Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-08-18
A Complaint.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, Aug. Ia, 1897.
Mr.. Editor:-I ask to be excused for
attempting to trespass upon your time,
and the space in your excellent paper,
but am in quest of information. Some
things we know and others we do not
know. We know that laws are intended
among men. for the protection of life and
property. The taxpayers elect and pay
men who are known as officers of the
county, OF certain defined sections of
county, and some of them have great
power. For example, The FreehOlders
say, "let there be an asylum built for the
county, and let it be managed by q man
OF our selection" and it is built. Again
they say, 'let road be built from q
certain point to another point" and it is
built. am not finding fault with what
is necessary to be done, but what they
have left undOne. What now refer to
is that nothing is done to protect people
from being run down and injured by
bicycle riders. l understand that a per-
son riding a wheel has the same privilege
as person driving horse and carriage
and no more. 1t is very seldom that q
person with horse and carriage in
fringes on the rights OF people who walk
in the paths Oh either side of the roads,
sometimes called sidewalks, footpaths,
etc. Most of the persons on wheels claim
the whole of the highway, footpath and
all. They say by their actions, as well
as by words, You taxpayers must build
good roads for us wheelmer, and then
keep out of the road or you will get
hurt" l do not wish to deprive any
one from enjoying themselves in their
own way, so long as they do not en-
croach on the rights of Others. Some of
the wheelmen do encrOach on the rights
of people that walk. Believing that
wheelmen have NO right, under the law,
to use the foOtpaths very little attention
is paid to them. Then some of the
wheelmen will say as they pass, "if you
do not get out of the way will run you
down or take off a wing" 1t is danger
GUS to be out after dark as one is liable
to be run down by q wheelman while
riding where he has no right to and car
rying no lamp at the same time. Some
people are afraid to send their children
on the public roads for fear they will be
wheelman. The majority of them do
not even stop to see if they hurt any one
they purposely run down. Now l be-
lieve the Freeholders have the power to
remedy this evil as well as to order other
things done. 1t is time that something
was done for the protection of the people
in general. The people who pay the
bills certainly are entitled to protection.
A TAXPAYER.
We think our correspondent is wrong
in assuming that the County Board of
Freeholders has power to remedy the
matter of which he complains. Each
city, borough or town has the power to
enact whatever local legislation is neces-
sary for the protection of it's citizens, if
any is needed, in addition to the general
law enacted by the State. Our CORE
spondent also errs in another direction.
His communication infers that only
those who do not ride the wheel are tax
payers. Nearly all wheelmen pay taxes,
and many of them are among the heavi-
est taxpayers in the communities in
which they live, and they are also
reputable citizens. 1t is true that some
wheelmen are not gentlemen, but it is
equally true that some who do not ride
the wheel are not gentlemen. The real
gentleman, awheel or atoot, is consider
ate of the rights of others. When he is
not, and conducts himself like a rowdy,
there is already law enough to punish
him, upon complaint duly made and
proven. ED. PRESS