The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-23
g AMEND ROAD ACT
An Effort to Be Made to
Make the Law More
General.
ESSEX WANTS TIE CHANGE
Any Street May Re Paved Il Is
Said, at the Expense of
the Entire County.
ESSEX WANTS TIE CHANGE

ototC itOdQ All dCt QuI444S liG dppEOdCH-
ing session of the Legislature. Two years
ago an attempt was made to change in
some important particulars the provisions
of the law, and it was nearly successful.
There is little doubt but that the law in
its general application viii work a con-
siderable injustice to the people in certain
localities, and there has been more Of an
effort during the past year to make the
law more generally applicable than in
any yea since its enactment.
This is especially true in Essex County.
A considerable amount of work has been
done under the law in Essex County dur
ing the year, and preliminary steps have
been taken to secure the benefits of the
law for a number of additional roads in
the county. The pavement of South Or
ange avenue, in Livingston and Millburn
Townships; Grove avenue, Verona, and
Grove street, in Montciair, are now under
way; Walnut street, in Livingston, and
Franklin avenue, Bloomfield, nave been
passed on and application has been made
for the pavement of what is known as the
North and South Midway in Livingston
and Millburn Townships, this latter road
covering a distance of seven or eight
miles.
The benefit to the property owners
along the line of the proposed improve
ment under the State law is apparent to
every individual. Only 10 Per cent. of the
cost of paving is levied on the property
owner. The county and the State pay the
balance, and ever afterward the cost for
maintenance CT the road is a charge on
the county at large. In a period OF ten
years this cost of maintenance, it is esti-
mated, is equivalent to the original cost
of the pavement.
On a road that is distinctively a coun-
ty road it is perhaps proper that 50 large
q share Of the original cost, and of the
total cost of maintenance, should be paid
by the county. But under the State road
law application may be made for the
pavement of any road, whether it is a
general highway or one that may properly
be considered only d local road.
Take for example the roads thai have
been paved or are to be paved in Essex
County, under the State Board act. The
Pompton turnpike, which was the first
road paved under the act. is an impor-
tant county highway, mainly in Verona
Township. Grove avenue. in Verona Town
snip ID LII liz Gil q SOoAAly lag - -
runs from Bloomfield avenue in Verona
to the Pomptcn turnpike at Cedar Grove.
The cost of the Pompton turnpike was
$40, 49, II, of which the State paid one-third
and the county the balance, though 10
per cent. of the total cost will be repaid
to the county when collected from assess
ments levied against the property. The
estimated cost of Grove avenue Is about
$4,000, divided at the same ratios as
above.
In Livingston Township the Mount
Pleasant avenue turnpike, mainly in the
township; the Mortified road, also largely
in Livingston Township; South Orange
avenue, in part in Livingston township,
and Walnut street, wholly in Livingston
Township, have been or are to be paved.
The Mount Pleasant avenue turnpike
cost $4,000; the Mortified road. $4,000;
South Orange avenue. s2s,0o0. and Walnut
street will cost about 5000. This is a total
of $S5, eco. All but the last mentioned are
important county highways. This State
must pay SIS, 500 and the county $50, 700, of
which $500 will be repaid to the county
when collected for assessments on the
property owners.
In Montclair the Little Falls road was
paved at a cost of about "a, 400, and Grove
street, for a distance of one mile TO the
Passaic County line, is under way. The
cost will be about $1,000. Franklin avenue,
in Bloomfield, is only a short piece OF
road, three-fourths of a mile, and the
cost will be about $4,000.
If the work of street paving under the
State act is to become general, any street
or road in the county may be paved main
~. at the expense OF the taxpayers OF the
whole county. The abutting property
owners will escape with a very small
share of the cost, and the locality in
which the road is escapes from any other
expense either in the building or mann
tenance of the road.
Take for example Grove street, IN Mont
clair, the cost to the abutting properly
holders is but a mere tribe, not more tnan
sixty cents for each 100 feet frontage on
the street. OF the share paid for by the
county the Montclair taxpayer Will con-
tribute his portion in accordance with the
ratio of county taxes paid by the town
ship, but this will be infnitesimal. The
same is true of the cost OF maintaining
the road-oniy such share of the cost as is
contributed BY the. township to the county
tax will be paid by the Montclair tax
payer. -
of this road in Montclair. Orange, East
Orange and every other township IN the
county IN like manner Newark Orange
and East Orange, in accordance with the
ratio Of count taxes to the total borne
by each, will each contribute to the cost
OF maintaining the pavement Oh Grove
Newark now pays over two-thirds of
the entire count tax and at that ratio
Newark pays for the portion of the cost
Of paving and the cost of maintenance OF
roads improved in the county under the
State road law, levied against the county
East Orange pays 10 per cent. OF the en-
tire tax, and its share of the cost OF paw
ing and maintaining such road is at that
ratio. The balance, about 70 per cent. of
the total count tax. is divided between
Orange and all the other townships in the
county. Montclair actually pays a very
small percentage, and in Livingston, where
by far the largest amount of money for
roads improved under the State law has
been expended, the percentage of its
share of county taxes is about one-half of
/ per cent.
The injustice of this system of road i'm
provennent is apparent. Newark has spent
several millions of dollars for street paw
ing. Every dollar of this has been as
sessed either directly against the property
owner, and paid by him, or paid by the
city at large in the city tax levy. The
entire cost of repairs has also been as
sessed directly against the local taxpay-
ers. Not one dollar has been charged
against the county at large
In East Orange a million and three
quarters have been expended in the past
twenty-five years for street paving, and
the total expense has been met by the
local taxpayers. Thescost for repairs has
also been a charge against the township.
Not one dollar has been contributed by
the county at large. The same thing Is
true of Orange. and to a great extent of
most of the other townships east Of the
"a, N or Maintains