The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-08-07
Councils Sued.

The Supreme Court of New Jersey has
fixed an early date in September for ar
gument upon the writ of supersedeas
asked for by Edmord D. Oliver, a citizen
of Burlin gton, by which he seeks to re-
strain the Councils of that city and one
Henry L. Brown from carrying out the
provisions of five year lease, granted to
Brown by the Councils, upon the public
wharf at the Delaware end of High street
There is deep interest in the result of
this action among the citizens, as upon
the decision rests the question of whether
the Delaware River Transportation Com
pany will be permitted to continue the
service which it has been giving Burling-
ton at this wharf for thirty years. Just
now, or since June 1, this company has
not been allowed to land its passengers at
this wharf, and it is charged that it is kept
exclusively for the use of the Bordentown
Transportation Company, with which
Brown is said to be connected.
Behind the action are unofficial charges
of trickery and the use of political influ-
ence in the securing of the latest lease,
and among these is the one made by ex-
State Senator Mitchell B. Perkins, treas
urer of the Delaware River Transportation
Company, who is also a complainant in
the legal action, to the effect that the Bur
lington Councils did not act in the best
interests of that city in making a lease
without an effort to secure competition
and without even notifying his company
that the lease was sought by others.
'Mr. Brown was at one time superin-
tendent of our line, said Mr.. Perkins,
"but he quit our services in the spring.
He was the only one who knew that our
lease for the public wharf at the foot of
High street. for which we gave the city
800 year, would expire on May 80, this
year. After leaving our company, Mr..
Brown went to the Councils and offered
$500 year for five years for a lease of the
wharf. and it was given him without de-
lay and without any notification to our
company. We were denied, after May 30,
the right to use that landing place In
stead. it is used by the Borden town
Transportation Company, by which Mr.
Brown is now employed Prior to this
there was an agreement between the two
companies as TO territory, and the High
street wharf was not included in the Bor-
dentown Company's privileges. 1t now
uses the wharf, which is in violation of
this territorial understanding. Our COM
pany is compelled to use its own wharf,
which is not so convenient to the many
who use our boats as is the public wharf
The two boats of the Bordentown Company
stop at Burlington twice day, while our
four boats make sixteen stops.
''Under the lease to Mr.. Brown he would
have the right to close up public wharf
and make it private and exclusively for
such use as he sees fit. Mr.. Oliver, in his
appeal, as citizen of Burlington, raises
| the question of the authority and consti-
nationality of the provisions of Chapter
| 1872 of the laws of 1901, under which the
Councils made the lease to Brown. 1t is
claimed by him that is special legislation
and not in the best interests of the peo-
pie"
The outcome of the argument before the
| Supreme Court will be awaited with in.
| terest
| New postal cards. Mount Holly street
scenes Boyce's of course.