gineer whether or not~this plant "a
be placed upon an earning basis, pro-
tduc1ng q revenue sufficient to pay q
1 u e q Iyp l ratIirIN on tha No 4 N, a,4
and at what cost.
Il wish, therefore, once more to
recommend passage of an automobile
personal tax ordinance, which shall
require every automobile owned i'll
the city to carry in definitely desig-
mated place a tag, furnished by the
collector of revenue. at time Of tax
| payment, so they can be checked up
by the Police Department.
City Plan
with contemplated improvements
and location of new industries in this
vicinity, and with rapidly increasing
! congestion in our principal streets, a
definite city plan should no longer be
delayed. j would urge appointment
OF a non-partisan city planning COM
mission to take up this question at
once.
Street Paving
plans for the entire years ex-
penditures on streets, both new work
and repairs, should be outlined with
out delay, and submitted to the en-
\ tire Board of Aldermen for approval,
so that all work sanctioned may be
started early and completed before
cold weather.
II recommend that Laurie, High
INC Gordon streets, left over from
, last year, be the first ones improved.
The main thoroughfares, Smith
street and State street, are in deplor-
able condition, and need immediate
] attention.
| Waiting Room
| with increased suburban travel,
our sidewalks are frequently congest-
ed in the vicinity of State street and
New Brunswick avenue, and State
and Smith streets. Inclement weather
| works considerable hardship anon
those waiting for buses or trolleys.
cure the establishment Of a waiting
room for their patrons by the RAJ
%portation companies.
Comfort Station
Consideration was given last year
to the establishment Of a public
comfort station near Smith and State
streets, with no concrete result. The
| rapidly increasing number of people
coming to our downtown shops from
| the suburbs and from outlying parts
of our own city, since inauguration
of bus lines, makes such q station
imperative. Public health as well as
| trade considerations demands that
| definite action be taken without de-
lay, and that such a station hs estab-
/, lished in the shortest possible time.
Municipal Garage
"A large saving to the city can be
effected by the establishment of q
J municipal garage in which all city
equipment may be housed and clean
ed, except police and fire apparatus,
and where all equipment, including
that of the departments of fire. water,
street. health. police and light may
be supplied and repaired at cost, the
city purchasing at wholesale and hir-
ing it's own mechanics.
MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR