Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-19
PROVIDING FOR a GROWING CITY

an. 1t is natural that the city budget should be larger for
the year 1922 than,it was for the year just passed. As the
city grows its expenses must necessarily grow. With each
permanent improvement provision must be made to main
lain it.
Of course, it is to be expected that a growing city will
lave growing ratables. Every improvement must increase
L valuations as well as attract more taxable property so that
i under normal conditions the added expense in running the
y city year by year ought to be covered by the added income.
1t must be realized, however, that Perth Amboy is not
a normal city in a great many ways. 1t has not had a normal
growth. In fact, its development in recent years has been
most abnormal in senegal ways. In the first place, the city
-~las grown very rapidly. 1t has jumped from the proportions
of a,yillage to the requirements of a city in a comparatively
few years. 1t has been difficult, and in some instances i'm
possible to keep up to the pace. Again, the increase in
wealth in the city has not been in proportion to its increase
in size.
Whether a city is filled with milionaires who build hand
some residences and put up expensive buildings that are
taxed in proportion, or is made up of laboring people with
their modest homes and less pretendous buildings, there IS
no difference in the cost of building and maintaining schools,
water and sewer systems, paved streets, lights, police and
fire protection, parks and Fairgrounds and all the other
various municipal departments that are so essential to an up
to-date city. Naturally, with the cost of all these things the
same, the burden falls heaviest on those who are the least
able to pay for them. And it stands to reason that, every
thing else being equal, the city possessing the greatest
wealth, where there are costly residences and buildings to
be assessed, will be better able to finance the needed i'm
provements than the city made up mainly of people OF mod
crate means who cannot afford TO erect expensive buildings
which may, in turn, be taxed in proportion to their value to
meet the expensives of the government.
Perth Amboy is decidedly a poor mans town. There IS
little or no wealth here as that term is understood in a great
many other places of equal size or even smaller. Therefore,
whilePerth AmbOy is under just as great expense in making
municipal improvements, it does not have the source Of
revenue that other cities OF similar size, but which possess
far more wealth, have to meet the expenses.
Perth AmbOy, under the circumstances, has done re-
markably well. In schools, paved streets, water works and
sewers, lighting, police protection and fire department., this
city will hold its own with any municipality of anywhere
near equal size In some instances it will surpass others. In
the matter of parks, Fairgrounds and recreation generally,
however, Perth Amboy is far behind. 1t also lags miserably
in water front development. Judging from what has been
accomplished here with the means available, however, there
is every reason TO believe that had this city the wealth to
draw on that is to be found in other places Perth Amboy
would be second TO none in any modern Development.
In making up the annual budget all this has go to be
taken into consideration. 1t should be the aim of the al
dermen to round out the city along all lines. Especial
attention should be given to those things in which the city
is most deficient.
Let the parks and playground boards be strengthened
and as much as possible should be done toward building
M The waterfront so as.to make it revenue producing. The
public library should be well provided for. 1t is such things
as these that appeal most TO the people of a city of this
character because the very wealthy residents which other
places have are able to have parks and Fairgrounds of their
own, so to speak. Their private libraries are ample and
their wants in practically every line are well cared for. In
a city like Perth Amboy, however, unless the municipality
provides these things they are not likely to be made. Yet
it is the family Of the poor man that needs the parks and
recreation eenters the most.
In all these things the tax rate must always be kept
in view. AS desirable as many things may be there is a
limit to what the people can stand. An increase in general
expenses is to be expected, but the expense must not be
allowed to run away from what may be considered to be a
reasonable assessment on those who have to foot the bills,