The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-07-29

appropriation OF SAC, 600 for the mainten-
ance aud erection of bridges. Up to date
the Board has expended $21 900 Of that
amount, including the enormous sum Of
500 on the Washington township end of
bridge, and also paid about $40, 900 of
debts on bridge accounts, left over by the
old Board. So that where, last year, at
this time. the bridge account had been
practically exhausted today there is bal
ance on hand, even after paying back
debts of the former organization. For
roads the new Board kept itself to the
modest appropriation of 5000, and so
far has spend but half that sum. Under
other circumstances, where $13s, 900 had
been spent on roads In two years the sum
of 1926, 900 ought to have been ample for
all expenses this year.
The subject of personal bills" has
been touched upon. The fact that the
present Board is paid 81, 500 has been
spoken of and the question asked why
they should be given that much when the
other fellows got along with less But the
latter did not do so well as has been tried
to make it appear. In the two years end
ing December, 1919, the personal bills
amounted to $12. 957. 80 pretty nearly $13,.
600. But that does not cover all of it. In
the items which make up these figures
there is no mention whatever of the sums
received by the members of the old Board
as supervisors of stone road construction
and repairs For this work they were
paid directly by Hilton, the road super
visor, and 1t Is hard work to discover just
what they did get in addition to the $13,-
600 but 1t will run much higher than the
figures made public. and will go far be-
yond what will be expended by the en-
gagement of Especial superintendent, as
stated by correspondent Ia Burlin gton
paper. And right here it will be proper
to suggest to the latter writer that he
should look into matters before giving out
positive statements. Instead, as he has
put it, that the county will lose $40, 900
state money for roads If 1t does not make
a separation of two offices, the county al
gentleman who Is holding what 1t is
thought to be offices which the Burlington
man claims will cause US to lose the sum
mentioned.
On the point of men being engaged to
supervise road construction or repairs
which the members of the old Board used
to do, it may be said that all such en-
ployes are not, as were their predecessors,
their own bosses but they are looked
after by member of the new Board or
county engineer, and told what to do and
when and how to do 1t. There is not, as
might be recalled In the palmy days, the
employment, In direct violation of the
law, of horse and cart owned by Free
holder, put in charge of the latter's son,
and run every working day in the year
Nor is 1t common now, as In the past, to |
see teams going to work at nine o'clock In
the morning and quitting at four In the
afternoon, with charge for a full days |
work.
But 1t will take too long to tell what
many improvements over the old system, |
but in conclusion 1t will do no harm to re-
mark that the unpaid bills on bridge &C.
counts were not the only deficits the new
Board had to make up. Not only had 1t |
its own expenses to pay, but 1t had back |
debts to settle. Give the system a chance. |
Judge Gaskill, who defended members of |
the old Board who went wrong, according
to their counsel, more through ignorance
than design. ssaid In open court that the
small Board was the preferable system.
Bear In mind that members of the old |
Board were compelled to refund to the
county. In overdrafts and fines, nearly /
So, 900. To put the most charitable con-
struction on this affair is to allow that all |
this condition resulted from ignorance,
yet the men on whom the blow fell are
as business men in their re-
spective communities, and there is no de-
sire on the part Of any one for a return to
such expensive Ignorance" which was
not brought to an end until the new Board
came into existence and paid some atten-
tion to the frequent notices that there had
been unlawful expenditure of moneys"
and by sitting the records found con-
dition that is not desirable to go back to
even though 1t may give taxation with
out representation