Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-12-14
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
The Proposition to pave
Atlantic avenue
ANNUAL FARCE BETWEEN COUNCIL AID
RAILROAD.
REBUILDING THE BEACH FRoNT-THE
MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

| Lit is to be hoped that the time ie near
at hand when the ownership of the
streets will be determined. This is par
ticularly to be desired in reference to At
lantic avenue. For years the City Coun-
Gil and the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany have been bucking away at each
other like pair OF ancient billy goats
without determining which had the best
of the battle, The question forever at
issue and as yet unsettled, ia that of
paving Atlantic avenue. Year after
year our citizens have witnessed these
vexatious delays until they have to re-
gard the whole thing as a stupendous
farce wherein it looks as if principal
characters where merely autOmatOns
whose movements were directed by
some skillful wire-pulIer behind the
scenes 1t would seem, from a common
sense standpoint, that q committee of
two or three level-headed men in Council
might meet q similar committee OF rail-
road men and speedily agree npon some
equitable plan OF paving our main ave
nue., in which both should be done JUS
tice and neither robbed. The problem
looks easy enough upon the face of it;
but, 80 Far, it has proved more difficult
OF solution fifteen puzzle or pigs I'm
clover. There has always been some
hitch somewhere. II the Council made q
proposition the railroad company
would reject it, and if the railroad COM
paDy made one the Council wouldn't
haveit. And then somebody would Ger
teoriari something to the Supreme
Court, or threaten to, and more COM
plleations would ensue, and the muddle
became more muddled year by year. In
the meantime we have all seen our prin-
cpal business avenue a sea of mud
every spring and fall, and desert of
dust In dry weather. Amid all the
wrangling between Council and Com
pany mud and dust have never failed us.
Now, submit, as reasonable human
being, that it is time for the Council and
the railroad company to quit their fool
ishness and get down to business and
pave Atlantic avenue. Somebody must
possess the authority to order it done
either the city or the company. II the
city owns the street and can compel
the company to pave it let them go
ahead and order it paved. If the Com
pany owns the COuncil-as some people
think they do-let it go ahead and order
their servants to do the same thing and
demand that the people shall pay for it,
Let us have the question OF ownership
determined and then abide the decision.
At any rate let the avenue be paved by
somebody, for the continued neglect to
do SO is an injury TO the business inter-
ests of the city. | am moved to writ
these few feeble lines by the announce
ment made that q committee of Counci
are to present a proposition to the rail
ri MI
joint consideration of the question con1
cerning what kind of a top we shall J
have in the future for Atlantic avenue
and who is going to provide it. The
kind we have had for the last ten yearsV
is the kind we don't want for the next
ten and | hope the Joint High Commits
sion will agree upon treaty of peace
that all good citizens can ratify with
out swearing. At the same time
must confess that have some misgiv-
ings as to the outcome and fear that it
may be only another act in the same
old farce.
The rebuilding of the burnt district
along the Beach front is now assured
and modern and elegant fra-proof
structures will soon replace some Of
the old tumbledown shanties of former
years. In this respect the great fire was
blessing in disguise even though it
wrought individual losses. The result
will be beneficial in the end. Lots will
be more valuable, good stores and
stands will command higher rents, and
the public who pay the bills viii .et q
better service for their money. The
danger from fire will also be reduced
when brick and iron or stone are found
where the old tinder-boxes once stood.
There are an infinite number of the lat
ter still left whose existence is a menace
to the City's safety, but they will have
to remain until the owners replace them
with better structures or some more
fires wipe them out. The only remedy
at present is to provide more appliances
for fighting fire, and to depend upon our
excellent fire department which never
fails to do it's whole duty. Time and
again it has proven its efficiency and I
repeat what have said before that pro-
baby no city of its size has better de-
partment than ours.
hear few little murmurs concern
ing the Spring Municipal election, and in
few weeks we shall hear considerably
more imagine, There will not be the
big prize of the mayorality at stake next
spring, but the Lesser ones OF Council
men will be eagerly sought after. Now
it will not be bad idea for those who
seek a reelection, or those who aspire to
new honors, to remember what happen
ed at the election last Spring. That
little rally disclosed the fact that the
independent voter was very much
abroad and he is just as liable to be
there again the next time. People are
getting less and less hide-bound to their
respective political parties when it comes
to municipal affairs, and it stands the
candidates who are to run to see to IL
that they are about right upon several
questions that the people are deeply in
terested in. Otherwise there may be
some who will get their ticket-of-leave
at the ballot box. ARGUS.
OLD POINT COMFORT.