The Mount Holly news., 1916-08-08
Board Of Freeholders.

The first business presented was II
quest of the Bell Telephone Compan
to be granted a public hearing on tn
subject ola franchise by which the
may open or occupy the public roads a
any time without making special re
quest for the privilege. A new law re
Iquires that this procedure must be fol
lowed. The telephone company want
an ordinance passed which will Civ
them the privilege, for fifty years, o
operating along the public highway
without having to go to the board for /;
special ordinance as is now the rule.
The resolution was laid on the table.
A communication from county collect
or Pine called attention to the action O.
the Board whereby money must be Dor
rowed when and where the finance com
mittee designates. Mr.. Pine said the
committee had been advised, at the
July meeting, of the necessity of Dor
rowing funds, but the collector received
only verbal notice how to proceed and
he now asked for specific instructions.
Mr.. Esham said he thought the in.
structions given had been very explicit.
He could not see any reason for this re-
port from the collector, but in order that
there might not be any misunderstand-
ing resolution was adopted that the
county collector be authorized to borrow
$40, 900 in anticipation of taxes at a rate
OF interest not to exceed Al per cent, the
money to be repaid on December 81.
A request in writing was made by five
members that rollcall be taken on the
vote whereby the request of the Bell
Telephone Company was laid on the
table.
This provoked some discussion and
solicitor Davis said he thought it would
be very bad thing to grant any corpor-
alton fifty years franchise.
1t was explained that the rollcall was
not for the purpose of passing an ordin-
ance, merely to see if a public hearing
should be granted.
With this explanation the motion to
table was rescinded without opposition
and the September meeting was the
time fixed for the public hearing.
Solicitor Davis gave an opinion on the
duty of trolley companies in the matter
OF keeping to road grades. He said it
was undoubtedly the duty of trolley
company to conform to grades, and it
was also fact that there is proviso in
the ordinance granting franchises to the
companies now operating in this county
whereby the latter are required to do
certain things.
Engineer Logan reported that there
was great difference in grades in vari-
GUS parts of the county and the trolley
companies should be made to respect the
legal requirements.
Latta & Roberts, of Philadelphia,
were awarded the contract to rebuild the
line bridge between this and Camden
counties at Palmyra, at cost of 81, ,945.
Mr.. Russ thought this was very high
price as it was not long since it was re-
ported that the work could be done for
$500. He could not see how the cost
should have increased so much in such
a short time.
Mr.. Land replied that if anybody
would examine the bridge they would
find it in very bad and unsafe con-
dition. Very material changes had taken
place during the period mentioned by
Mr.. Russ.
Mr.. Gilmour, of the Public Service
Company, spoke on the subject of re-
specting the road grades. He said If the
county engineer and road committee
would take q day and go over the road
he thought the matter could easily be
adjusted.
A communication from the State
Road Commissioner stated that it would
be necessary to make some transfers of
road money il roads now under contem-
plation were constructed. In accord
ance with this suggestion a resolution
was adopted, transferring $4,000 from
the appropriation for the Bowne's cor
ner-Columbus road to the Mount Holly
and Chambers corner road and the
Mount Holly and Lumberton road,
which will allow the work of rebuilding
those two roads to proceed.
On motion of Mr.. Rogers it was de-
cided not to pay any more bills for paint
ing bridges this year.
On motion of MIR. Lowden permission
was granted the Palmyra-Riverton
Water Company the privilege of laying
pipes along the public roads.
Mr.. Esham offered a resolution that
the county engineer be requested to
make study of the road systems of the
states in this country, the counties in
this state and the systems of foreign
countries to get an idea of what may be
done to improve the roads and to dis
cover what expense the various places
are at, so this county may act intelli-
gently in building and repairing roads.
Mr.. Rogers said the road committee
had been given instructions to make ex-
aminations covering a portion of the
work mentioned and he thought it
would be well to wait for the report of
that committee in September and it was
so ordered.
On motion of Mr.. Harker the county
collector was directed to pay Reese 4
Taylor the amount due for building the
brid ge at Wrightstown, as soon as the
nameplate has been put on the bridge
and certificate given that the work has
been completed.
Mr.. Logan moved that the amount of
the bond of the Averill- Matthews Com
pany, now building the Broad street
bridge, Burlington, be reduced. Solicitor
Davis said there would not be any inn
propriety in this, as the amount to
which the reduction would be made
would be ample security.
The question of what weight motor
trucks may be allowed on the public
roads had been referred to solicitor Davis
and he reported that the laws of 1913
plainly gave all the desired information.
1t was ordered that the solicitor, en-
gineer and road committee begin pro-
ceedings against all vehicles that are
breaking the law.
Hezekiah Adams, drawtender at Mul.
lica river bridge, asked an increase of SIS
per month in his salary. He stated that
Atlantic county was willing to make the
advance. The matter was referred To
the bridge committee.
County collector Pine made lengthy