The Penn's Grove record., 1917-08-17
BOROUGH BLOOD UP
Action Taken To Do What Trac-
ton Co. Fails To Do

The regular meeting of the Mayor anC
Council was held Tuesday evening. Cur
rent bills were ordered paid.
Collector w. A. Hunts report gave
some idea of the amour of money to run
this borough now January / past. the
balance was $6.439.19. The receipts since
have been $27, 265.41. The expenditures
have been $50, 764.60, leaving a balance
of 1910.
The balance in the special road fund is
So, 90.
1t was a warm night but something
else made the Mayor and Council warm
under the collar. 1t was the failure OF
the officials of the Salem and Penns Grove
Traction Company to be ready to con-
struct the roadway between the tracks
and eighteen inches each side, at the
time the road contractor, j. +. Burke is
now putting on the amiesite top.
The trolley tracks have been an expen-
sive nuisance to travel and traffic ever
since laid. Several owners of wagons
have suffered damages by having wheeis
broken while crossing the tracks. The
public have borne with the nuisance with
the expectation that when the streets
were completed with stone base and annie
site top the Inconvenience of rough road
over rolley track would be compensated
by the waiting for a fine roadway.
The macadam base was laid last year
and packed with a ten-ton roller. Con-
tractor Burke expected to have the annie
site top on before this, but for delays in
getting laborers and materials. But he
has the amiesite laid to where the trolley
is in the middle of South Broad street.
The traction officials have made no
agreement with Mr.. Burke to do the work
and have. quibbled over prices for six
months. He gave them a price last April
which was not accepted. They dubbed
because it was higher than what he is
laying the amiesite for the county and
borough. He will no do it for the price
given in April because labor and material
cost more.
When superintendent Berry of the
traction company, and Mr.. Burke failed
to appear before the Board of Freehold
ers last week, Freebooter Charles L.
Smith supposed that they had reached an
agreement. On learning that nothing had
been done by the traction officials to CO.
operate with the county and borough, Mr..
Smith became warm under the collar and
the traction people got a blessing.
After the stone base had been rolled
down, last week the traction gang began
tearing up the stone to level the track in
places which has a serpentine wave in
many places, just at the time Contractor
Burke is ready to put on the top. 1t has
all the appearance purposely to delay Mr..
Burke because he will not do work at the
traction price. He is willing to do it at
cost on a percentage.
The mayor and council on Tuesday eve
ming were also in a quandary because
they did not have the ordinance granting
the trolley franchise nor a copy record for
reference. Further franchise ordinance
was not published in the Penns Grove
Record where reference could be had to
newspaper files which are always kept.
The former Borough Clerk failed to keep
the original copy aud record a copy in
the ordinance book so it may be had for
reference.
The editor of the Penns Grove Record
has never been as Jealous as some over
giving away public franchises to all cor
porations without due consideration and
protection of the values and rights of the
public, without consideration of future
vafues. Consequently some have not been
considerable in having many ordinances
published in the Penns Grove Record
where references may be made for proofs
of publication and for knowledge of law.
obligations and rights of the borough, cor
porations and individuals. 1t has been
presumed the borough clerk did his duty
to properly record valuable ordinances
to protect the peoples rights. Some citi-
zens were in such a hurry for the trolley
that it would be slow to have the ordin-
ance published in a newspaper and would
cost many dollars. So a few type written
copies were hung up around town.
However. the mayo and council. to
expediate the finishing, trusted to memory
and passed a resolution authorizing the
borrowing of $4,000 from Penns Grove
banks with which to pay Mr.. Burke for
putting the top on the road between the
trolley tracks and eighteen inches each
side. The bill will be collected from the
traction company, by suit, it necessary.
The clerk was ordered to notify the
company at once to repair the streets.
Failure to do so in twenty days the COM
pany will be liable to $50 fine each day
refusal shall shall continue.