The record-union., 1897-02-03
STATE With GOOD ROADS.
Marked improvement Of New Jerseys
Public Highways.
State Aid and Systematic Methods
Have Resulted in Building Many
Miles of Smooth Roads.
(From the New York Tinles.)

(From the New York Tines.)
Ask any experienced bicyclist where
the best public roads can be found, ana
the answer will invariably be-in New
Jersey. That State has concedediy led
in systematic work of improving its
highways during the past few years.
In his annual report, just issued,
Henry l. Budd, State Commissioner of
Public Roads in New Jersey, says:
The State aid law has stimulated the
property holders of many counties to
spend hundreds of thousands of dollars
upon their roads, to meet the State ap-
propriation.'
Under this law the State has paid
since 1892 S466,5 ,595 for the improve
ment of the highways. which, added to
the amounts spent by counties and in
dividuals, makes an aggregate expend-
| iture within six years of 81 HOO, 900 for
| permanent roads in New Jersey. There
are 10000 miles of roads in the STATE,
and about 300 miles of the most fire.
quented highways have been improved
| permanently, on modern lines. Tempo
| rary improvements are being made in
every county. Many good roads leagues
and associations have been formed
| Through the agitation which they in-
| duce they have brought forth money
| and labor from their respective COM
| munities.
| Smooth, hard roads, beautified by
trees and shrubbery, have developed
| under the stimulus of these local good
| road leagues. Foot paths and cycle
paths have been created, and the dp-
pearance of various communities has
been SO changed that they have be-
come attractive centers of settlement
Too much stress cannot be laid upon
the Importance of these associations, -"
says Commissioner Budd. There is
| no power so useful as that which pr
| suades each and every person or com
| munity to do their best to help them
| selves by their own labor and contri
buttons"
A novel feature of the good roads
| movement in New Jersey is the propo
sition TO introduce instruction on road
building into the common schools. The
need of elementary instruction in thar
direction is seen every day. The State
report says: The ignorance that pre-
walls among the average rural resid eiits
regarding the proper manner of repair
ing even the common reads shows a
striking necessity for some kind of
technical instruction, guided by which
our ordinary township authorities will
be able to make the best use of the ever
present materials for keeping the roads
in proper repair. In travelling over the
country we often see men repairing a
miry roadway by throwing mud from
the bitches into the middle of the road
bed. In all our communities it is q
common practice to scrape The wornout
material, that has been repeatedly
washed from the center Of the road,
back into the middle of the road, only
to be agin washed out by the rain or
to be waded through as deep sand. Up
on our nlacadam highways there is a
prevailing spirit of neglect; instead of
Immediately repairing the little breaks,
our county officials leave them until
rods Of the stone become unraVeled.
necessitating, at times, the expenditure
of several hundred dollars per mile for
repairs, where a few dollars would have
been sufficient" !"
Education is to be conducted along
| the lines Of draining. and the preven-
tion of earth and water from mixing
on the roadbed; also to give knowledge
Of the proper admixture of suitable
earth materials, clay, sand and gravel,
in the proportions that will make an
imperyious roofing and form perfect
roadway for light traffic. People are
to be taught how to utilize the seasbore
shells, and the shales and states that
abound in many sections.
Satisfied by the experience of the
past that no system Of permanent road
building can be uniformly successful
unless fostered by the State, Commits
sioner Budd pleads for an annual State
appropriation of 100000 He says
Such an appropriation would give -
each county each year a healthy mile
age, the taxation TO meet, which would
not be burdensome, probably no mere
on the average than one eighth per
cent. on the rateables, and would re-
suit in an annual expenditure of moTa
than 81 .000sG00 for improved reads. a
rate that would soon place US in po-
sitien to attract millions of ca pital for
investment and thousands of progres-
sive citizens for permanent residents
Improved highways give
new life to the county through which
they pass, as they are often thronged
with bicycles and other pleasure vehi-
cles"
Interesting phases are developed in
the construction of new roads. For
instance Monmouth County is building
a road of bog ore four miles long, and
Salem County is constructing a high
way of oyster shells three miles long.
Atlantic County in 1S96-91 opens a new
era in road building, inasmuch as tina
county presents the first road in the
State constructed under the State aid
law out of any other material than
stone. Twenty-Five miles of gravel
road are being laid from Absecom to
Iiammonton, and Camden County will
also build twelve miles OF gravel TO
connect with the Hammonton road.
f&E- E