Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1911-12-14
THINGS TALKED ABOUT.

1 uG approach OIL LIE expiration Oh
the ive-year electric light contract
has revived discussion of municipal
plant. Woodbury's electric light bill
is near $1,000 per year, which repre-
sents an investment of more than
$150,000 "A workable plant could no
doubt be erected for one-third of that
sum, and receipts from commercial
lighting would at least cover cost of
maintenance and operation. Council
ought to take the subject up in a SER
ious way, and see just what can be
done
1t is quite probable that there
would be opposition to the plan
There was opposition to city-owned
water works, and we all know what a
public and private blessing this muni-
cipal plant is, and there is no reason
why light plant should not be eq-
ually So i
The writer has been so busy, tha
past twenty-five years, operating A
personally conducted Y. NJ. c. A., at
81 High street, that he has had little
opportunity of noting methods of
public management. But he is quite
sure that none have been erected and
operated through municipal treas
>uries at public expense >/oAs well ex-
pect the government to erect church,
es and assume responsibility for their
management. If we are to have such
an institution here, {and there is no
doubt as to its need, it must be es-
tablished and maintained by volun-
tary offerings. The quid pro quo
idea has no place in the transaction.
Love for our fellow men, and de-
sire to inculcate high ideals in those
not likely to have opportunity for
such at hand, must be the motive.
We note that the village of Mount
Holly has such an institution, and in
the last issue of the Herald the board
of directors ask for 81, 500 for the fol-
lowing purposes: Mortgage on build
ing, $500; repairs, $500; maintenance,
$500; equipment, $100. The article
continues: THE Association building
located on Buttonwood street above
Garden, is a community building.
Every boy in town has standing in
yitation to affiliate himself with one
of the groups and improve himself.
A number of persons in Mount Holly
have felt it a privilege to be able to
help the work along and have gener-
ously contributed amounts from ST to
$25 so that the clock stands at $500
now. Pledges are accepted payable
May 1, 1912" It is not unusual that
men who have gained competence
for old age, and are without issue FREE
quently establish such institutions
and then they are maintained by fur
ther endowment, and voluntary con-
tributions.
We hope that because the Trustees
Bof Deptford Institute objected to the
establishment of gymnasium annex
Ito the library, and much objection
was made to the city assuming the
|lburden of the expense, that the good
lmen who started the ball rolling two
weeks ago have not become disheart-
ened, as an article in a local paper
seems to indicate.
A much better plant for such an in
stitution would be the old Howell or
Craft homes on Broad street, or bet
ter still, the Manley lot. The latter
would afford play ground in summer
and an inexpensive building for win
ter could be erected. But the How
ell house is probably the most feas-
ib1e site, because the rooms are large
and there is considerable land in the
rear for outdoor sports. -