Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-10-25
WILDWOOD

There was a larger attendance of cit
liens at the Commissioners meeting
at city hall yesterday afternoon, Octo-
Der oath, than has been seen there for
q long time. In consequence the ses-
eion was rather exciting from start to
finish. 1t lacked but a few minutes
of two O'Clock when Mayor Smith said:
1.-THE meeting will come to order"
Gilbert H. Blaker then introduced his
attorney, William g. Jones, of Cam
den, to the commissioners, who spread
out before them % the table a blue
print of the city plan, and explained
exactly what is proposed to be done.
Atlantic avenue is only fifty feet wide
from Cedar avenue south. Mr.. Blaker
offers to give enough ground on which
his theatre and other buildings rest, to
make Atlantic avenue seventy feet
wide, in exchange for which the City
of Wildwood is to deed him a strip of
beach front ground fifty feet in width,
indicated on the map as Ocean avenue,
and extending from Cedar avenue to
Schellenger avenue. Mr.. Jones stated
that to cut ten feet off of Mr. Bakers
theatre, cottage and bath houses would
entail a heavy expense, and requested
that the city agree not to enforce the
terms of the contract in this respect
until the board walk is moved out again,
when Mr.. Baker will be forced of
course to follow suit and move his
buildings out to meet the line of the
new walk. This arrangement will be
satisfactory to the commissioners; and
pursuant to the sense of the meeting
as expressed yesterday, Mr.. Bakers
attorney and Solicitor Hand were au.
thorized to proceed at once to draw up
agreements in duplicate to be formally
presented, read and acted upon at next
meeting, October 3lst. Barring no
bitches In the negotiations it looks now
as if the projected amusements, valued
at $3.50, 900, will be a reality next sum-
mer. Mr.. Rhoads had previously
offered to install for general use an
up-to-date set of public comfort stations
on a level with the board walk, but to
maintained and cared for by the city.
These would be a big improvement
over the present s~ubterranean arrange
ments, and would be located at some
point south of Cedar avenue boardwalk
extension. After these contracts be-
tween Mr.. Baker aud the city are con-
summated, similar contracts between
Joe Sweet and the city will be execu-
ted. Under the terms then O. these
two sets of agreements the city will
have right of way for a seventy foot
wide street from Cedar emu to Lin
coin avenue, without the necessity OF
resorting to condemnation proceedings,
usually an expensive process. 1t is
pretty generally conceded that the
widening of Atlantic avenue at the
points mentioned would be a valuable
public improvement. Mr.. Hendee
played very "safe" for his constituents
yesterday when he told the Camden
attorney that no definite action can be
taken until the agreements are drawn
up and carefully scrutinized and that
be is made to feel absolutely certain
that the city's rights will be safeguar-
ded for the concessions 1t is willing to
make on the beach front to further the
cause Of legitimate and popular
amusements.
John Taylor next addressed the COM
m~issioners, relative to the apparent in
equality or discrimination sho wn in
the application of the license and tax
ordinances. He paid the city clerk Sic
yesterday, the amount Of the license
asked of him for the privilege Of catch
ing and selling fish; and he said that
while be was willing to pay this license
fee, he did it under protest, because
some other citizens, similarly engaged