The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-02-09
wants TO Garry Freight.


There was an extended session Of tn
township committee on Tuesday evening
when several important measures wer
considered Representatives of the Burling
ton County Railway Company were pres
emit and they offered petition asking for tn
privilege Of carrying freight through thi'
township. There was nothing definite
offered, the idea being to discover wha
chance there would be to get an ordinance
through, az it was acknowledged that l.
Northampton refused permission ther'
would not be much use in trying else
where.
The intention of the trolley people is tC
have a station somew here in town-prob
ably at the old car barn on High street
where freight could be taken and from
there delivered In wagons. The freight
would reach the trolley cars at Centreton
by boat, unless arrangements were COM
pleted whereby 1t could be carried ovei
the line of the Camden company.
The form of ordinance offered to the
township committee was very meagre,
and there was any quantity Of space left
for restrictions and provisions to be in
serted. The members of the committee
are considering the proposition very care
fully, and when the decision is reached ii
may be expected to be satisfactory to all.
The general impression is that the request
should be granted with as few drawbacks
as possible. The trolley company entered
Mount Holly at great expense, more than
was absolutely necessary, and it has never
been able to get the affair on a pay
ing basis. That it has been beneficial to
our town is admitted by all
The carrying of freight win not be det-
rimental but ought to be still further ad-
vantageous. The running of an extra car
or two through the town cannot do any
harm. Cars with Objectionable merchan-
disc could be excluded. Fears of the
streets being blocked would appear to be
harmless, as such system would inter-
fere with passenger traffic, and the com
pany cannot afford TO do anything of that
kind. To the farmers along the line the
system would be very beneficial, allowing
them to get their truck to market cheaper
and quicker than at present. A great
part of the freighting business would be
in the nature of express service, and it is
possible that the company would put
messenger on who would take orders to
the city and get them executed and the
goods would be delivered as quickly, if
not more so, than at the present time.
Numerous suggestions have been adj
vanced as to what the township is to get
in return for the privilege. One of them
is that the trolley company should be
compelled to pay more attention to the
ordinance which requires it to keep its
portion of the street pavement In good
shape. This, we take it, does not enter
here. There Is an ordinance, adopted
when the franchise to lay the rails was
granted, which provides for the street
pavement problem. Whether the freight
question is or is not favorably considered,
cannot affect the other problem. If the
pavement between the tracks and along
side of them is not kept in the shape re-
quired by the ordinance, it is up to some
body to see that the defect is remedied.
Another suggestion is that tax OF IL
cense should be placed upon every freight
car That would hardly be fair. The
trolley company pays tax on all Its prop
erty. The township shares in receipts for
franchise, rolling stock and other proper
ty-the lot on High street, where 1t is
proposed to put the freight station, Is as
sessed for more than any one will offer
for it. The Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany does not pay yearly license for the
cars it runs through the town, neither
does the Adams Express Company pay
any extra tariff, nor do the teams which
run freight lines, so it is hard to see why
any special distinction should be made In
this instance. There are numerous sug
gestions which will present themselves,
and the township committee should take
time and give careful consideration to all
sides of the subject. At present the feel
ing seems to prevail that the privilege
should be granted with as few restrictions
as possible