Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-04-28

dollars worth of stock that is owned by any
body, and so far as know no one with whom !
associated in business, and no one to whom am
related, either by ties of consanguinity or
affinity, own one dollars worth Of any such
stock. II any gentleman on the face OF this
earth will prove that this broad assertion when
have made, is in the slightest degree untrue, |
will not only resign my seat here, but 4 Will
consent to any indignity that the citizens OF
Woodbury. shall put upon me. If that assertion
is not broad enough, will put it in language
that cannot be possibly mistaken. know
nothing about any electric light company per-
sonally or professionally, and have not az any
time in my life, except the one above related,
which is passed years ago and which Is, as it
were, dream
/ misconstrued, 1t would be much easier and
much pleasanter for me join the procession, fall
in after the band and march to the tune Of Yam
kee Doodle and say, Eyes yes all right I"
Josh Billings philosophy. however, obtains.
He discovered that there was one good place to
have a boil and that was on some other fellow
/ Other people have discovered that there is q
time to be liberal and that when you are spend
ing someone eise's money. My whole training has
| been, and trust it will ever continue to be my
| guide through life, that however prodigal may
be of what belongs to me. have no right TO oe
prOdigal of that which belongs to others and
when / vote dollar OUT OF the treasury OF the
City of Woodbury., vote, not alone my own
dollar but my neighbours dollar, and. however,
nice and easy and pleasant il would be for me
to say, yes yes" I'VE give you 50 much
money whether we get proper equivalent for
it or not" Morally have no right TO do It and
do not propose to do do it knowingly.
do nor wish to create any unpleasantness;
| l do not wish to create any heart-burn1ngs or
| iIl-feeling. want this matter to be considered
only as business proposition, and that is all IL
is. There is no claptrap or hurrah about 1t !;
| il is simple matter of fact and we must inves-
tigate and deal with it as the representatives OF
the people of the City of woodbury.. That is
all there is in it. and If any gentleman thinks
! there is more in it, from my standpoint, than
| that, he makes a grievous mistake. My asser-
| ton made when I first addressed this body
stands good. Nobody in whom am interested
and no interest of my own VIII pc anecteo one
way or the other by the result OF this vote, ex-
cept as concerns such taxes as may pay as
| property holder in the City OF Woodbury..
In order that might vote intelligently upon
! this subject addressed the following communi-
cation TO various cities in the State of New Jer-
sey, picking out so far as was abe such cities
as thought were similarly circumstanced and
of a size proportionate to the City or woodbury.,
and this a copy of the communication sent;
"As a member of Council of this City
| am interested in ascertaining
| / Whether your City is lighted by Electric arc
| lights?
2 The cost of lamp per year
Whether your contract contains any clause
relieving the Company that furnishes the light
| from operating it on nights when the moon is
/ would esteem reply on this sheet. in the
enclosed stamped envelope. favor
Very truly yours"
That is the only communication sent. but
In the minority report which submitted
wherein / say that have been informed OH
cialiy Indeed. did not say that. but left it %
inference, as did not doubt that every Council
man would know that l had it from official
sources) say then that in the minority report
which presented, the information given is from
people in response to that communication.
These communications, each and every one,
were addressed to the Treasurer OF the munich
pality to which they were directed design to
be entirely fair. and wish to state now. once
and for ali that found some cities were paying
as high as $l27 rs per. year think that is the
highest so that we might get to a basis at once
without any misunderstanding.
have received also from Salem, N. j., commu
nications which state that their lamps cost per
year S82 co. from Milvie. $50 90, the city to take
100 lights. to burn all the year round. Beverly
pays $780, light is furnished every night the year
round, and Gloucester City pays S94.0O. and they
| burn every night in the year.
| From this pamphlet, which is issued by the
Fort Wayne Electric Corporation ii is purpOsed to
give what is the number of lamps, the population,
| candlepower, the schedule and the price and
sometimes the cost of fuel, not always. but
always trying to give the correct cost of fuel
used for motive power stating that, as have set
forth in my report. Asbury Park pays $7200 Belvi-
dere 5000 they have water and steam; Bloom
| field $500, all night service that has steam
power; Clinton $500. steam power, and Newton,
which gives an all night service. $1,000 and steam
power. Asbury Park burns Us lamps; Belvidere.
| 35 Bloomfield, rs arc and It's ncandescent.
| Clinton has arc lights and ineandescent at 90
candle-p power, l6 incandescent at 25 candle power
and IA incandescent at l6 candle-power. Newton
| has r.
In my minority report l said other cities are
| paying higher prices than those quoted in the re-
| port, but that that, to my mind, only emphasized
| that they were doing what we had been doing,
paying more than the service was worth, and that
| must, inevitably, be true.
Why can they, in other places, using steam
power, furnish light all night and furnish it at
| 5000. when in another place they ask $4,000
| S1250O or whatever price they may happen to
ask? Why can they do it in one place and not in
| another
| AS had occasion to remark four weeks ago,
realize the fact that certainly these people not
in business for fun or philanthropy. They are In
| business as matter of business, and also took
OCCASION at that time, to say that that was not to
their discredit. did not intend that the asser-
ton should be construed to their discredit. Men
do not invest their means in enterprises with the
expectation of getting no return. They invest with
the hope and expectation OF getting return, and it
| is not impugning mans honesty TO say that ne
invests money in enterprises that he thinks Will be
| profitable ones. If q man is investing his own
money in his own business ventures so long as ne
pays his debts he has perfect right to invest and
| conduct his business in his own way, and carry
such stock or merchandise as he sees fit. and If
these people see fit to invest their money in an
enterprise of this character they must take their
chances the same as any other individual does
who invests his money IN an enterprise. II 1t is
not profitable venture that is their mistake. for
| which they must pay. Several OF us have had
experiences in life where we have invested under
| the same fond delusion and met with the same
sad disappointment. With that we have nothing
! whatever to do.
If, under the same conditions. other cities can
get this light lnot this pardon me- very few cities
would want this lightD but can get a really good
arc light system 20 per cent. cheaper than we are
paying, cannot see why the City of Woodbury.
| should pay any more
| have copy of the agreement made last year
with this company, and passing to the next clause
| specification of the candle-poWer, would ask
any gentleman. If he questions that assertion to
examine the contract not the copy, but the orig-
oil hn Ia WAC hTIf rvo G
| but half candle-power, if it was but feeble,
| Pickering, cleaning light, almost like an ignis
fatuus. leading US from place 70 place, sometimes
| the terms of this contract. Not word about
candle power.
the city has no security for its performance. by
the corporation, of its part of the contract. and
the clause in the proposed contract providing for
compensation to the city in case OF failure to pro-
| vide proper lights, according to the contract,
amounts practically to nothing, When say the
proposed contract take it that is to be annexed
TO and made part of the old contract because the
| proposition before this body is to renew the old
contract.
The preamble to this contract, setting forth the
date, the number of lights and that it be run on
moonlight schedule. the term and the sum per
| light, and when that sum is to be paid, takes up
about three-fOurths of the first page and then we
start in with excuses III case they do not do what
they have contracted 10 do, and then what do we
do? We must epitomize and c0ndense and be
sure that we have not left any loophole by which
the City of Woodbury. can get back at them, and
winds up with this wonderful assertion: THAT
the true understanding and purpose of this agree
ment be that the said party OF the second part
(which is the city shall pay for such lights only
as shall be furnished, according to the terms of
| this agreement" (These are easy to furnish II
| it was only candle light, provided it was burned
| by electricity, they would then have performed
4 their contract) But that is not enough for them,
| they want more. And that the forfeiture of fif-
teen dollars each, above mentioned, shall be
exacted only for the carelessness neglect of the
said party of the first part, its officers workmen,
agents or employees, or the refusal of the said
party of the first part to furnish the said lights
| per contract"
You have got to prove that it was carelessness,
Mr.. President You have got to prove that it was
neglect. How are you going about it? The city
either way you take it. by reason of failure to
perform its contract and it puts its hands behind
| its back and says "Gentlemen, will you prove
that il by our carelessness our neglect that
| you do not get your iight?" And you can either
maintain an action against them or defend an
] contract goes on, "In witness whereof" &c.
| Mr.. President l say then that the city should
never enter into contract whereby the city's
money should be spent in this way when by other
and proper methods, or possibly, through this
same company. we can gets this light for SO much
| less. But whatever be the source from which we
get it. it is not only the privilege. but is the high
lsay that no member of this body has right to
vote away more money of the City of Woodbury.
than is necessary TO get what the City of Wood
| bury wants. any more than they have right to
| vote away my money and say that shall pay for
a thing more than can get 1t for elsewhere.
| Let the City of Woodbury. tax my property other
| and differently from what it taxes any other
and