Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-10-06

Cape May County, its five sea islands
and its four townships, took a great
stride forward on Thursday, September
2Sth.
The occasion was the second annual
convention OF the Chamber of Com
merce of Cape May County, as the
organization will in future be known,
the limiting and insular phrase, 'Sea-
shore Resorts having been dropped
from the associations name.
The meeting opened in calmness and
quiet. AS it proceeded, it developedin
ardor and enthusiasm, not to say
temper, but it closed in perfect har-
mony and accord.
The suggestion upon adjournment,
that the doxology be sung was ap-
propriate. Undoubtedly, it would
have been acted on, had the delegates
not been out of breath as a result of the
debate which marked the close of the
session.
Cape May, through its live Board of
Trade, was the host and never were
guests more royalty entertained. A
roomy hall was provided for the meet
ing. The Mayor extended the hos
pitality of the city in a speech pro-
phetic of the future development OF the
county. A dinner was served, which
might we'll have been called a banquet,
to which the visitors did full justice
and the excellent quality of which did
much toward smoothing out the rough
places that developed at the evenings
session, as everybody was happy and
ready to concede something to the
other fellow in his point of view.
THE OCEAN CITY BRIDGE RESOLUTION
The salient feature of the meeting
was a resolution adopted by a vote of
forty to four, afterward made unani-
nous at the suggestion of Judge j. M.
e. Hildreth, whose manly remarks on
behalf of the %''four,' showed the fine
quality of craftsmanship which per-
meates the Cape Nav Board of Trade.
The resolution may be considered ex-
traordinary, injudicious and untimely.
If so, in order to fix the authorship,
it should be said that responsibility
for the resolution rests with me. [
offered it at the afternoon session of
my own accord, without the knowledge
of any other member or delegate. [
had consulted no one, discussed it with
no one, mentioned it to no one. Dur
ing the dinner / put it in writing and
at the evening session read it from the
floor and handed it to the secretary.
Briefly. the resolution -tfat4
our Chafnber of Commerce approves of
the purchase by the State of New
Jersey of the Ocean City automobile
bridge at a reasonable price. 1t points
out the proposed purchase of this and
other toll bridges and roads in New
jersey, (notably bridges across the
Delaware above T%renton,) is being in
vestigated by a Committee of the
Legislature. 1t urges that our Senator
and Representative vote for a bill, pro.
viding for the state to purchase these
bridges, should the same be introduced
at the next session of the Legislature.
That is all-no more and no less.
WHAT THE RESOLUTION MEANS
The passage of this resolution means
that the Chamber of Commerce is tired
of the toll handicap placed on motor
car travel between Cape May County
and Atlantic County, via the Somers
Point route. 1t means that even at the
risk of rewardiug courage and Initiative
by seeing the state pay for this bridge
at a reasonable price the structure must
be bought. 1t doesn't mean that the
county is to pay for the bridge. 1t
means that if the State of New Jersey
decides to abolish by purchase the toll
bridge and toll road abomination-
then, in that event, the bridge which
gives access to and from Atlantic City
shall be made a free brige and the great
counties of Cape May and Atlantic,
with nearly one hundred and sixty
millions of taxable property, shall en-