The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-08-13

The proposition to allow the Vincen
! town and Earl's Corner road to be bull
called forth spirited discussion at the
meeting of the Board of Freeholders
| Wednesday, and for a time it looked as
il there might be some unpleasant
feelings left when the adjournment
took place. A. G. Smith, member from
Burlington township, was very decided
in his opinion that the road ought moi
to be allowed to 60 ahead. He said
there had been ''underhand' work tc
get the State Highway Commission to
give preference over the road from Bur
lington to Florence, highway that he
claimed had been promised twenty
years. He was very positive in his as.
sertions, but when challenged by the
director to give details he did not come
to the scratch. The road committee
and those who favored the Vincentown
road were equally positive that nothing
out of the way had occurred, SO the
matter settled itself down to assertions
on one side and denials on the other.
But there were sufficient members from
along the river front to prevent the res
olution being adopted and it was
defeated. What the latter gained it is
hard to determine. 1t looks like q
dog in the manger' affair-''If we
can't have what we want you shall not
have what you want" The State
Highway Commission has decided
against the Burlington-Florence road
and it is not likely to change it's de-
cision because of the probability of the
state doing the work in a very short
time. If there was any "uuderhand"
work in getting preference for this or
any other road it ought to be made
public, and the man who made the
charges should come out boldly and
name the offender.
The proposition to give the Bell Tel
ephone Company franchise for fifty
years that it may put its wires under
ground in Chester township has been
made quite football by the Board Of
Freeholders. The request was first
turned down fatty because fifty years
was thought to be too long term.
Then the corporation appeared to be
satisfied with twenty years, and this
compromise was agreed to. On We'd
nesday, when the matter was to be
given final reading, there seemed to
have been shifting of ideas and fifty
years was again mentioned, and con-
sequently the entire business was
knocked out. This question is one that
concerns Moorestown alone. The peo-
pie there want the telephone wires put
under ground. 1.-THE telephone COM
pany says that franchise for fifty
years is the proper thing because it
gives a privilege that allows work to
be done that is constantly being called
for. Why twenty years would not &C
complish the same result is not stated.
The company has only askedwhat the
county has been granting right along,
only the new law requires the passage
of an ordinance instead of simple res
olution to have the privilege granted.
Moofestown pays large sums of money
into the county treasury in the way OF
taxes, and the telephone company's
share Of the taxes is over 500 900 per
year, SO that it is hard to see where any
hardship could come from allowing the
wires to be put under ground where
they would be out of tight and remove
danger that is always liable from over
head wires. The government is going
to take control OF the telephone lines
and it is possible they will use the
county roads at pleasure, without TAX
ing the trouble to ask the county
fathers for permission. 1t is suggested
that some of those who were so strenu-
ously opposed to the franchise had a
grievance, owing to their telephones
being cut out AS the matter now
stands the corporation will go ahead
according to their blue prints and run
the risk of the Utility Commission in
terfering.