The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-11-07
The Water SUNNY.

With the idea of getting line
on the feelings of the citizens on the
water supply subject, the township
committee has sent out postal cards
with two questions on them. One is
whether you are satisfied with the pres.
ent water supply, and the other is
whether you want artesian water and
municipal ownership under the plans
that have been proposed. The answers
to these questions are wanted by
Thursday evening, when the matter
will be discussed by the township com
mittee.
There was very broad and open dis
cussion of this subject some time since
and it was decided that the township
committee should spend the money it
had in hand to drivea we'll to ascertain
whether a supply of artesian water
could be obtained. Just why this straw
vote is being taken now is not exactly
understood. The committee has bored
a well to a certain depth. and has
found out what was generally known
before, that artesian water could be OBJ
tanned; but the point that has not been
settled is whether water better than
that which is being taken from wells
in various parts of the town could be
secured.
1t would seem to be in order for the
township committee to render a report
on the amount of money that has
been spent in driving the we'll that has
reached certain depth and is now
said to be awaiting screens or other
apparatus to go further, 1t would be
well for the people to know what kind
of water has been secured, and how
different it is from what other wells are
furnishing. There is no doubt that the
people of the town want artesian we'll
water, but whether they ale ready for
municipal ownership is another ques-
ton.
There seems to be an idea that the
township committee is authorized by
an act passed by the last legislature to
issue bonds for the purchase of water
works and it is possible with this idea
that the straw vote Is solicited by post
al cards. Ii a majority Of the cards re-
turned favor municipal ownership the
bonds may at once be issued. This is
probably wrong construction of the
law. Chapter BOG of the laws of 1915
allows boroughs to issue bonds but il
does not apply to townships. Chapter
so Of the same session provides for
action on an issue of bonds but it saws
that bonds shall not be issued except
for certain purposes, one of which is to
extend water mains. This section is
an amendment to an act passed in 1899
which is the general township act and
gives the township committee its sew
eral powers, among them being the
purchase of water plants, but the Law
of 1899 says that no power given to the
township committee to make any pub
lie improvement or purchase any plant
or property for the use or benefit of the
township or enter into any contrac
therefor unless an appropriation haI
been voted or authority given for th'
: issue OF bonds to pay the cost thereof
So whatever may be the result of III,
straw vote it seems to be incumbent OF
the township committee to submit tn,
question of purchase to vote of tn
people in order that they may be legal
ly put out. In any case it would seen
to be in order to have a report Oh
what has been done and what ha
been spent up to date.