The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-02-17
The Stone Road.


ing questions which were propounded to
the writer, together with the answers,
may be of interest to the readers Of the
REooRD.
Question. What kind Of signatures
count on petition for stone road under
the State Aid law
1aSWeF. l understand the signatures
Of all owners of property abuttipg on the
road to be improved, count.
q. Surprising man held the deed for
n farm, and the farm was mortsaged for
about all it would sell for, and the man
holding the deed signed fer the road,
ought it to count
4. That depends on who owns the
farm, the man who holds the deed or the
one who holds the mortgage. under
stand the law 10 say that the abutling
property oaHftS shall pay l0 per cent of
the cost OF the road, and of course the
owner will have 10 pay the tax. II will
be seen at a glance that il would not be
just for Il man who claims exemption
from taxation by reason Of mortgages on
other debts en- his property, TO sign a pc
tltion 10 compel The man he owes TO pay
the heavy taxes incurred by building the
road. SO should say that If the man
who holds the deed phys the tax, his name
should count, and not Otherwise. This may
not be law, bat II is Gospel.
q. DO the signatures Of men living on
rented farms count
4. Ne, for ! understand the law to
say that only the signatures of the ownCrS
of the abutIing property shall count. A
little rejection will show that il those who
pay no tax on the farm they claim to own,
and these who live on rented farms were
allowed 10 sign the petitions, the stone
road business would indeed "boom.
q. II is said that the people vote on
the question whether the road shal be
built Notwithstanding the requisite mum.
Der Of sgncrs have been obtained Is tins
true
4. No. The people do their voting
at the town meeting when they elect the
Frecholders. After that they petition the
board the same as they would the legisla-
turc. II Il board OF freeholders are elect
cd who favor stone reads, OF course re-
monstrances will be OF no avail, therefore
il will be well to consider this question
when you vote
q, Learned authorities on the road
question state that the building Of these
roads will lessen taxation VIII that be
tho result
t. The only way TINT we can Judge
the future is by the pasl. las the build
ing Of stone roads been found TO have
that effect In Mercer Go. or any other
county in the State The state OF things
in Mercer county would seem 10 show
that taxes have not been lowered to any
appreciabe extent. The scheme is still
in its infancy in that county. aud 1t will
take many years TO stone the roads cf the
county, and If it is necessary nj this early
stage of proceedings TO issue bonds in
800, 900 lots how will it he twenty years
from now II u halt Is not sooner called
the county will be issuing bonds 10 pay
the interest on former issues.
q. How, and at what cost will the
roads be kept in order when completed
4. When completed these roads will
be taken ia charge by the county. The
county at large will be taxed, for The
funds for keeping these roads in rcpair
will be a county tax, so that people who
live in remote districts will pay their
share of the Tax In addition TO their town
ship tax for thcr own roads The lowest
estimate that | have henrd made by an
expert as 10 tho coat Of keeping these
roads in repair is 500 per mile per year
The expert said that there might not have
to be much work done for a year or two,
but by the end Of five years the road
would have to be roC0ated which would
N"Nt W lthAl HpVp pti ulllts Ie thought
that figure cheap for The work, and doubt
less it is, but will it lessen taxation? |
see it recommended that section gangs Of
experts be kept on the road to repair
breaks, Ac. which will end the working
out Of part OF the tax on the roads.
The road question is one Of the issues
Tint the people Of our county will have to
meet and solve in The near future, and the |
tax payers should have MI the light pos.
sblc on The subject in order TINT they may
meet the issue ntclligenly. TO day the
county Of IIunlefdon 10 practically out Of
ers 10 i'aY rs %" a. which makes taxes
come pretty high, but the people know
what they atc doing AL the time Now
by doubling our tuXcs We might build 10
miles Of road each ycnr, OF we might is
sue bonds 10 pay for the roads, which
would work all tight for few years, but
they would have to be paid N the end, so
the time Of high taxes would simply be
postponed for season. II should be re
membcred that "an ounce Of prevention
Is worth pound OF cure. II has not
been my intention 10 make any msslale-
menis 10 ihc above, but il have, desire
To be corrected, 50 That the people may
have correct light on the subject
A Book of Permanent Value.
Ecery American Citizen and etc,y stu.
tent IF AmertcaH History ond Collector
OF 11un1.inL III I'LL ann..L Il LII