The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-01-23
Good Roads.

berton.
j Good Roads.
The New Jersey State Road Improve
ment Association, organized last winter
held its second annual convention at the
State House Thursday afternoon.
President B1rrough then gave a detailed
account of the work done last year in
building stone roads. The result was
shown in the following figures: Com
pleted roads in Camden, Burlington and
Middlesex counties, thirty-slx miles
roads approved and under course of con-
struction, to be paid for out of this years
appropriation, thirty-three miles; applied
for but unable to build this year because
oyerruning the appropriation, thirty-six
miles.
The President, in speaking of the popu-
larity of the plan, said he found names on
the petitions of persons who at first OPP
posed the system. while in sections where
roads had been built all opposition was
melting away.
Mr.. Burrough made the following re-
commentators for changes in the exist
ing law, which he characterized as good
enough to hold on to until they could get
better one: He thought copy of all
specifications and drawings should be
filed with the State officer, so that he
would know whether they we're all right.
The words fronting or bordering on
roads" should be more clearly defined so
that IT would be known to a certainty
who were intended TO pay the 10 per cent.
1t should be made mandatory on the
township to grade the road bed of a pro-
posed new road. II was sheer folly and
no economy not to spend few dollars in
grading the road before putting in the
new bed. The State should pay so per
cent. of the first cost; individuals 10 per
cent, and the county the remaining 40
per cent. The supervisor should be paid
but So day, instead of SIS, and should
come from the neighborhood of the road.
He would then be personally interested
to see that the contractor faithfully car
ried out the contract. A State Supervisor
of Roads should be appointed to have all
charge. 1t was impossible for himself as
President of the State Board of Agricul-
ture to do it with justice. The State
should appropriate at least $l50,000 q
year.
Mr. Barber, of Somerset. proposed a
new plan. advocating that the State
should furnish the crushed stone de-
livered, the townships to build the roads
at their own expense after receiving the
stone.
A large delegation of gentlemen were
present from Burlington and Monmouth
counties, with resolutions for proposed
amendments, which they believed would
make the State aid of more practical bene-
fit to their counties and to Ocean and
Somerset counties. The following resolu-
tons, offered by DR.. Parry, and which
had been adopted by large meetings of
taxpayers in those counties, were adopted
by the association
First. To provide that the amount to
be appropriated by the county in any one
year for road building and repairs shall
not exceed one-fourth of one per cent. on
the ratables of said county.
Second. The State shall pay 40 per
cent. and the township 25 per cent. of
said cost.
Third. To insert after the word "stone'
oyster shell, gravel or iron bog ore.
| Fourth. To direct that the Board of
Freeholde shall select from the roads
petitioned for the ones to be built, they
having in mind the most used ones, and
the distributing of the benefits to all parts
of the county.
Fifth. To require that the President of
the State Board shall not approve of more
roads in any year than the State appropri-
alton will pay its 40 per cent. of the build
ing; nor'the Board of Freeholders put I'M
der contract in any year more than the
years Appropriation will pay for.
The resolution making change in the
division of the expense brought out a
that the townships got the most benefit
from the new roads and should bear part
of the expense. The township would be
free from all future care of the road. In
a long county, one end would get no bene-
fl from road in the other end.
On the other hand 1t was held that as
nearly every road would 90 through sew.
eral townships, it would take so many
bodies to approve the roads that none
would be approved.
The chief discussion arose from the
amendment to allow gravel and other
roads to come in with stone roads under
the same provisions This was strenu
ously opposed as opening too wide door
The advocates were told that it wonld
mean the building of make-shift roads
and if they had patience they would al
favor stone roads in time.
The people from Burlington and Mon
mouth counties replied that gravel road
were better suited to their needs thar
stone roads, and that the latter were i'm
practicable with them. They insisted tina
: gravel roads were as permanent in thei
nature as stone roads, and that those coun
ties should not be declared from the ben
: efits of the law. Their views prevailed.
The following officers were elected
President, G. G. Mcbride, Elizabeth; sec
rotary and treasurer, Franklin Dye, Tren
e ton; executive committee, first distric
a Hon. James J. Dawson, Swedesboro; sec
e ond district Clayton Conrow, Cinnamir
2 son; third district, Thomas G. Morris
l. fourth district. Hon, Benjamin E. Tine
}. Stanton; fifth district, Joseph G. Cooper
8 sixth district, James Owen, Newark
eighth district, Dennis Crane.
It Railroad Notes.