The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-09-07
Board OF Freeholders.

BOARD OF FTeenOlQerS.
t The board of freeholders met on Wee
Q nesday, and while it was thought ther
a would not be much business to transac
+, there was continuous session from tel
: o'clock until nearly half past two, ID
s rector Davis holding the members dow
to work without any recess for dinner.
3 About the first item to attract atten
t ton was the proposition to take actor
on the building of a bridge between
Camden and Philadelphia, to be know
: as the Penn Memorial bridge. Tn
/; board had, at a previous meeting, adopt
; ed resolution to pay rs per cent. Of tn
: cost of the preliminary work of survey
: ing, but it was found that specifl
: sum must be named, SO the former reso
/ luton was rescinded, and one Offered
appropriating $4,000 for the purpose
This created considerable discussion, thu
main point being that the present boart
was not in prosition to appropriate thu
money, and that it's action would not b.
binding on the new board.
A delegation from Camden county
was present and urged action at once, as
the matter must be considered before
the close of this year After much tall
the resolution was defeated, and ther
DR.. Glasgow moved to refer the subject
to the finance committee that they
might have the sum included in the
budget for next year. This motion was
also defeated.
Attention was called to the practice
some of the members have of including
in their bills presented the day prior to o
meeting an item for services for the
day Of the meeting and then not appear
ing, and it was suggested that this GUS
tom should be "cut out
Wilbert Fl. Engle asked to be recon-
pensed for damage done to his truck in
crossing bridge at Wading River.
This was referred to the solicitor.
Ovid Feaster, who lives near Sykes
vile, had horse injured by getting its
foot caught in hole in a trunk on a
road in his neighborhood. The animal s
leg was broken and it had to be killed.
The owner claimed he was damaged to
the extent of 800, but Mr.. Black said
the general opinion in the neighborhood
twas that $50 would pay for the horse.
The matter was referred to the solicitor
to look into.
The bills to pay the census enumera-
} tore vraro brourh+ ~, a,,d - ,,,,, ec,x,d =
bond issue would be necessary to meet
them, and resolution TO that effect
was adopted. :
Then the Penn Memorial bridge sub
ject was again taken up. This time the
resolution was to the effect that the
county will consent to the appointment
of commission to prepare preliminary
surveys and begin action towards build
| ing the bridge and will appropriate
So, $50 for that purpose
Mr.. Jessup spoke of the necessity .of
having the bridge. He told how the
farmers are hampered in attempting to
get their truck across the river, frequent
| ly being held at the ferries for an hour,
while automobiles were given the right
of way.
Mr.. Hill was in favor of the bridge
and believed every member Of the board
wanted it, but the question where the
money was to come from was always in
sight. He did not believe anything this
board would do could bind the incom-
| ing board.
DR.. Glasgow objected to the resolution
because he thought it was doing what
the board had just decided it would not
do.
After short discussion the resolution
was adopted by vote of % in favor and
against.
Bids were then opened for painting
Delanco drawbridge. They were as fol-
lows: F. w. Schmires Co., New York,
$40, $40; Long & Broadhurst Co., Hacken-
sack, $3.50; Stillman, Delehanty Co.,
Jersey City, $1,000. The contract was
awarded to the last named company.
Bids were asked for on the Black
creek bridge, Bordentown. The Ginder
Construction Company, of Trenton, was
the only bidder, the price being $4,72o.
This offer was rejected and it was ordered
that new bids be advertised for This
bridge will fall down if the practice of
refusing bids and readvertising is kept
up as it has been in the past.
At the May meeting the special com
mittee to look into affairs at the county
clerks Office made report, and it was
referred to the solicitor to ascertain what
could be done to sustain the suggestions
made therein. Following this action
Mr.. Rigg studied the matter and his
opinion was rendered on Wednesday.
He recalled the circumstances leading
up to the investigation, and then recited
the act governing searches made by the
county clerk He said the act is suffi-
cient in itself to prohibit a county off
cial or employee to be in competition in
a business provided by law to be con-
Quoted by the clerk. The contention
that the search clerk charges more than
is charged for an official search made for
county customer is without merit, for
the reason that the law provides the fees
to be charged for work of this nature
and the county clerk has no right to
charge less and private searcher no
right to charge more than the legal fees.
As remedy for the settlement of this
question the solicitor would advise that
the course to pursue is by bill for ac-
counting to be brought before the Court
| of Chancery in suit TO be instituted by
the board for the restoring of funds taken
as has been represented.
County clerk Knight asked permission
to speak on the subject as it referred to
the county clerks Office and he was in
terested. There have been newspaper
reports that there were actions in the
office that were thought to be reprehen-
sible and illegal. Statements had been
printed that the county clerk or some
body was going to make restitution of a
large sum of money. Mr.. Knight said
he had traced these stories to one mem
lber of the board, and he wanted to say
lopenly that the man who made such a
statement or was responsible for its cir
Iculation was positive liar. Each mem
Der looked at his fellow member to see il
the guilty man would be discovered, bu
nobody batted an eyelash, and the DOS