The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-11-16
a lively Meeting.

y One OF the most spirited meetings. IN
Board of Freeholders has held for lon
time occurred on Tuesday. One of tn
Y subjects that created much discussion
e and finally ended without any dctinit
conclusion being reached was that o
payment for improvements to roads il
Riverside township. The Statement
$ that the county would not be able t,
collect S3,669 from the township o
riverside and from residents of tina
township was the first intimation tn,
? Board had that some work had beer
, done in that place for which the county
would be expected to pay. Early in The
year residents of Scott street prepared 9
: petition asking that the improved roao
/ be extended TO the curb lines. 1t was
before the Board and the idea was thai
Riverside township would be responsible
for the cost. This petition was alsC
signed by residents of Bridgeboro street
who thought the extension would be q
great improvement TO their property
The understanding, although not sci
! forth in the petition, was that the county
should set as contractor and do the work
and that the township and the residents
of Scott street would be responsible fol
the payment of the cost.
Mr.. Bright, as chairman of the road
committee, and MIR. Roberts, Freebooter
from Riverside, thought the matter was
sufficiently secure to go ahead and do
the work and without consulting any OF
the other members of the committee,
proceeded and had the extension made.
| But to make sure there would not be
any come back the attention of the
township committee of Riverside was
called to the matter and Messrs. Bright
and Roberts went ahead with the idea
that Riverside would assume financial
responsibility for the work.
But when the time arrived to collect
the money the committee that had
supervised the work discovered that
there was hitch in the proceedings.
The residents on Scott street repudiated
all responsibility and disclaimed any
promise to aid IN payment OF the bills
for the work. This set the committee to
thinking and an investigation began.
AS result the whole affair was brought
to the attention of the Board on Tues
day.
G. Harry Hill spoke very earnestly on
the subject and said he was surprised
that the proposition to extend the curb
lines was ever considered by any one.
The Board started the year with road
appropriation of S75, 900 and had received
$4,000 from the state, but with all that
sum there had not been enough to do
what was known to be an actual
necessity. Now the Board is faced with
a deficit of $4,000, mainly on account of
the work done at Riverside. Mr.. Hill
wanted to know by what right, under
all the proceedings and papers in the
matter, money had been spent on pri-
vate property when no definite arrange
ment had been made for placing the
responsibility or anything binding had
been reached for the payment of the cost
of the work. He read copy of what
purported to be resolution adopted by
the township committee of Riverside
where that body agreed to act as collec-
tor for the county bat did not guarantee
the county against loss if the property
owners did not pay up.
This resolution did not seem to coin
eide with what the road committee had
in mind. Mr.. Bright said that when
MIR. Roberts and he went before the
township committee the latter body
adopted a resolution covering the
county's responsibility for the payment
of the work, not merely the collection of
the money. He did not 90 ahead with
the work until he thought the township
had committed itself to the payment of
the cost and he expressed doubt
whether the copy of the resolution read
| by Mr.. Hill was the same as that adopted
when he was present at the meeting.
| Mr.. Hill replied that there was MOTH
ing in the proceedings or the papers that
bound the township of Riverside or the
residents along the streets mentioned
and beyond moral obligation nothing
could compel the payment of the money.
Solicitor Rigg, who is also the counsel
for Riverside township, was called upon
to give his views. He said that River
side township was not bound financially
| in this matter. The township COM
mittee had merely agreed to collect the
money after it was understood that the
property owners were going to stand for
the cost. He seemed to think that the
mistake was made in not having the
residents on the streets mentioned in
clude in their petition an agreement to
pay for the work.
Mr.. Roberts said that all the property
owners on Scott street did not agree to
pay for their share of the work but he
supposed. they would all do SO or he
never would have consented to going
ahead with the Improvements. So far
as Bridgeboro street is concerned it
seems to be assured that the residents
will pay.
This settled the matter so far as dis.
cussion was concerned. From the state
ment of the solicitor the township was
not responsible and it was shown that
there was nothing binding on the prop
erty owners, so the whole affair settled
itself to sense of moral obligation
on the part of some one to reimburse
the county for money spent without
authority of the Board. All that could
be done was to leave the whole thing in
the hands of the road committee and
the resident Freebooter to see if those
who had been benefited could have their
moral responsibilities aroused. A
report will be rendered at the December
meeting
| At previous meeting Samuel Gerber
had presented bill for 5000 for damage
done to his horse, wagon and other per-
sonal property owing to the team going
over enbankment at Wading River
where there were not any guard rails. II
was shown that the goods were damaged
but the horse and wagon were not hurt
and Mr.. Johnson said he thought SEE
would cover the entire loss. The matter
was referred to Messrs. johnson, Love
land and the solicitor.
| Solicitor Rigg reported that, in &C
cordance with instructions from the
Board, he had Investigated the claim of
Wilbert H. Engle for damage to his auto
mobile truck caused by going through
IA plank on Wading River bridge
1.-THE bill was for $50, but the repairs tc
the truck had cost $50 and potatoes lost
were valued at SIS, so it was decided tc
allow Mr.. Engle $50.
A communication from the State
Board of Health, allowing the county tc
use the hospital at the almshouse fol
tuberculosis patients until next year
was read. Superintendent Bovine said
this subject must be given serious and
careful thought. There had not been q
tubercular patient in the hospital fol-
seven weeks, and the county has beer
able to take care of all the cases thai
have been presented, but the state
authorities seemed determined to compel
the building of separate quarters anC
that would mean the expenditure of q
lot of money.
The report of the grand jury affecting
conditions in the county clerks Office
was read and it was decided that the
matter should rest until the court had
passed upon the Indictment now before
it. The committee on the court hous,
and grounds, however, was instructed tt
, make an investigation and be ready Il
report at any time they would be called
upon.
County Auditor Macfarland's bond TO
: 81, 900 was approved.
1t was stated that contractor Hen
, messy, of Belvidere, had begun sui
against the county for Sc, 500 which HI
claims ic dine him for w0flr On n hridU,