The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-01-26
A New Pronosition.

"A New proposition.
At the meeting Of the Township Com.
; mittee, Tuesday evening, a communica.
J ton was read in which the writer first
asked the committee to inquire into the
question whether the Public Service
Electric Company has a franchise to put
up its poles and string wires through the
streets of Mount Holly. 1t has been
claimed that such a privilege was never
granted. The company says it is operat-
ing under the franchise that was grant
ed the Mount Holly Electric Light Com
pany which was bought by the Public
Service, but there is nothing on record
to show that the town company ever
had a franchise. The Township Com
mittee has begun an investigation on
this point and it will not be long before
it is definitely settled. The
also claims the right to erect poles and
string wires under a state law regardless
of any local ordinance.
At the same meeting there was an ap-
plication for an option of 80 DAYS in
which to prepare an application for a
franchise for a new company to furnish
electric light and power to the town.
The applicant professed ability to show
that what is now being furnished can be
sold at a lower cost to the consumer
without impairing the quality of the
product. The applicant specified that if
it was found the present occupant of
the streets did not have a franchise such
privilege was not to be granted until the
other applicant had a chance to present
his proposition. 1t was suggested that
this might look like monopoly but the
fact remains that the Public Service
Electric Company has had a monopoly
for years. The new application for a
franchise was received and fled without
any specific action being taken.
The applicant made another sugges-
ton, which wal that if the township
intended to install a municipal plant he
might be able to give facts and figures
that would prove beneficial. The entire
matter was laid over until the exact
status of the company now in charge is
Ii, as the Public Service Company
there is a state law which allows
the putting up of poles and stringing
wires without consent of the township /,
committee the application for a new or J
g~anization to come in is of no account, as
1t would have the same right under the ]
law as any other corporation. 1t
is suggested that, without the municipal {
lighting, a company could not exist, |
and h a the Public Service has a five l
years contract, but we understand that t
contract has not yet been signed and T
will not De until the Township Com t
mittee is absolutely satisfied that the
work done recently is exactly what is I
and that will take some time. C
On the question of franchise or privi- g
lege there does not seem to be the
doubt that the Public Service f
not had any permission to string h
high tension wires on the public streets, @
nor is there any p~retence that the state Fl
gives them that privilege. 1t does Ii
seem reasonable or just that any C
can come into this or any P
other town, take streets, use the side
walks of citizens as it pleases and the |
own not have any redress. :
Mr.. Young, who is one of the division
'uperintendents, was in Mount Holly
Tuesday. OF course he held that the 4
corporation which he represents was
acting within its rights and no fault can
found with that action as he is paid
70 be loyal to his employers. He did
admit, however, hat sometimes en- j.,
ployes did not act as ~judiciously as they ]
This was the case when the o
pole was arbitrarily planted in front Of
The Kelly home IN Cherry street, despite
The protests of the occupant. Mr..
Young said the men might easily have
gone a few feet further along and avoid !
ID all trouble and unpleasantness. He Q
said the pole would be removed. t
One of the faults Of the present system 8
Of doing things appears to be the lack of
authority on the part of those who are
supposed to be in charge. One man
gives an order and another who does J
approve it, cannot object, even
thought he be higher in command in !
general but not in the particular locality !
under consideration. In one instance in G
town there have been at least five !
different men to look over the situation {
and every report or suggestion had to go 5
to n department, then to another and
On. The Public Service Electric
Company has not endeared itself to the
people of Mount Holly and a new COM
pany, private or municipal, would be
welcomed right cordially. /