Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-07-15
SAFE AND SANE:
VIEW OF THE
HOLE IN WALL
Special to the EVENING M VS..

South Amboy, July 15:-The
failure of the governing body of our
city to take action on the new road
proposition, and the various items
that have recently appeared in the
press on the subject, call forth q lit
tie further comment. One of the
papers, in referring to the matter,
takes an optimistic view and say it
Is. only necessary to start suit again
In the s"Hole-in-the-Wall" case. The
necessity of starting suit again is
quite apparent, that Is If the author
ties desire to pursue such lines, but
We want to remember that 1t would
also be necessary for the people to
pay for such legal proceedings to
about the same extent that they
have been paying for the past FIVE
years. If you are not familiar with
the amount investigate, 1t will be
interesting.
OF course the people in general,
and the counsels in particular, feel
more or less aggrieved at the out
come of the case. This Is natural in
view of the expense and trouble in
volved, but they should not allow
their good Judgment to- be offset by
any feeling of antagonism that may
lave been o~ccasioned by getting b
worst of the contest, and before.
making another plunge should look
at the matter in a common n
manner and see If they have even as
good a supply Of ammunition for a
second attempt as they had at first.
1t is a well-known fact that no
record could be produced showing
that the passage under the tfack
was an established street, and the
only evidence that had weight was
the actual existing necessities-the
large number of motor and other We
hicles passing through the Hole
being cited as an example-~of the
great need for improvement, also
that 1t was the only means of reach
ing the county bridge and the only
way the downtown people had or
getting to Mechanicsville OF vice
versa. In determining the width
and height that the passage should
be the largest size vehicle that would
probably pass through was taken,
namely, a load Of hay that might
perhaps be cut on the meadows. and
in this way the height as given in
the chancellor's decree was arrived
at.
With this apparent strong evil
dence the city was naturally quite
sanguine of success, particularly as
the defendants had nothing to offer
of worth in opposition thereto and
could only hope for a favorable de-
cision on a t~echnicality. The deei-
sion is. of course, we'll known. Those
who Are agitating O renewal or the
suit should stop and consider now
the case stands. The existing neces-
stiles upon which the case was pre-
dicated, so far as the city was con-
cerned. will have ceased to exist.
There will be no longer any need for
the large number of motor and other
vehicles to use the Hole" and the
much-talked of load Of hay will have
another means of access to the city
from4the meadows. Also, the people
of 4 ,chanicsrillo will have another
waysof getting downtown to the
railroad depots, etc. In other words
the ammunition has simply changed
handsAwhere the railroad company
had nothing before they nave every
thing now, and the city has really
not asleg to stand upon.
In view of the facts, how car the
governing body of the city continue
to show a lack of interest in the
matter and apparently listen to q
few who might be more or less bene-
ftedaspersonally at the expense of
some seven thousand taxpayers. We
certainly have stood for enough ex-
pense on account of the "Hole-fn-
the-Wall and it is absurd to even
imagine that the great majority of
the people will stand for any further
expense in making another attempt
when there is not the remotest rea-
son to suppose anything could be
accomplished.
Had the council acted in the mat
ter some time ago a number of con-
cessions might have been obtained
that would have benefited the city
TO a great extent. 1t Is quite likely
that some might yet be granted by
the railroad company, but a contin-
nation of the delay that has already
obtained will result in the whole
thing going by default. 1t is really
time for the council to wake up and
get lust as much as they can under
the circumstances. The advantages
of the proposition are very apparent
and have been repeatedly reeited
and called to the attention of all. 1t
is a matter in which the council
should exercise their own good judg-
ment regardless of any influence
that outsiders or others might en-
deavor to bring to bear, keeping in
mind the great expense already in
Cured and what would be involved
In further litigation.
OF course the city solicitor natur-
ally feels Hike pushing the case fur
Their. 1t is a human attribute pos
sessed by all never to admit defeat
until down and out entirely. He,
however, should likewise view the
matter from the standpoint of the
taxpayers and the merits Of the case
and not unintentionaly permit his
Judgment to be influenced by the
enthusiastic urging Of those who
may perhaps have some personal
gain in view to the detriment of the
e majority. 1t is suggested a
good reply to make to at least some
of those who are clamoring for a
renewal Of the contest would be
asIet George do it."