Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-10
THE VOTERS WANT TO KNOW

II is evident that the voters of Middlesex
county are waking up. They are beginning to
ask questions. They want to know the truth.
They are not to be side-tracked by any hearsay
stuff. The public official who tries the old game
of giving the too inquisitive voter a "steer' by
filing him or her full Of hot air, is going to'get
left this year. AS we have said before, taxes are
too high these days to let public affairs pass
unnoticed; the people want to know.
A striking evidence of this was given in the
Evening News office yesterday when a citizen OF
q neighboring township called to ge the truth
of a statement that was said to be made by a
member of the Board of Freeholders. The in
terested citizen said that when the freebooter
had been asked why the county board did not
reply to questions that the Evening News has
been asking so frequently of late regarding the
use of patent paving material the freebooter re-
piled that it cost too much to reply to the news
paper. The inquisitive citizen called at the Eve
ming News office to know whether it did cost
anything for the freeholders to put a statement
in the newspaper, and if it did, how much?
Just what the freeholder meant by saying II
cost too much to get a statement in the paper
to reply to questions asked in an editorial we
are at a loss to understand. Maybe he meant 1t
would cost him his job if he told the truth. But
the inference is that it is a form of graft that
the newspapers collect, making officials pay to
reply to editorial criticism. Probably some public
officials can make some people believe such
trash sometimes, but it is apparent that they
cannot get away with 1t this year. The citizen
to whom such a song and dance, was handed out
took pains to go to the newspaper ofice TO
learn the truth, having doubts as to it being
so.
OF course, this citizen was told that no free
holder or any other official had to pay in order
to answer any question asked by this news
paper. Neither is there any charge for making
any kind of statement that an official might see
fit to make. In fact, the Evening News wei
comes such statements and would see that they
got first page display when received.
The statement given out in New Brunswick
Thursday as to why the freeholders had award
ed so many contracts for patent pavements THIS
year received all the publicity we could give II
and no one was charged a cent for 1t. Further-
more, the Evening News hereby throws its col
umns open absolutely free of charge to the
Board of Freeholders to set before the voters
of this county any Statement they may choose to
make on the paving question, the buying and
hiring of automobiles. the employment OF tive
sealers of weights and measures wien 1t is well
known that one man always has and still car
easily do the work required, or any other topic
concerning county affairs that are very interest
ing to the people these days.
!, Then, too, the freeholders might devote a col
umn or two to explaining why the county uses
more money today than it did before the state
took over the Amboy bridge, the Albany stree
! l,,;doa d, Now brunswick. the two main high
ways running the full length of the county al
we'll as the highway crossing the county leading
to the coast resorts, all of which used to be
t terrible drain on the county treasury. 1t wa
S expected that Middlesex taxpayers would b'
4 greatly relieved when the county got rid OF thes
HIGHWAYS and bridges, especially the bridges
= but the county tax is higher than ever. why
Yes, there are lots of things the people woul
+ like to hear from the freeholders about an
: the columns Of the Evening News are OPEN fire
S Of charge, for them to make such statements a
a they may see fit.
= Incidentally, II is most gratifying to see Tn
t taxpayers taking such an interest in these mat
: ters. Perhaps there are other false report
being circulated where it may be thought the
t will never be Investigated. Let's bring them GU
g IN the open and have a full discussion. I'M
o is the peoples government and it is the people
= money that the officials are spending. The pee
e nle have a right to know the truth and tn
r whole truth.
If the Board of Freeholders are holding O
with any statement because of the fear or tn
r charges the Evening News might make lie
= them hesitate no longer. Our columns are ope
t and our invitation to make use OF them is mos
= condial.