Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-02
IMPROVED COUNTRY ROADS.
The Popularity of the system Increasing
RnDidIy-New jersey In the swim-Gev-
ernor HIPS Sensible Suggestions Com


The Popularity of the system increasing
RapidIy-Ncw jersey In the swim-Goy-
ernor HIPS Sensible Suggestions Com
menrs on The Dispatch Expedition.
THE fact that Governor Leon Albeit has
signed the amended road bill, permitting
the boards of chosen freeholders in those coufi-
ties in New Jersey which have avaIled them
selves of the new road law to raise additional
money to complete the construction of the
roads already declared county roads. affords
great satisfaction to the friends Of good roads
in New Jersey, says writer in the New York
Times
Mr.. Chauncey B. Ripley, who occupies the
position Of chief promoter OF the scheme of
road Improvement, said yesterday that this. ac-
tion on the part of Governor Albeit meant
more for the interests Of New Jersey than ap-
pears on the surface. "The amended act is
more important even than the original BILL" he
said, "inasmuch as the appropriation last
year was hardly sufficient to finish any one
road of the system of roads entered upon. The
engineer is building better roads than were at
first contemplated.
"The county roods generally have never
been in SO bad plight in the memory Of man
as for the last two months, February and
March. It has been next to impossible to haul
OVer the Oiu rOaQ5 10 the new ones.
And, even with material on the ground, the
unprecedented weather and condition of the
earth would not permit the work on the new
roads to progress. 1 speak mainly for Union
county. N. j.. along the line of the Central rail-
roads, where the present system Of improved
roads originated and where the new law
has been reduced to practice mainly in that
State.
Croakers Changing Front
.'WHAT regard as most important in The
interest of improved roads are the facts
that no citizen Of Union county would consent
TO go back to the old system, and no one would
if he could. have his money returned on condi-
tion that the new roads be torn up and the for
mer state of things restored. One of our
chronic croakers against taxes for improved
roads, when asked by me IL he would consent
to have the portion of the new road in front of
his own property restored TO its former cOndi-
tion and thereby save his taxes, answered.:
Well shall not be required to pay more
than 50 year for the rest Uf my life. 1t would
hardly be worth while This mans property is
worth sl5oOo. The next significant fact is that
proved roads. Our Legislature Is almost
unit in their favor.
New Jersey Governors, Robert 8. Green last
year and Leon Albeit this year, have given the
A.
Beaver, of Pennsylvania. says. in his last mes
sage to the Legislature: The comfort of our
people, economy in the transportation of our
products, saving in the wear and tear Of veh1-
cles and animals. and the needless multiplica-
tion of highways all demand that the laws gov
erning the laying out and construction of our
roads should be radically reformed and SYSTEM
atized.'
mo Governor has said more in a single mes
sage on this subject than Governor Hill In his
last message to the Legislature of New York.
1t is fair to add, too. that have observed
nothing better expressed than what he there
said. Governor Hill goes further than had
been suggested and urges that the
State should interest itself in requiring every
two principal COUNTY roads, that these county
roads should intersect near the center of the
county, and that the county roads of each
county should connect with the county roads
of every adjoining county. He thinks the
cities could well afford 10 submit to taxation
for the development of the plan. No doubt of
it. To suggest it is to demonstrate the correct
ness Of the view.
Governor HilPs Good Ideas.
0CovERNoR HILL makes this additional
suggestion, in which there is great force,
that while. for the last so years. the people of
this country have devoted so much energy and
money without stint to railroads and canals
and steamers, they have lost sight OF and
neglected their public roads. Instead of now
needing such public roads less than we needed
them half a century ago, we need them more.
He calls attention to the immense undertakings
Of our ancestors in constructing expensive
roads for long distances. and how wonderful
hat which they accomplished really is COM
pared with much of the miserable country road
making and mending of our own time.
ut is not strange that the State Gazette of
New Jersey should say. and that the press gen.
orally of New Jersey should quote approvingly,
the new road law:
"'This act is the practical outcome of long
growing dissatisfaction with the prevailing sys-
.em of public road building and road manage
nent which places all the principal thorough
fares under the ownership of private corpora
ions, with the exasperating and oppressive in
,ident of toll collecting, while all other roads
ire kept in a state of wretched unrepair by the
pasmodic and utterly inefficient system of
ownship control. Under the authority con-
erred by this wise law it will be possible for
county to supply itself in time with a complete
ystem Of first-class roads. Once built, the
ost of repairs will be less than it costs to pay
oil on turnDikes and keep the other roads in
a. la rOnditinn ~