Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-29
CAMDEN BACHELORS
DISAGREE ON WHAT
LIBERTY IS WORTH
Some Willing to Pay More
Than $50 a Year for
Freedom, But All Will
Fight Taxation.

Camden bachelors are up in arms
against the proposed bill which Charles
w. ostron, member OF the stats Assem-
bly,, is going TO introduce into the Leg
islsture taxing ali single. marriaseabls
men $50 annually. One and all they have
banded together for mutual protection,
and at this very moment are putting their
more or less sparsely covered heads to-
gether in a final concerted endeavor 70
| prevent such a bill from becoming .
| law.
wen call meeting of all the baohs
elore OF the city, nay, even Of the State,
II necessary, and proceed 20 Trenton en-
masse to lobby against this BILL said
Albert Matthews, chairman OF the Town
ship Committee and clerk OF the sheriff .
office, who, it is rumored. has for nigh
onto 10 years cherished his single blessed
ness as a miser guards his hoard.
II consider this bill as nothing less
than n direct and impudent attack on
the liberty OF man." ne continued indig-
nantly land personally want to say
right here and now that If It becomes
law !, for one, shall refuse to pay the
tax. I'll take my case to the highest
court of the law, but I'll never pay that
s50."
A man, according to Camden standards.
becomes a bachelor when he is success
bells for 35. years. After such a pro-
tracted display OF resistance to feminine
wiles he Is considered eligible to the title
of confirmed and hardened bachelor. ana
any legislation which tends TO jeopardize
his supposedly happy state. or to cast as
pensions upon 1t In any way, VIII not Do
tolerated for an instant.
In the opinion of William Alva Stew
art an architect Of Camden and secre-
tary of the Rotary Club, the joys and
bliss of untrsmmeled bachelorhood are
such that even a tax OF 900 would be
worth paying for the privilege. II the
unwedded state may be so termed.
"If they make the tax more than $500,
said he emphatically in his ONCE OF Sd
street. "I'l be tempted to write ardent
letters to matrimonial agents In an en-
denyor to get me a wife hurrledly, but
I'm willing 10 pay for my liberty. up to
that amount Though, as a matter OF
fact" he continued Judiciously, accord
ing to the example set by Adam, a wom-
an is only worth 81. He gave one bone
for Eve. you know.
zone thing Is certain. however,: if this
bill should by any. chance become Law
I shall institute movement to boycott
the women, and the boycott shall be kept
up until they. in turn, force the Legia-
lature to revoke it"
Mark ID. Bullfant, prosperous real
estate broker OF 21 Broadway. considers
that $50 year would ''1et him on cheap
Certainly. my present peace of mind
Is worth that trivial sum-" he said grand
ly and smiled the happy smile OF ons
whose cares are nil. "a dollar n week; a
man couldn't think OF keeping wife on
that, and I wouldn't change with my
married friends II the tax were double
that amount"
In the opinion of bob" Cain, nem.~r
of the Camden Board of Freeholders and
a bachelor of long and honored standing,
the ostron bill deserves TO be placed in
the same category with the measure In
troduced last year by Bennett FISHER. OF
Montclair. N j.. to tax cats, but what
Bob" is trying TO figure out is why they
pick on bachelors and cats and let the
old maids go scott free"
Other well-known bachelors who are
expected to enter the Down with the
tax campaign are I. B. McClain. man
ager of the Bell Telephone Company;
Malcolm b. Webster. lawyer. and William
Strandwitz, business man. These. to-
Gether with all of the bachelor members
of the Rotary Club. wiz fight Mr.. Ostron
and his bill tooth and nail in order to de-
feat his proposed measure.