The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-12-13
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1898

AT THE time of the announcement of the
proposed building of trolley line in this
county THE News warned the people to
be on the lookout for snake that would
soon wind itself around the rights of the
taxpayers in such way as to make it
difficult to shake it off. That this warn
ing was warranted has been shown by the
recent actions of one of the corporations
that sought permission to lay its tracks
When the Monmouth Traction Company
was asking certain privileges at the hands
of the county authorities the managers
of that corporation became very indig-
nant at every statement that even limited
that they were not acting in good faith
and that they intended to do anything
that would not be for the interests of the
people. But great change has come
over the situation and the people and the
authorities are ignored and defied, public
rights are trampled upon, and the county S
property has been stolen. This IS a harsh
term but it is the proper one. Less than
year ago the corporation that now oc-
cupies, without consent, several bridges.
was an earnest applicant before the Board
of Freeholders for permission to do what
it is now doing without consent.
This action of the Monmouth Traction
Company is an outrage that should be
dealt with in a manner commensurate
with the audacity and illegality of those
who have pushed it forward. If Grim
inal, let the offenders be made to answer
at the bar of Justice 1t is all useless to
attempt to create sympathy by the cry
that the road is needed in the sections it
will traverse, and that the people of those
sections will rise in arms if it is inter- cred
with. This is an insult to our taxpayers
We do not believe they are willing to
wink at open thievery yet. Nor should
the members of the Board of Freeholders
be misled by the offer to pay a mere pit
lance for the franchise that is virtually
admitted to be in possession Illegally.
To be sure the trolley company has
after being put in position to be
compelled to remove its tracks Of
fered to pay for the use of bridges.
But what sum it offers. Three hundred
dollars is simply absurd. 1t will take
about one third of that sum to pay the ex-
pense of an extra meeting to consider the
offer. There is another point that should
receive careful consideration. That is
the statement made by one of the trolley
representatives that ''they were told by
certain Freeholders to go ahead with the
work and it would be all right" What
right had any member of the Board to
make such statement? In fact, is not a
public official who acts in such a manner
amenable to the law for misdemeanor
Now is the time for full and thorough in
vestigation on all the points that will arise
and have arisen in connection with this
subject To daily and delay will only be
to allow these fellows to further defy the
public. Let them be given to understand
that the people have rights that corpor-
atoms are bound to respect. The Board
of Freeholders are the guardians of the
county's interests and if any member Sc
far exceeds his powers as to make con-
cessions that are not his to grant
he should be held accountable. The
sneaking manner in which an attempt was
made to get bridge enlarged is but an
example of the methods employed by the
traction company. Under plea of bene
fitting bicycle riders, a committee was
asked to rebuild bridge. That commit
tee was given power beyond what the
trolley people expected or desired. They
had the right to take immediate legal
steps to remove the tracks, but they hest
tated to put the county to expense, and
propose that the entire Board shall act
They are not to be censured for this move
On the contrary Messrs Sharp, Tallman
and Woodward are entitled to great credit
for the decisive manner in which they
stood up for the rights of the county and
declined to be either bamboozled or bull
dozed Whatever other action the Board
takes it should at once direct the Solicitor
to secure an order from the court restrain
ing the trolley company from laying any
more tracks or using any more bridges
until it has properly applied for and beer
legally granted permission to do so.