The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-06-27

In the Register of this week one, :" Fair
Play" after a season of incubation, gives ex-
preston to some exceptions to one or two
contributions, editorial and otherwise, which
appeared in the MONITOR two weeks ago, anent
the Reliance engine.
To criticism of our Borough Council in
their public and official transactions, he replies
in two-thirds of a column, entirely ignoring
the vital question, the value of the Reliance as
a fire extinguisher; and half of it devoted to
showing up the improbability of any serious
loss to the Borough treasury from the abate-
ment of taxes to the fremen. We must con-
cede " Fair Plays" point well taken. There
is little likelihood that the loss in taxes will
be SO great as Taxpayer" limited at; but,
then, no one made any allegation to that eff
feet. Taxpayer merely hints at the posi-
bilty of it under certain conditions and de-
plores-not the expense-but the uselessness
of it. But "Fair Play" during the ten days
he required to bring his effort to daylight,
ought to have informed himself to better pur-
pose; for, in setting others dead to rights, he
shows himself lamentably ignorant of his
subject In speaking of the number of men,
beers the Reliance company has, he says they
are less than fifty, it is thought forty-five. :"
1t is utterly immaterial in this connection,
how many there are; but, then, somebody
ought to know, and as Fair Play" seems
so eager to champion the engine and the fire.
/ ", of ne
'Fair Play" is member, and the doubt
arises in his mind as to whether he
ought to count himself equal to five ordinary
members, or be satisfied to class himself as
an average unit. AS the company recently
black balled a respectable and able-bodied
citizen who applied for membership, the out
side public would naturally conclude that the
ranks were fully recruited with no vacan-
cies.
Fair Play" also informs us that "the
amount of Borough tax ordered raised per
year thus far has been five hundred dollars"
Did he not know, or did he forget that the
last appropriation ordered was seven hundred
and fifty dollars; and this sum was ordered
on purpose to meet the purchase of the Reli-
ance engine in addition to other Borough pur-
poses? If our friends knowledge of matters
and things is no more accurate on other points
than on those above stated, we may well be
excused for considering him as unreliable as
the Reliance itself
AS to the square issue" between the Sa-
lem Council and the MONITOR contributors,
that is all imaginary. The city of Salem had
an engine; they wanted to sell it; they did
sell it, and were glad to sell it, and passed
fervid resolution of thanks to the gentleman
whose efforts brought about the sale. The
inference from Fair Plays" article is that
our committee purchased it-not after due
trial on the ground where it was intended to
be used, and in comparison with other engines
but on the statement of ''Salem Council
man that it was the best hand engine in South
Jersey, south of Camden"
This is the saddest part of this whole bust
ness. While Fair Play" by adopting G. the
refnements of materialists," finds quite a va
riety of hairpins, he is not able to find any
CuluS 10 COutrdQlCU Iu6 statement OF lax
payer" in the MONITOR, as to the value of the
engine, except what Salem Councilman "
said to member of the Borough Council"
And the Councilman may have said that, and
yet not have been a---, whatever that
may mean in the expressive vocabulary of
Fair Play" The writer of this don't under
stand the dash language. What is deemed
proper to say is said in plain English, and
what is not proper we do not seek to para
phrase or cover up with The Re
lance might be the best machine of its class
in all Jersey, and yet be no better than it is,
and come no nearer answering the require
ments of our town.
1t is not necessary for us to point out the
defects of the engine, nor is it worth while
for Fair Play" or anyone else, to pitch into
the MONITOR contributors. The engine is
here, and should be its own best argument for
or against its right to stay. We can only
repeat what we have before said in substance,
that, up to the present writing, the weight of
the argument is seriously, if not fatally,
against it,
The above is written with the express reser-
walton that if g. Fair Play will furnish us
few handfuls of those rosewood splints, we
will kindle little bonfire on the shore of the
o,,1 t1a DBL;