The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-16
STONE ROAD BUILDING
Commissioners Henry |. Budd
Hands His Report to Cover
nor Werts-More Money
Asked.
Special t,the Jersey Citu News.

TRENTON. Dec. 16. 1895.-The report OF
the State Road Commissioner Henry I.
Budd. has been handed to Governor
Werts, relative to stone road building in
| the State
He states that besides the forty-f1ve
miles OF roads that nave been approved
for 1896. there is filed application for
$50 miles of stone road, and when it is
remembered that Stone roads on an
average cost about $1,000 a mile, the
State is confronted with a very difficult
problem. The first practical operation for
improved Stone roadways began in Els
sex county more than twenty years ago,
where. under a special law. the county
built 200 miles of telford and macadam
roads. many of them being the elegant
boulevards for which the county is
famous. Inspired by the example of Els
sex, Union procured the passage of a
| general law, and borrowed s455, 900 and
covered the county with a complete sys-
tenn of telford and macadam Dads. It is
estimated that upwards of $500. 900 is an
nually raised and expended for repairing
and maintaining county roads, and be-
cause of the bad foundation of these
roads, much of this money is thrown
away.
In 1874 the State Board of Agriculture
began the agitation Of State III for road
building.
In 1891 New Jersey passed the original
State aid law. The salient features Of
this State law are that the abutting
property along the improved roadway
pay 10 per cent. of the cost; the State,
SO 13 per cent, and the county the bal
ance of the cost and maintain the road.
The first money ever PAID in the Unitsu
States under a State aid law was to the
and the amount was $40, ee1. s.; In 1899.
During the year 1895, the State spent Just
800, 600, which was the annual appropria-
ton. During the past year the roads
constructed in Essex county were Mount
Pleasant avenue turnpike. length two
States share. $S39.37
For the current year. the important
e Soto5er 81 fol Isss she are stats as fD DaSNnle before
Burlington county. Mount Holly and
Pemberton. six miles: B~ridgeboro and
and West Palmyra, three-idths Of a
mile.
Budd lane bridge, three miles.
Gloucester. county. Westfeld and Glass
boro road. six miles.
ton road. six miles: Spotwood and Old
Bridge. three miles.
Mercer county, remington ana rope
we'll road, four n onelhalf miles, Law
| renceville and Princeton road, four and
three-quarter miles; Mercervile and Ed
inburgh, four and two o~ne-hundredths
Morris County. Wellington and vii,
hams Corner road, two and one-half
miles.
Passaic County. ECHO Lake road, two
and forty-six one hundredths miles.
Total. fifty and eight on~e-hundredths
The State and Road Commissioner urges
the adoption Of convict labor for stont
road making very much In the spirit
Tournament at Atlanta. He thinks tina
this would be one of the ways of solving
the problem that has for years ~irritatee
Wet labor In competition with homes Ia.
Dor in the production of commodities
There is not a County in the State but
for road building, and those In prison
for preparing the material for roads
Iastt urges - t ardi ad sncae - by sll fown rshapae co n,
the use of broad tires on wheels; He sug-
gests the rebate of 81 on each vehicle,
and to make it Compulsory that vehicles
tires.
interest of good roads he is silent. but
personally has expressed the opinion
that he doubts whether a bicycle could
the subject of special taxation; that II
the bicycle betaxed. all other. vehicles
that use public highways would be sub
ject ito the same tax; hat there are
other vehicles that do positive damage tc
roads while the bicycle is disposed t.
improve 1T. He, however, does touch
mites of having steel roads, so hat We
hicles of all kinds, as well as bicycles
shall have the advantage of trackage.
In his recommendation he urges tina
there be an increased appropriation. but
does not name any amount, but 1t is
road advocates is for an annual appro.
priation of at least 5000. 900. The mount
however, will all depend on the action
of the State Road Improvement Assoc
citation meeting in January. No matter
what increase is asked for. there will
be an exciting fight over the bill, be.
cause the farmers In localities are begin.
ming to murmur about the increase O
FOR stone roads' n Think It woulS
already accomplishing stands the veal
and tear of time and wagon tires.