Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-07-28
THE CHOSEN FREEHoLDERs.
July Meeting.
BUILDING STONE ROADS AND IMPROVING
THE STREET THRovGH WOODBURY.

THE STREET THROUGH WOODBURY.
BRIDGES AND GENERAL WORK
All the members of the Board were pres
emit at Thursdays stated meeting except
Messrs. Synnott Of Wenonah and Cooper o
East Greenwich.
The committee to which had been re-
ferred the petition for gravel road il
Mantua township, made the following re-
port, which was adopted:
To the Honorable Board of Frecholders of thu
| County Of Gloucester =
The committee on the Hurfiville and Sewel
| road beg leave TO report that they viewed said
that they could not recommend the building Of a
road SO billy and little used until many more
important roads have been accepted and built
by said county.
E. G. MILLER
WILLIAM NJ. ToMBLEsoN
Mr. Nichols. of committee to which had
been referred the petition for gravel road
from HuIffgille to Cross Keys, reported that
as the road was used a great deal the com
mittee recommended it be built. The re-
port was received and on motion of Mr.
Clark committee was appointed TO have
plans and specifications prepared for the
building Of the road. Messrs CLARK. Tom
bleson, Stanger, Hendrickson, and Starr
were constituted the committee VIM. c.
Cattell was elected engineer of the road and
his compensation fixed at SIS per day and
expenses for preliminary surveys and per
cent on cost OF road for supervision while
being built
| MessIs. Tonkin, Wilson and Nichol were
appointed a committee, with power to act
on the bridge over mill dam at Porch's mill
The second section oil the Glassboro aud
Westville stone road was reported in bad
condition. It had been cut out in the CEN
ire, was covered with small stone that
famed horses, aad was not fit for use. Sand
had been carted on the surface and its con-
dition generally was such that the COM
mittee should take charge of it and put it
in proper condition out of the money re-
tanned by the county. Engineer Albertson,
in reply to several questions, stated that the
sand surface. 10 the absence of rain or water
ing, was the best, in fact, the only treatment
that could be had, having the most practical
effect of holding the loose stone, which
otherwise would continually rub against
each other and make holes OIL excavations
The contractor had his instructions as TO
building, but when water was not used sand
surfaciDg was resorted to IS the next best
thing. The committee was instructed to
have the road repaired at contractors ex-
pense, as this section is not fually accepted
At the suggestion of Commits iouer Budd
the specifications for the gravel road 10
Franklin township were amended by pro-
Yiding for road Ii feet wide, instead of20
as originally adopted.
Specifications for gravel road from Ger
man street, Woodbury., to Knights Run, a
distance of 5 26-100 miles were read and
approved and ordered forwarded to Com.
missioner Budd for approval.
The following petition, signed by nearly
every property owner on the line of the
road, was read and received, and the fol-
lowing committee appo nted to have plans
and specifications prepared: Messrs Pier
son, Knight, Sharpley, Hendrickson and
Starr.
PETITION TO Improve BROAD STREET
WOODBURY., N. j.
To the Honorable Board of Chosen Freel.olders
of the County of Gloucester
We, the undersigned, owners of at least two.
thirds of the lands and real estate fronting or
bordering Oh that certain public road, situate in
the city of Woodbury. and county of Gloucester.
beginning at the Intersection of the Mullica
Hill and Woodstown stone turnpike road and
from thence extending in northerly direction
through the city of Woodbury. to the intersection
of the Woodbury. and Gloucester stone turn
pike road, a distance of about 1900 feet-said
public road or section Of road being less than
one mile in length, in connecting two improved
stone roads, we do hereby respectfully petition
and pray your Honorable Board to cause the
aforesaid road or section thereof to be improved
by the construction of macadamized road or
other stone road that will at all seasons of the
year be firm, smooth and convenient for travel,
under and in accordance with the provisions of
an act of the Legislature OF New Jersey entitled
IAN Act to provide for the permanent improve
ment of Public Roads in this State,'' which act
was approved March twenty-second, one thous-
and, eight hundred and ninety-five.
We do respectfully petition that you construct
said stone road fifteen feet wide, more or less,
each side of the present trolley street railroad
tracks. being the distence from the paved trolley
track to the cobbled CUTTERS through said city of
Woodbury. as aforesaid, and thus connecting two
permanently improved stone roads as aforesaid.
And we do respectfully show aud set forth
that we, the undersigned, owners of the land as
aforesaid. are willing that the peculiar benefits
conferred on the lands fronting or bordering on
said road or section shall be assessed thereon in
proportion to the benefits conferred, TO an
amount not exceeding ten per centum of the
entire cost of the Improvement.
Several of the members of the Board in
quired as to the authority of the county to
improve roads through the city.
Mr.. Pierson, replying, said there had
long been misapprehension regarding the
building of roads through cities. The
county, said he, has the right and will get
the usual State aid, the only distinction
being that after the completion of the road,
the municipal authorities must keep the
road in repair. Where the road proposed
to be built was connecting link between
two improved roads, the law conferred the
power upon the Freeholders to construct.
Instances in support of this were cited in
Camden county where roads had been built
into Camden and Gloucester cities.
MI. Nichol said his constituency were in
doubt as to the right of the Board to build
county road through the city, because its
benefits were not conferred on the county.
and because the street was really owned by
the city whose duty it should be TO i'm
prove the thoroughfare.
Director Starr said there was no question
as to the power to build the road under
the law, but if there was a doubt the
question would be settled by State Roads
Commissioner Budd when the plans were
submitted for his approval. AS matter
of justice and equity the Board ought to
authorize the improvement of this street
through the city, as the latter had paid
about oneseventh of the hundred and odd
thousand dollars expended foR the stone
roads built in and by the county. II was
within the legal right of the county to
authorize this improvement, and certainly
in all fairness the Board should not hes-
tate respecting favorable action on the
petition.
Mr.. Nichol suggested that the Boards
Solicitor be directed to advise the Board in
the matter.
Mr.. Pierson said this would simply mean
delay. The petitioners had come in good
faith to the Board for this street improve
ment. The question suggested had already
been passed upon, but if again raised the
State official would decide again, and if
the city was not entitled TO what it asked
for the matter would end there, and 10
delay the question now by reference would
thereby simply mean no advantage or profit
to anyone. This representation impressed
itself upon the judgement of the Board !;
every interest Of the county would thereby
be protected and no unnecessary delay
would be occasioned. Messrs. Sharply,
Knight, Pierson, Hendricks0n and the
Director were appointed as the committee
to prepare plans and specifications, and
William III. Carter was chosen as Engineer
Collector Morton of Clayton Borough
was authorized to collect the taxes in Clay
ton township.
The compensation of the members of the
County Board OF Registry and Election
was fixed at the same rates as paid last
year $45 for the Secretary, and $35 for
each the three other members.
The time for fual. completion of the
Ash 1nI