The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-02-07
STONE ROADS AGAIN.


t to discuss the question that has kept II
a Board of Freeholders in ferment the pa
8 year. viz, whether it is advisable to bull
9 stone roads throughout this county.
r 1t was large and representative gathe
!. ing. the Court House being packed. En-
J, Judge B. P. Wills was chosen chairman
Blanchard III. White acting as secretar,
, The chairman stated the object of tn
meeting, and George Wlldes. of Me-
Hanover. started the ball rolling by oftel
ing the following resolution
Whereas, the County of Burlington
large in territory, and contains severa
hundred miles of public roads, withou
having within its borders proper materia
for making permanent stone roads, AM
the building of all of its roads of ston
means ultimate bankruptcy. and
Whereas, a law has been placed upol
the statute book, making the County pa.
the largest proportion of the expense 0
building stone roads, which makes, in it
, operations, the entire tax levy of the count,
bear unequal burdens to favor one munich
pality against another; the same is taxing
one class for the benefit of another clas
and is unjust and unlawful taxation,
Resolved, that the taxpayers OF Burling
linpton County, in meeting assembled
recommend the repeal of the stone roat
law as 1t now stands; and that we urge
our members of the State Legislature to
protect the taxpayers OF our county by tht
repeal of this odious law.
Mr.. Wildes said in presenting tht
resolution he appreciated the fact that il
was very unpopular in this day of III.
provements, to oppose the building o.
good roads. He was not willing to rest
under imputation of being captious, in
opposing the improving of roads in any
reasonable manner. He believed he
voiced the sentiments of the owners Of
thousands of acres of land when he said
the law is obnoxious. He had heard a
great deal about the roads of Europe, and
the man Landed the highest was the en-
g;neer who invented stone roads. The
roads of France cost much blood The
roads of Italy are noted only TOR their an
tiquity. and are crowded with beggars.
He cited the fact that Gen. Grant had
moved large army over roads that would
have dismayed and broken the heart Of
any European commissary department.
Referring to the fact that the State appro-
priations for roads had grown from 81, 600
to $4,000, with promise of reaching
$500. 900 this year, he asked GLOW long,
at this rate, will it be before we have a
direct state taxi" Hon. Thomas H. Dud-
| ley had made the assertion that good
roads would doubly enhance the value of
property in 20 years. yet Mr.. Wildes could
is on the line of railroad, and on a
river. with good turnpike road to sta
tions and wharves, ever which large loads
can easily be carted every day of the year,
yet that farm sold for S31 per acre. He
feared that, if stone roads prevailed, the
State taxes would be increased to such an
extent that the people would rue the day
the subject was ever agitated. For ad-
vancing the prices of property near the
cities, where farms are cut up into town
lots, the project is immense, but when it is
argued that stone roads viii enhance the
value of farms, it is a misstatement.
Samuel L. Allen, of Cinnaminson, said
this was probably the richest end of the
state. He did not think the roads had
been improved very much, although the
States riches had materially advanced.
Under the present law, nobody need pay
the ten per cent. unless he wanted the
stone roads. portion of the remainder
came from corporations, the balance from
the citizens in general. Farmers pay at
least one-fourth of the taxes of this state.
The valuation of property in Burlington
county is about $25,0OO,O0O. 1t was not
likely that Burlington county would get
over $4,000 as a share for stone road
assessments. Any farmer owning $l0.-
600 farm would have to pay tax of about
Sc for stone road taxation.
Mr.. Aliens remarks called for several
queries, and there was every indication of
free discussion on every point but that
in question, when Robert M. Brock called
attention to the fact that this meeting was
called to discuss one point. that of stone
roads, and he hoped the remarks would
be confined to that subject, as there were
many present who wanted to talk on it.
Barclay White, of Northampton, read
paper on the road question, which APP
pears elsewhere.
DR.. ]. D. Janney, of Cinnaminson, claimed
that the questions of taxation were entire
~ irrelevant. He thought the question
was the ACCESSIBILITY of building stone
roads. Nine-tenths of the farmers in this
county are compelled to cart their pro-
duce to market. and as the roads are now
maintained, it Is necessary to double up
teams to complete that work. Thus,
allowing that man would cart 100 loads
year, it would probably cost So day for
extra teams and men. total of $500 per
year. Friend Allen had shown that the
same mans increase of taxation would
not exceed So, difference of 1924 in favor
of the farmer. The deprecating of i'm
provement to town lots was mere buga-
boo, for he could show where plot of
ground which, for several years was
assessed as farm land, last year paid in
creased taxes as building lots. He has
heard it said there were 10000 miles OF
road in this county, which would cost
$25 100000 to improve. He claimed there
are not 1000 miles of road and the cost
would not exceed $2.O00.0 900 to improve
them, and that expenditure would soon be
compensated for in the multitudinous
benefits to be derived. 1t had been con-
clusively shown, in answer to the ques.
ton of excessive taxation, that what the
farmer got more in return for his slightly
increased taxation more than compensa.
ted him for the outlay. He argued there
was vast economy in stone roads in the
matter of keeping them in repair, and he
ventured the statement that in % years
the difference between keeping stone
roads and gravel roads would pay fol
building the stone road. In support Of
this he quoted the Westfeld turnpike
" which at one time was gravel. II cost
$500 mile year to keep it in repair
Now the turnpike is Telford road and il
only costs $3.50 per mile q year for re-
pairs.
At this point Charles Wright. Columbus
asked a question. 1t was: "You say the
road cost $1,000 per mile, and $3.50 pei
mile per year for repairs; do you count
interest on the Investment"