Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-06-03
THINGS TALKED ABOUT.
Advertising Signers Of Licenses
Paying-Giying the Sewers Away.


The Democrat has had a request to
publish the names of signers OF hotel
license filed with the Court, and after
consideration and consulting counsel,
we have declined to do so, for pruden-
fial reasons. The signing of IL
eense is legal act and there is no
reason why the signers of such should
be given any other publicity than that
afforded by law. Applications are i'll
ed in the Clerks office, and any one
may go there and examine or make
copies of same. If it was deemed wise
to publish the names of all the signers
of licenses in the county we do not
know that newspaper would subject
itself to prosecution for libel, but to
take the names of the signers of one
license from the files of the court and
give them undue publicity would GER
tainly lay the publisher open to charge
of unfairness and probably successful
prosecution for holding citizens up to
contempt and ridicule.
A publisher may just as readily lay
himself open to the charge of libel by
publishing the truth as by false rep
reservations. Motive weighs heavy
with courts in such matters. Ii the
motive of those who instigated the
publication could be construed as
holding men up to contempt and ridi-
cule in the community (which they
live, and the signers saw fit to so con-
strue it, the chances are the law would
uphold them in that view, just as it
did tax collector who advertised one
delinquent taxpayer, and omitted the
names of others. If provision for
newspaper publication of signers of
licenses was made in the law then
newspapers would be glad OF the op-
portunity to have their columns chos-
en- as the avenue through which pub
licity would be made, but while the
law stands os it does proper degree of
caution against annoyance and ex-
spense, dictate the opposite course.
1t is generally recognized that So.
Broad street ought to be repaired, and
the bitulithic paving has favor with
most everybody. But it is probably
the most expensive material on the
market. The Warren Bros, owners
of the mixture, called bitulem, exact
SLIGO per square yard from all con-
tractors, (according to their circular)
and when stone are added it is plain
that the cost will reach upwards of
So per square yard. From experience
the city has learned that the founda
tion of this street is perfect, better In
deed than new concrete. All that is
required is levelling up, and proper
surface. Many cities prefer asphalt
to any other improved pavement This
street could be asphalted at much less
cost than the Warren Bros. exact for
their crude material, hence it seems
to us that Council is not warranted in
going to the expense involved in the
-
Council has given one Mr.. Weir, a
resident of the Township side of Park
ave. the privilege of connecting his
property with the city sewer on the
payment of the amount of the city as
sessment, plus 10 per cent. These are
decidedly liberal terms, more liberal
than those enjoyed by property in the
city, because Woodbury. property in
addition to the afore-named assess
ment, must, in time, pay $4,000 of
Sewer bonds, which the Deptford town
ship property owner will escape al
together The sewer system cost
about 100000. If there are 1000 sep
arate properties in the city, the cost
is 500 to each. 1t would be fair, then,
to charge properties out side the city
that sum, plus 10 per cent. for the
privilege-or s110. Anything less is
a wrong to those who have provided
the system and must pay at least that
amount.