Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-02-09
FREEHOLDERS PASS RESOLUTION
FAVORING BEESLEY'S POINT
SOMER'S POINT BRIDGE

Some IS voters of Cape May County
were present in the Freeholders'
rooms in the County Court House on
Wednesday afternoon when Director
of the Board Joseph G. Champion
called the meeting to order. The rea-
son for their presence was brought out
when the following resolution was in
troduced by Director Champion:
Resolved, That the Senate and Gen
eral Assembly of the State of New
Jersey be and are hereby requested
to enact as a law (Senate Bill No. IS,
introduced by Senator Bright, Janu-
airy Is, 1928; referred to Committee on
Highways, an act to amend an act,
entitled, An act to establish a State
Highway System and to provide for
the improvement, betterment, recon-
struction, resurfacing, maintenance,
repair and regulation of the use
thereof approved March 10, 1917; ap-
proved April 5, 1921.
So that the State Highway Commits
sion shall as soon as practicable lay
out as an addition to the routes for a
State Highway System a route to be
known as Route No. IS, from a point
on Route No. ii at Seaville by way of
Palermo, Marmora, Beesley's Point,
Somer's Point to P~leasantville and
connecting with Route No. 4 at Alb
secon. And for the erection and con
struction of a bridge over and across
Great Egg Harbor Bay or river, from
Somer's Point to Beesley's Point.
Thus providing a complete highway
system from Railway to Cape May
City, connecting with the ferry at
Cape May City, across the Delaware
Bay to Lewes, Delaware.
Resolved, That a copy of the above
Resolution be certified and sent to
the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey and a certified
copy be sent to the Senator and AS
semblyman from Cape May County"
After the reading of the resolution
and motion for it's adoption, and prior
to the vote on it's adoption, Director
Champion asked if anyone had any,
thing to say on the matter. Former
F~reeholder Anthony B.. Smith, of Up
per Township, was the first speaker.
Mr.. Smith told of the days of Cover
nor Franklin Fort and how that Off
cial had dreamed of a shore road from
Bay Head to Cape May. He went on
to tell how he. as Director of the
Board of Freeholders in that day, had
enjoyed going to the Governors home
at Sea Girt and of being with a COM
mittee that had discussed this project.
He her spoke of how Governor Fort
had since passed away and the plan
was in some respects forgotten, and
closed urging that the Board act favor
ably on this resolution so that it too
might not be carried into the past, as
it was a very important step to- the
growth of the county. Mayor w.
COPYRIGHT Smith, of Wildwood, next
spoke, saying that he had not come to
the meeting expecting to be a speaker,
but that he would like to say that the
County Chamber of Commerce, the
wildwood Board of Trade and the
Wildwood City Commissioners had
passed a similar resolution. 81 have
heard that there is to be another bill
introduced into the Senate with a plan
of running the State Highway Route
through Ocean City, but the greatest
interest in the county lies in the MAX
ing of this highway connection, as it
is the most direct possible" Superin-
tendent of Schools Rhodes said that
at the Progressive League of Cape
May meeting held on Tuesday night,
that that body had passed a resolution
similar to the one before the Freehold
ers. Sheriff George Redding said that
the North Wildwood City Council on
Tuesday evening had also passed a
like resolution, and went on to say
that he was glad that the Director of
the Board had himself introduced the
resolution as he was aware that GER
tain propaganda was being circulated
saying that Director Champion was
against any such plan.
Samuel A. Laning, of Wildwood,
arose and told how every man had a
hobby and that his hobby was the
Somer's Point Bridge, and how he
hoped that the Freeholders would
unanimously adopt the resolution.
I Editor Alfred Cooper, of the
Gazette at Cape May Court House,
stated in a few pointed remarks that
there were no civic organizations in
Middle Township, but that, as he was
especially interested in the project, he
had for sometime past been talking
amongst the peopIe of Middle. Upper
and Dennis Townships, and that he
believed if a vote were taken it would
disclose that 95 per cent of the resi-
dents of these townships would be in
favor of such a connecting link.
Director of the Board Champion now
stepped out of the presiding seat in
favor of the Director of Finance Rob-
ert Kay and addressed the gathering.
He said that he had always been a