The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-30
hAL SALE.

foundations, having found that roads so
constructed will stand without repair TOT
years, and are not affected by the severe
frosts of Winter. A practical iliustra-
ton OF the success OF the thick VS.. the
hin pavement was shown on valley ROAD,
which is an old road running between
Montclair and Paterson, q distance Oh
about eight miles, part lying IN Passaie,
the rest In Essex counties. The Mont
clair portion was built as the other tel
ford streets OF the town were butS, while
Psssaic m-acadamized. The result was
that while the former part is still in per-
feet condition, the Passaic section was
badly broken by the frosts OF the nrss
winter and repairs were sadly needed
the following spring. However, this
question must be settled according to the
locality and degree Of economy neces,
for Essex or Union might be poison for
other places.
WHAT ROADS HAVE DONE.
It eannot be aaes,iGned that at he ae,y many any
sey owe their prosperity to their spien-
did thoroughfares. What would Morris
town, Montcla..r, the Oranges be II their
streets should relapse into the condition
of far too many suburban towns, where
mud is rampant and the conqueror Of all
things? However, this would seem to be
impossible, thanks to the energetic eff
forts of the State government, to lend a
heiSinE hand in the road question. Ihe
first road law in New Jersey was known
as the Essex Road Boar law, which
CS XXI 49, IoRS SooAks .
Hudson county, the year following, also
had a county road law passed.. put rhe
law was allowed to lapse and nothing
was done. Between 1868 and 1875 individ-
ual townships had special laws passed,
enabling them to t~elfordize their roads
and pay for them in the way the law
designated in accordance with the idea
end sentiment of each community, vary
ing in the various localities. The next
step was a general law passed in 1855,
authorizing the townships to improve
~, - ,,oado This hoo haan a UGTU GIrn-
ave awaited themselves of that law.
The law provides for a vote of the peo-
selves for the amount necessary for road
building. The people in this way hold
the entire case In their hands, and in
called for the vote was in the affirmative
In 1856 the law known as the General
County act wal passed, which authorizes
the Board of Freeholders to take certain
roads which they may see fit and make
them county roads. which are in the flu
ture cared for by the county, two-thirds
of the assessed cost falling upo it, the
rest upon the township in which the
The next step was the passing of the
State Aid act, whereby the State can
spend each year sa5.oo0, Wn aasl oo means a
lows: This law provided that whenever
the Freeholders in any county have de-
clared their intentions of causing any
particular road to be m-acadamized, I'm
der certain rules and regulations they
shall call it a county road, and they
shall certify to the State Board of Agri-
culture their action, with bid upon their
work. When the action is Endorsed by
he chairman of the Board of Agriculture
the State. shall pay one-third of the cost,
he remainder being paid by the county,
which is taxed under the general tax
regulations.
So far has the work progressed. There
is a great deal to be done, whereby Jer-
sey can free herself from the faint of
mud, but stu she has lone much.
Thanks to the united efforts Of the
there are many miles of telford and mac
adam roads in the northern part of the
Jersey IS 4 small State, but she has laid
out for herself a big job, but Judging
the future by comparing the past by the
present, She will accomplish what she
has undertaken