Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-12-08

oA~os oCaS PSoPAS eRPteA bAnn
The speaker said further that he has
not learned of conditions of the Penn
sylvania railroads proposed electric
railroad down the county. He said be
does not think any man can intelli-
gently vote IN this project until more
is known of it. If it is TO be built, Mr..
Ogden said, he agrees with Mayor
Stevens and Mayor Smith that itshould
be pushed. 1t will be of no benefit TO
spread 1t over a nnmhcr of years. Mr..
Ogden's thought was that the people
of Cape May felt that the cost will be
heavier than the benefits to be derived.
Chairman Rutherford said that Coun-
ty Engineer Rice has been in touch
with Pennsylvania railroad officials
regarding the electric road.
Engineer Rice stated that he has had
two meetings with the division engi-
neer of the Pennsylvania railroad, and
he has received two maps from the
railroad company with the request that
he mark out the route of the proposed
boulevard. The railroad engineer was
to mark out the electric railway con-
nections. Mr.. Rice expressed the view
that this committee should mark out
the route of the boulevard. Mr.. Rice
described a probable route delineated
by Mr.. Shields for the section near
Cape May harbor and Two Mile Beach.
D. Miles Rigor, of wildwood Crest,
spoke regarding the petition (already
ready from Wildwood Crest for a road.
He told of the importance of Cape May
harbor and said that to hold it the
harbor must be commercialized Wild
wood desires another outlet to New
York and Philadelphia by means of a
steamboat line. He praised the work
of Congressman Bacharach for Cape
May harbor and closed by making al
earnest plea for the road asked for in
the petition.
Asked for his views, Joseph /. Scull,
real estate operator at Ocean City, and
county collector, said that he thinks it
a good scheme. 1t looks well on paper,
but the bonding company must be paid
in five years. The bonds on these roads
are of short term. To this the up.keep
must be added. Ifthe bond is 500, 000,
the county must pay $40. 600 a year and
provide, too, for the up-keep. He sug-
gested laying out a plan and having
the State Road Commissioner approve
it 1t might be we'll to build part of
the road at q time. The speaker said
he thinks the county could not at this
time stand the borrowing of 81 500, 600
or So, 000, 900. He expressed the view
that the proposed improvement will
not increase the value of land SO much
as some people claim. 1t may make
things move a little. The county tax
is now as high as any in the state. Ht
advocated taking up n section of thu
road and submitting it to the Stat
Road Commissioner. He would likel,
see the gay clear 10 assist. Forty pc
cent. from the state on 800, 600 would
be a big help.
Clayton Haines Brick, president o.
the Ocean City Board of Trade, said he
was glad to see this work progressing
along the lines of securing the besI
thing possible for the county as a whole
His idea would be to build this road as
a unit. The work has been started in
the upper end. Begin the work at the
south end next. Get the figures of the
probable cost aud obtain state aid to
push the work. Continuing, Mr.. Brick
said that Ocean City is neutral in the
matter. Ocean City does not need the
boulevard, but is willing to help.
Reese P. Risley, of Stone Hsrbor,
said he felt gratiied at the sentiments
expressed at this meeting. These SEN
timents indicate that the project ie
nearer solution than ever before. He
said that he had seen in Upper town
ship that day as fine a piece of graveled
road as can be found anywhere. 1t
connects with roads to Ocean City, At
lantic City and Philadelphia. All that
is needed is to keep on building the
road down the county. Whatever be
has seen done in the way Of improve
ments in Cape May County has been
done by the county people. Referring
to a steamship line at Cape May, he
spoke of the great possibilities of thus
L-:.-s-- c1,.kIar. o1.nI1 e. No., NJ
County by way of Baltimore and
Lewes. If this boulevard project is
encouraged, another outlet will be pro-
vided. Stone Harbor is in favor of
these improvements. A bridge across
Hereford Inlet should be heavy enough
to care for interurban traffic. Ocean
City lacks only one thing, aud that is
the Nays Landing cut off, and the
- -.sL L. - 4I.- Ill l.