Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1921-10-22
Smith Answers
Cadien's Position
Communicated

y coDSlueraDle uprOar mas followed
Mayor Cadien's attempted defence of
the high rate Of taxation at present
existent in the Cliffsde Park Borough.
Mayor Cadien's explanation would
furnish ground for sound argument if
his statements were fact.
The Smith Campaign Committee is
publishing a series of bulletins peril
nent to the campaign activities. These
bulletins show that the mayors state
ments made at the Democratic meet
ing in Moose Hall on Saturday night,
are misleading, and not to be taken
seriously. Bulletins No. l and 2 con-
tain n clear statement regarding the
taxation rates and the much discussed
exemption law. They show further
some noteworthy facts concerning APP
preparations and expenditures of the
Borough Council and of the school
board. The bulletin statements fol-
low:
Concerning Mayor CadienS declara-
ton that the taxation increase is due
to the operation of the tax exemption
law, the truth of the matter is this:
The law requires that the assessed
value of all property in the borough
be determined on October l of the year
preceding, and taxes are based on this
assessed valuation It therefore fol-
lows that, the valuations on which the
tax rate was based for 1921 were de-
termined as of October I, 1920. The
new tax exemption law did not become
effective until after October l, 1920,
when these assessed values were de-
termined Therefore, the new tax eX
emption law has absolutely nothing to
do with our present 1921 taxation
rates. A more plausible excuse for in
crease in taxes during the present ad-
ministration, will need to be brought
forward.
Extravaganza, poor financing, and
irregular procedure by the present add
ministration, are the reasons for the
taxation rates in n nutshell. For eX-
ample, the borough council exceeded its
appropriation by 80 per cent in the
past year.
preparation less than 2 per cent over
period of three years.
In other words, the borough council
overspent its appropriation by S34,-
974.55 in one year. The school board
kept its overeXpenditureS down to
but little over $4,000 in three years.
Yet the school board, of which Mr..
O.. r NH ie.h n-
ing assailed and accused of all kinds
of extravaganza i'll order to discredit
Mr.. Smith, and divert attention from
the borough administration.
A look into some borough council
affairs will disclose the fact that the
increase in the interest appropria-
lions for 1921 over 1920 is the amazing
amount of $4,000. The worst part
of the matter is, that the borough coun-
ell is Disgusting the true Indebtedness,
for the real amount is much larger.
The fact is that $4,000 was required
to meet interest obligations, and only
$4,000 was provided for. The differ
ence. or approximately $4,000, is be-
ing kept from the knowledge of citi-
zens for obvious reasons.
Chairman Herbert l.. Post, of the
Smith Campaign Committee has come
forward with the following statement
relating to certain accusation maze
by John F. Cadien, at a meeting of the
Democratic party in Moose Hall on
Saturday night.
John F. O'Toole, in an address de-
livered at the Moose Hall on Saturday
night. charged Frederick l.. Smith, Re
publican candidate for mayor, with
being responsible for the resignation
of former Supervising Principal Bray,
of the Cliffside Park school system.
Mr.. O'Toole further stated that Mr..
Drum the successor of Mr.. Bray, was
a man of inferior ability; and that
an experiment made by Mr.. Drum in
the Cliffside Park school system dur
ing his incumbency, had proved
failure and was about to be discon-
tinued.
Here are the facts: The resignation
of Mr.. Bray was concurred in by
Messrs. Mcguire, Fox, Conray, FRANKIE,
Larkin, McAuley, Kelly, Smith, and
Whelan, who represented the pefsohlel
of the school board at that time.
Mr.. O'Toole was an unsuccessful ap-
plicant for Mr.. Bray's position. Mr..
Drum, the man elected to the vacancy,
has since resigned, and has taken a
position as head of the State Normal
School in Lock. Haven, Pa, at salary
considerably higher than that received
by him from Cliffside, while Mr..
O'Toole is principal of Guttenburg
grammer school.
The experiment referred to, made
by Mr.. Drum, has proved to be pro-
nounced success, has since been adopt
ed by a number Of large school districts
in the state, and not even the slightest
thought has been given to is discon-
tinuance.
1t is suggested that If Mr.. O'Toole,
or any other member of the opposing
nortiaS wishes m make accusations