The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-01-03

OF the JUSTICES Withdrew from the lies MS
bill which would increase the figures ma
terially. The amounts that are in pos
session are:
Beverly City,. $50 S $3.50
Bordentown. 101.12 30O.S4
Burlington. ........ 1870 422
Chester. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $40 1881
MedfOrd. .............. SUI
Northampton. .......... 1850 939. 10
Palmyra. l10.bl 1874. w
PembertOn. ............. 1894
After considering these figures it was
decided to invite the Mount Holly officers
to meet the committee in the afternoon.
This invitation was accepted and JUS
tees Krayer, Slack, Clevenger and Lau-
master appeared. There was a lengthy
discussion and the methods of committing
to Jail were freely ventilated
When the tramp nuisance was investi-
gated by the citizens of this county not
very long ago. a law was passed with the
idea that the wholesale commitment of
this worthless class might be abated. The
law provided that tramp could not be
sent to Jail except upon the complaint of
citizen. The justice constable or po-
liceman could not make complaint or
commit upon view. The fees for the SER
vice, which had made it quite an object to
gather in tramps, were also reduced, and
the justice was allowed 25 cents, the con-
stable getting so cents. But even at this
rate the business continued to flourish.
During the past year, however, the
tramp seems to have sunk into oblivion
and the crime of drunkenness has cores
pondingly increased. The fact that the
fees for committing drunk are $2.70
more than are given in the case of tramp
undoubtedly has something to do with the
present state of affairs.
To commit man on a charge of drunk
enness it is necessary to give him resi-
dence, as man without a home is a tramp.
To cover this point the constable who
takes the fellow before justice makes an
affidavit that he saw the party drunk,
giving the name and residence. As an
instance we will say that the complaint
reads: John Jones of the city of Tren-
ton" The only way in which this name
and place Of abode are obtained is from
the man himself. On this information the
warrant is issued and the fee of $3.45 is
charged to the county.
Now, in some cases this would be all
right. Supposing man under the infiu-
ence of liquor should be arrested on our
streets. He might be in such a condition
as to demand his being locked up. If a
stranger to the officers there would be no
other way of ascertaining his name or res
idence except from his own lips and the
probabilities are that he would not make
truthful answers in either instance But
such cases are rare and if the constables
relied upon these examples they would
not have much to do and there wonld not
be any complaint about abuses.
The trouble at the present time is that
there are wholesale arrests of men on the
charge of drunkenness for the apparent
purpose of securing the fees that accom-
pany the transaction Take the township
of Northampton, for instance. We have
four policemen and two constables, but one
of the latter has not been active for some
time and the other man has had the cream
of the business. Look over the complaints
in the Auditors office accompanying the
bills presented, and you will discover that
of the complaints for drunkenness in 10
days about rs per cent. were made by the
constable. In other words there have
been 81 complaints, of which the consta-
BILE entered 43 and the four policemen put
in IA arrests of all kinds. This does not
include arrests named in bill withdrawn
from the Auditors office.
How is it that one man has seen all of
this drunkenness? And, again, how is it
that there has not been an uprising on the
part of our good citizens over the prevail
ence of crime in our midst? Certainly
with an average of four drunken men a
day on our streets it must have been no
ticed by somebody, but inquiry fails to
develop any one who has seen it save the
constable who gets $1.95 for every drunk
he runs into Jail. And it is fact suscept-
ible of proof that this class of tramps or
DRINKS hang around until they can secure
the services of the constable in question.
Before the committee, on Wednesday,
the justices claimed they should not
be deprived of their money, because they
had acted in good faith, being bound to
receive the complaint of the constable and
to make out commitment on his oath.
This may be So and, again, it may not
The tramp business is not new, by any
means, and it is safe to say there is
not an officer in this town who cannot tell
a tramp on sight.
We deal particularly with Northampton
township because we are conversant with
the facts. Palmyra is acknowledged tt
be tramp's resort. The fellows come
across the creek and are picked up. The
officers of that township seem to be un
able to see the difference between tramp
sober and tramp drunk, so the latter de
signation is chosen and the big fees win
There is no Disgusting the fact that thu
entire system is rotten. Committing
tramps is not as profitable as sending mel
up for drunkenness. A desire to secur,
the increased fees, an easy conscience il
making an affidavit, and the thing is done
But, like many other cases of a simila
nature, the game has been worked to-
strongly. Whether the committee of tn
Board of Freeholders will work refoT
nation is matter of conjecture, but ther
is no doubt that the Auditor has the en-
tire matter in his control. The fund
have run out. He can refuse to pay an
more bills. If the Board then declines t
make provision for more money, thos
who have claims will be compelled to see
relief at the hands of the courts. Thi
will soon determine on what testimony
man may be determined a drunk. Pei
haps this will be the best way out of tn
present situation. At any rate the syster
now in vogue is a rank abuse that shout
be remedied.
The committee will hold another meet
ing tomorrow when the justices and cor
stables from other townships will be il
vited to give their version of the matter
Notwithstanding their earnest assertion
that they have been acting legally in tn
manner of making complaints and CON
mitments the officers have suddenl
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