The Penn's Grove record., 1920-03-19
THE OBSERVER

At a recent meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce held for the purpose of
discussing the trolley-jitney traffic
one speaker suggested that if the troll
ley Company could not operate the line
at a profit the Borough officials should
get the officials of other towns along
the line to cooperate with them, take
over the line and run it on the public
ownership plan.
Last week the Elmer Times, evident
ly having the Penns Grove controver-
.sy in mind, together with some similar
trouble at Bridgeton, printed the fol-
lowing interesting and instructive ed
itorial upon the subject:
IA small western city attempted to
enforce onerous conditions on a trolley
company two or three years ago. The
corporation was rapidly becoming in
solvent and it was decided to abandon
it's service and dispose of it's outfit
with the hope of realizing its original
investment.
Then came litigation, injunctions,
ETC., and the city succeeded in having
Itself appointed receiver, believing it
could operate the line at a profit. For
nearly a year the city operated the line
at a big loss, and now the corporation
is seeking to get back its property in
order to save a few dollars out of the
wreck by junking the outfit.
The corporation could not profitably
continue the line which started in the
city referred to, and connected with
other towns which did trading there.
After a stretch of road had been paved
between the home of the trolley and
connecting towns, the corporation do
Jig its share, jitney lines galore start
Ell over the fine road the corporation
had helped build, and cut the trolley
income 40 to so percent. The city
fought increased fares, the jitneys had
a Tree field, and now it looks as tho
the city would lose its trolley entirely.
Every once in awhile someone takes
umbrage at something printed con-
corning them. Often this occurs in
reports of court proceedings. News
paper men as a rule, however, are
careful not to injure the character of
reputable men, but some are far more
sensitive than others. A recent de-
cision in a Chicago court by Circuit
Judge Oscar NJ. Iorrison brings this
question up in a very interesting light.
he SAID:
"a newspaper has a legal right to
publish what transpires in a judicial
proceeding, even though such publica-
.tlon may nJure a private citizen, be-
cause it is to the interest of the pub
lie that proceedings in court be open
and the public be informed of them.
1t is not necessary that the w
paper publish every word spoken; it
may publish a summary if the sum-
mary Is a Iair and impartial account
of what transpired in court and is pub
: llshed wlunouG malice"
IL is pretty hard sometimes to de-
eide just what to publish that it is the
privilege and right of the public to be
informed upon. Many interesting
local stories are smothered and kept
out of print for fear OF the newspaper
man beng misunderstood.
There's a building boom coming,
either that or there are to be a lot OF
TENS sold next season. New Orleans
Is snort 5000 homes; birmingham
xneeds 5000 additional dwellings,;
7 Pittsburgh could use 10000; Cincln-
natl, 1000; Kansas City, 1000; Mime
apolls, 5000, and Duluth, 1000.
These are just high spots. When
every city in the country is short of
houses you may be sure the towns and
villages are suffering similarly. AS
soon as the weather permits Penns
Grove will feel the boom. The New
I borough Hail will be under way,
Willis big store building will begin to
assume shape, the Hub building will
be completed and there are others con
templaCed. Penns Grove also has a
demand Tor modern houses.