Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-10-06
The Chamber of Commerce
Meeting at Cape May
By REESE P. RISLEY

joy the benefits and advantages Incl
dent to free communication, one with
the other.
CAPE NAY COUNTY AWAKE
To those who view this important
matter in its broader aspects, the action
of the Chamber of Commerce in adopt
ing this resolution is significant of far
more than the abolitioo of tolls between
Atlantic and Cape May counties. 1t
is indicative of the spirit of the New
Freedom" of america First and
Efficient''-csll it what you will,
which is stirring in Cape May County.
1t has taRen years of patient toiling
and plodding to awaken this spirit,
but, thank God land 1 say it reverent-
ly) that spirit is awake at last Mark
you, [ don't say that spirit is newly
created, for 1t isn't. 1t was brought
nearly three hundred years ago from
the fens, moors and marsh lands of old
Eogland-from Scrooby church itself
and from the dyked fields of Holland
to the flat lands of Cape May county,
which they SO greatly resemble!
And that spirit is abroad in Cape
May county today. 1t has taken the
scourging of four bitter years of adj
versity to bring it out, to rouse 1t to
the fighting point that it has nov
reached. But it is aroused, pulsing
and pulpitating through the veins of
city, borough and to wnship and woe
betide any who seek to stay its prog
ress!
The manifestations of this sentiment
county of the mosquito curse by sane,
scientific and successful methods of
control under state supervision, to en-
courage farm efficiency by inaugurating
better methods of agriculture andbetter
distribution of agricultural products
for the benefit of the farmer and con-
sumner alike.
On the beaches, the "New Freedom"
and "America First and Efficient" are
ex pressing themselves in civic i'm
provements of various kinds, higher
class attractions, good music, good
movies, restaurants and hotels and
good transportation facilities.
FOUL YEARS OF ADVERSELY
During the past four years the sea-
shore real estate business has been
scourged as with a fail. 1t has been
beaten to a pulp, f1attened out as by a
steam roller, hammered almost out of
existence.
First came the change in our tariff
.copdjtinns-mhis4 not a political dia-
'pfibe, so we'll not debate the tariff
question here. Suffice it to say that it
is generally recognized that any change
in the tariff which disturbs existing
schedules creates uncertainty for a time
at least. This, being an industrial sec
ton. the tariff changes in Washington
rebounded on Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh and side-swiped the Jersey
coast.
Just about this time, the automobile
industry got we'll under way. With
out going into details, it may be said
that anything which takes a billion
and a half of money out of the usual
channels of investment and puts it in a
highly specialized form of amusement
is likely to disturb the resort business.
Two million machines in use in the
United States, nearly 400 900 auto
mobiles exclusive of motor trucks and
motor cycles in use in New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Della
ware alone, family motor car trips TO
new localities every WEEKS it any
wonder the seashore real estate bust
ness slumped? And that isn't all
after the man who should have bought
q lot, bought a cal instead, there's the
upkeep! Tires, gas and repairs-they
will discourage him from buying any
ground for awhile.
Then came the storms, those fierce
gales which followed a succession of
unusually high tides for two winters
and which literally kicked in the whole
face of the Jersey coast from the Hook