Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-10
PUBLIC OPINION
PRINTING FINANCIAL STATE.
MENT

EDITOR EVENING NEWS;
As a property owner and taxpay-
er in Perth Amboy who keenly feels
the burden of increasing taxation in
this city, / want to enter a most
vigorous protest against the move
ment on foot to reprint the 1921
Financial statement of this city. The
facts in the matter are these: The
printing of the statement was given
to a local printer, who, finding II
impossible to complete the work in
the time specified, had the job done
out Of town, and for the intorma-
ton Of those interested I might add
that for the first time in years the
Job was printed and delivered on
time, and the cost vas no greater
than heretofore.
Because the work was done out
of-town 1t is now proposed to de-
| stroy the finished and accepted jof
| and have IL reprinted by a local
| concern, although no printing shor
owner or proprietor in the city Is
asking that this be done.
When I first heard OF this pro.
posal / made some inquiries and
from sources that cannot be refuted
I learned that for more than a year
there has not been a printer, union
or non-union. out of employment in
this city. To satisfy myself still
further / took an imaginary JOB OF
| printing to every printing establish
ment in Perth Amboy and in none
of them would they promise delivery
under q week: Now then, Mr.. Ed
tor, II all printing shops are busy
| and all local printers steadily en-
ployed, what is the sense of reprint
ing this book that will cost the tax
payers several hundred dollars? SC
far as | can learn the reprinting If
asked by one man only-and he Is
neither a taxpayer nor a resident OF
Perth Amboy.
What would be your attitude II
some cracked-brain follower of Eu-
gene Debs. who had made his liv-
ing in Perth Amboy for six or eight
years, but who didn't think enough
OF the city TO live or vote in it
should propose to destroy all the
books in our public schools and IL
brary and reprint them because they
were printed out of town? And YET
this is exactly what it il proposed
TO do with the current city financial
statement. 1t may be argued that Il
would cost only about a thousand
dollars to reprint the book; but II
the cost were less than a dime II
wouldn't make it right. 1t still
would be a useless expenditure Of
public funds, and a violation OF the
oath OF ONCE OF every person whe
participated in this looting OF tbs
city treasury.
Property owners are groanins
under the burden of taxation. why
not do something to tighten thi'
load rather than unnecessarily add
ing to It? I DO not object to the
legitimate expenses of running TINS
city government, no matter how
high they may be, but / most siren
uously object to mulcting the tax
payers under the guise of furnishing
work for men already steadily en-
ployed.
If the Mayor and Board of Al.
dermen can be ~browbeaten ano
frightened into this utter disregard
of their oaths, then I am greatly
mistaken and sadly disappointed.
II is quite possible to change the
political complexion of the city ad'
ministratlon this fall, ana ] have
no hbsitancy in predicting that Il
| this petty graft is put over the tax.
payers will have something to say
to those responsible for the out
rage. Any public official who sane
lions a proposition of this kind de-
serves 70 be retired In disgrace, and
| you may rely on my doing every
| thing in my power 70 make that re-
tirement permanent ana secure.
J. G. 8