Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-02-04
THE BEESLEY's POINT BRIDE

The following letter from the pen OF
]. Thompson Baker recently appeared
iH the Ocean City Ledger:
Wild wood. n. j., Dec. Is, 100.
My Dear Sir:
Your favor of the oath inst, and
copy of the "Ocean City Ledger"
received on my return here. l con-
TESS TO great surprise at the uncertain
attitude of the Ocean City Board of
Trade. 1t is a diversion that will at least
weaken the position of our F~reeholders,
who are seeking unanimously and so
worthily to establish a great public
utility. The enter pIise is a public one,
on the initiative of the Commonwealth,
to be accomplished 10y The people of
the whole County, at their Expense and
for the purpose OF ia eilitating access to
the noblest array of sea-bathiDg beach
es known; and which line the whole
Ocean front of Cape May County.
Peck's Beach, Ludlam's Beach, Seven
Mile Beach, Five Mile Beach and Cape
May, have completed or are COM
pleting the finest kind of highways
which connect them with the through
line of the Ocean Boulevard; and for
any institution or agency in Cape May
County to seek to divert the Boulevard
from its settled course, a course which
contemplated The equal service Of all,
cannot result otherwise than in jeop-
ardy to the whole proposition. Ii the
changes proposed were adopted, 1T is
manifest the distance to all beaches
south of Peck's Beach would be aug
mented by some miles, and would be
regarded as a sinister discrimination.
Nearly ninety per cent. of all the taxes
in Cape May County are paid by its
Ocean Beaches; and over sixty per
cent. are paid by the beaches south of
Peck's Beach. That these latter
Beaches should be subjected to greater
travelling distance of from four to six
miles by reason of the address of our
citizens or organizations in the County
would be a fair cause of complaint, for
1t would defeat the main object of the
people who submit to the exaction of
increased taxes, to give the best and
quickest access to all the resorts. 1t
would not be extravagant to say that
any one inimical to the great public
enterprise represented in the proposed
construction of the bridge between
Beesley's Point and Somers Point,
could not adopt a more effective plan
to defeat it than by making this diver
siou of the course. 1t will not answer
to say that it will cost ten per cent.
less, for 1t will not cost anything to
abandon the project; and to do the
work on a plan that will not most efiec-
lively accomplish the object sought,
would be almost as bad as to not do it
at all. 1t is highly probable there are
those who are against the project in its
entirety; aud to such. any excuse Yodkdl
be satisfactory, any port good enough
in q storm.
The County of Cape May, and in
deed the whole Stale. has too much at
stake 10 trif1e with this matter. New
Jersey has no Ii asset of greater d.
mansions than her Sea Beaches, partic-
dlarly as illustrated in the Counties of
Cape May and Atlantic. The rapidity
of their development and their multi
plication Of their ratable valuations are
the amazement of economists. They
have the geographic, Topographic, eli
matte and hygienic conditions possess
ed by no equal area. Failure TO provide
the safest and best facilities for access
would be a reflection upon the intelli-
gence and enterprise of our people,
to whom its importance cannot be
overestimated. The Investment would
need neither explanation nor defense.
To neglect, postpone, or retard 1t would
be inexcusable; and the individual or
combination hat would produce such
a result would be the object of denun-
citation. A fair study of the relation of
South Jersey beaches to the population,
wealth, customs and needs of the
American people, reveals that marrow
policy of contention aud false economy,
means reaction aud loss to the citizens
of these Counties an0 the diminution
of the wealth and reputation of the
State.
This reply to your letter is written In
great haste and it is a matter of regret
that for lack of time it is impossible to
recount from existing data and just de-
duotions therefrom the demonstration
of the duty of the Immediate construc-
ton of The bridge between Beesley's and