The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-19
LAW FOR GOOD ROADS
Chief Consul Of the New
Jersey Wheelmen Will
Present a Bill to the
Legislature.
WHAT IT SEEKS TO ACCOMPLISH
Work of State Bicyclists at the
Last Election--Mr. Holmes
to Retire.
WHAT IT SEEKS TO ACCOMPLISH
Special TO the Jersev cttn Ne,cs.

1TLION 1ON, NOV. 10 1oof--ShlcL SOh-
sui James S. Holmes. Jr., of the New
Jersey Division of the League of Ameri-
con Wheelnen, has received a copy OF
a good roads bill which the Highway
and Improvement Committee of the Penn
sylvania Division of the League of Amer
lean Wheelmen want to have enacted
into law at the next session of the Legis-
lature in hat State. 1t comes up to
Mr.. Holmes conception, in most details,
of a law which he says ought to be pass
ed next year by the Legislature of New
Jersey.
The bill provides that, upon petition of
a majority of the resident taxpayers in
any township or borough, the Court of
Quarter Sessions shall, unless sufficient
cause be shown to the contrary, grant an
order making the road or roads desig-
mated in the petition public thorough
fares within the meaning of the act.
The act then provides as follows:
The improvements to be made upon
such public ~thoroughfares shall consist
of the construction of a permanent road
bed, we'll arched 16 feet wide, thoroughly
underdrained, with a covering of inches
of hard broken stone of at least 2 inches
mesh, we'll protected at the sides by
copings of stone wall or tagging, with
sufficient causeways built of stone or
earth, properly covered, to carry and
divert the water from the side bitches;
provided that broken stone need not be
laid as a covering aforesaid in any por-
ton of such ~thoroughfare where, from
the natur of the soil, a firm and suitable
foundation can be secured without such
covering.
PLANS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT.
The plans and specifications for improv-
ing those public roads n the estimated
cost thereof shall be made by the County
Surveyor, after a careful inspection and
survey thereof by himself, or by compe-
tent deputies appointed by him for the
purpose, and the same shall be filed in
his Office for public inspection within
one year after the passage of this act.
And he shall also in the same manner
make and file the plans and specihca-
tons for improving all other public thor
within one year after any public road
lave been declared a public thor
oughfare" by the court, as aforesaid.
The cost of the same shall in all cases be
paid out Of the county treasury, IN the
manner hereinafter provided;
GRADES TO BE REDUCED.
If the County Surveyor shall find, in
making his plans and specifications for
LIN AAAP An
aforesaid, that it is necessary and prac-
teal to reduce the grade of the roadbed,
he shall show on his map or draught' the
most feasible plan for accomplishing the
either by cutting down the top
of the grade and filling, or he shall pro-
coed to make a survey for the shortest
and best route for relaying so much of
said thoroughfare as may be necessary
and practical to reduce the grade to a
practical degree, and he shall exhibit
the same by suitable maps and ~draughtS,
- 1865 ALoL 80 -O0
to the Court of Quarter Sessions; and it
then be the duty of the Court of
Quarter Sessions to appoint three disin-
terested men of the county, not residents
road may be located, to view and relocate
so much of the ROAD as shall lie between
the termini designated on the maps of
the County. Surveyor. and thereupon the
as now provided by law for relaying
public roads in thi.l Commonwealth,
with the same provision for the payment
of damages to the owners of and so
for public use; provided, that the
said viewers may select the route for re-
such thoroughfares1 as designated
on the maps of the County Surveyor, or
any other route at their discretion be-
tween the termini designated on such
maps. The proceedings In court upon
their report to the court shall be the same
as is now provided for relaying public
in this Commonwealth.
The proposed act then goes on to say
a respectable number of resident
taxpayers may petition the county Grand
and, at it's recommendation, the Court
Of Quarter Sessions shall order such
Improvement, unless sufficient cause to
the contrary shall be shown.
provement the proposed law provides for
an annual tax levy to be made by the
Commissioners.
MR. HOLMES TO RETIRE.
COnCItl e. HnlrocC. iCL CatftnO hi IF nio1
business in shape to turn over to his sue
cesor on December L. He say many
things have been accomplished by the
wheelmen OF the State during the last
year Of which he has reason to feel proud,
he wishes that his private business
would have permitted him to continue
at theirshead. The agitation in favor of
good roads by the Wheelmen, he says,
will prove of great benefit to the State.
The good roads campaign conducted
prior to the last election vas a success,
he says, although two Of the wheelmen's
candidates were defeated. Mr.. Holmes
thinks that, while the good roads ques-
ton did not enter largely into the result
Of the election, it at least aroused the
cred the election throughout the State
Of men who nave pledged themselves to
work for better roads. The question
is, Will they keep their pledges?
Holmes has sent the following letter
to the local Consuls throughout the
5tate:-
My Dear Sir,-My term of office as
Chief Consul expires December /, and
woul like at this time to express to
my appreciation of our efforts in
of the New Jersey DIVISION, and
to thank you most heartily for the as
you lave given me during the
past year.
The division is in much better shape
financially thar I had hoped we could
get it, and this administration has much
o be proud Of.
I hope you will continue your work to
Increase the interest in the League of
American Wheelmen and Good Roads,
If ever in Orange l would be pleased
10 have you call and see me. Sincerely
JAMES S. HOLMES, JR.
Orange, November s., 1894.