The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-12-27

to hear the report of the committee tina
had been appointed to investigate thu
standing of the Monmouth Traction Com
pany in connection with the bridges of the
county.
Messrs. Smith and Apologize were alb
sent. Clerk White read the call and the
Director at once started in on the business
at hand
Mr.. Jones was the first to respond. He
called attention to a statement handed
him by the Auditor reciting the condition
of the County's finances. The appropria-
made at the May meeting for Justices and
Officers was $4,000, of which $1,000 has
already been spent. The Auditor has in
his possession several bills from the jus
tees which he claims are illegal and which
he has refused to audit. They amount to
5000. In the opinion of the Auditor these
bills deserve investigating. Men are COM
mitted to jail under the drunk and disor-
derby act who are plainly tramps.
Mr.. Conrow said his attention had been
called to this matter and he thought it
should be looked into. He moved that a
committee of three be appointed to inves-
tigate the matter and report to the next
meeting
Before the adoption of this motion Au-
ditor Gibson entered the room and was
asked to speak on the subject. He said
the trouble was in the manner of commit
ting persons to the county Jail. The law
distinctly states that tramp shall be
committed as such, drunk or sober, yet
many justices send them in as drunk,
thereby getting larger fees This is es-
pecially the case in Northampton, Palmy-
ra and Bordentown. Then, again,
''drunks" are sent up for four days only,
while tramps are given 80 days or more.
The shorter incarceration coming often,
increases the cost of board and affects the
appropriation for that purpose. Auditor
Gibson read several of the complaints
made in the matter of commitment, and
asked if a constable was justified in max
ing affidavit to mans residence on the
simple word of the man arrested.
Solicitor Chambers said that if an officer
wanted to swear on such foundation he
had a right to do so, but he was doing the
act at his own risk. The law compels the
justice to have the affidavit of somebody.
Mr. Conrow asked if the committee he
had asked for would have power to call
witnesses.
Mr. Chambers said he did not think it
would have such power, but it could rec
ommend the refusal to pay bills and then
the officers would have to bring suit to
get their money. The Solicitor was of
the opinion, however, that when the Audi
tor has doubts on the question of payment
of bills he is empowered to issue sub
poenas, and in this instance the committee
and Auditor might work together.
The motion to appoint committee was
adopted, and the Director appointed
Messrs. Conrow, Jones and Darnell.
The committee on the trolley question
then made report. Mr. Higgins related
the various meetings the committee had
held and stated the proposition of the
trolley company, which is to pay for the
bridges already occupied and to bear
share of the expense of others.
Mr. Evans moved that the report be ac-
cepted
Mr.. Conrow wanted the committee to
state whether the Board has power to
grant privileges to corporation without
regard to the state law.
Mr. Chambers answered this query,
saying that the only way to enter into an
agreement or contract was to do it I'M
der an ordinance passed after application
as required by the statute.
Mr. Sharp said the committee recog-
nized its inability to make contract,
hence had laid the matter before the whole
Board for action.
Mr. Colby took the ground that this
offer was no offer at all in connection with
what had been proposed at former meet
ings.
But Mr.. Sharp could not see what this
meeting had to do with former offers
The only thing to be considered now was
the fact that the committee had found the
trolley road on three bridges over which
the county claimed jurisdiction. The order
had been to dislodge the trespassers, but
the latter had made an offer of recompense,
and instead of the committee resorting to
extreme measures it had decided to lay the
whole matter before the Board
Mr. Conrow thought it was a waste of
time to talk about previous offers. The
whole and only subject to be considered
was whether the Board was in a position
to grant privilege asked by the trolley
company. In his estimation, backed by
the opinion of the Solicitor, it was not.
Mr. Darnell referred to the resolution
which provided for the appointment of
the committee 1t did not provide for the
consideration of a proposition from the
trolley people, but it did order the COM
mittee to take summary steps in case they
found a condition of affairs as was init
mittee done its duty?
Mr. Tallman admitted that there was
no doubt about the trolley being on bridg-
es in an illegal manner, but the committee
thought it was better to get some compen-
sation for the property than to go into a
lawsuit that might be great expense be-
fore it ended.
Mr. Conrow again asked if the Board
had the power to sell the bridges and re-
ceived a negative answer from the Solic-
itor
Mr. Crowell then asked if the committee
recommended the acceptance of the trolley
company's proposition, if it could be leg
ally done.
Mr.. Darnell held that the only thing to
be done was to accept the report and CON
tinue the committee until the proposition
is legally adopted.
AT this point the committee retired to
make report in writing. While it was
absent, Samuel W. Beldon, counsel for the
trolley company, was invited to address
the Board. He made a lengthy address
in which he stated that when the trolley
company was before the Board some time
ago as applicant for certain privileges, it
was a question whether the small culverts
now in dispute were county property.
After the matter was dropped at that time
there was demand in the neighborhood
where the road now runs that it should be
built at once. With the idea that there
would not be any encroachment upon
public property they went ahead Moth
haJD 10 Sc.