The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-22
out FOR BLOOD.
Mayor Pagan Urges the
Indictment Of the
Freeholders.
WEEHAWKEN BOULEVARD
It's Unfinished Condition Dis
pleases the Hoboken Good
Roads Association

The question Of who is responsible for
the condition of the Weehawken loop of
the Boulevard occupied the attention of
the members of the Hoboken Division of
the Good Roads Association of Hudson
County, at its annual meeting held last
evening in Quartette Club Hall. Boulevard
Commissioners Charles Birdsall, Daniel
Y. Lewis and Robert Urquehart were pre-
sent at the meeting and impaired a deal
of information to the members of the
association on matters pertaining to
county roads in general.
Chairman w. f. Cogan of the Road
Committee in reading his annual report
urged the members of the associalion to
ascertain who was responsible for the
care of the Boulevard. He said
Notwithstanding the deplorable condi-
ton of the Boulevard it is no exaggera-
ton to say that the Boulevard Commits
sioners have a hard task before them it
they endeavor to meet the expectations
| of the public as to the way the road
| should be maintained. The, Weehawken
loop is open to the same criticism and
/ more so. The retaining wall has fallen
| down in many places, the top dressing is
| falling off and the surface is greatly in
need of cleaning. Yet there is 10 one to
do it.
go to the Freeholders and they tell
| you the loop is part of the Hudson Boule-
ward, and as such is under the control OF
the Boulevard Commission. On the other
! hand the gentlemen who comprise the
latter say that the loop is an uncom-
pleted contract, subject to and under the
| jurisdiction of the Board of Chosen Free
holders. Under these peculiar conditions
it seems as though it was the duty OF the
Good Roads Association to act officially
and ascertain at once which body IS ac-
| countable for the proper care OF what Is
| considered by experts the finest piece OF
| road in his section of the country II not
in the whole United States.
1.-The Road Committee also recommends
that action be taken on the delay to the
work of constructing the Hoboken extern
sion of the Weehawken loop. Last Octo-
Der we were promised that the road, with
the exception of the viaduct, would be
| finished before the snow fell. Such, how
| ever, has not been the case, and now,
while rapid progress is being made with
the iron work of the viaduct, the
macadamizing is at a standstill."
Commissioner .Birdsall explained that
the Boulevard Commissioners had nothing
to do with roads under construction. He
said that the uncompleted loop was not
under the jurisdiction of the commission,
and that until such was the case that
body could exercise no influence or power
over it's care.
M, D;rIea1l ~ Mo ;pad fha 6ifiaf1fipS the
| Commission had to contend with when it
| county roads, and said he was glad to see
thai the association appreciates this fact.
He said that the association could rest
| assured that the county received a dol
| lars worth for every dollar expended by
the Commission.
zone of the most irritating things we
were confronted WITH said Mr.. Birdsall,
"was the wretehed condition of the cleo
tric light plant at Snake Hill. When the
present Commission took charge of things
! the plant had the appearance of a desert
ed factory. The boilers and dynamos
were out of order, the window sashes
were broken and in fact everything in
the place was contrary to what it should
be-"
The bulk of the money appropriated for
the roads, the speaker declared had to be
used in r~enovating the plant. 1t was now
in fairly good running order, he said.
Commissioners Lewis and Urquhart,
President Hexamer and Mayor Lawrence
Pagan of Hoboken also addressed the
meeting. The latter moved that a COM
mittee of five be appointed to go before
the Grand Jury and have the Freehold
ers indicted for not having the Hoboken
| extension of the Weehawken loop finished
as called for, and for allowing the Pater-
| son Plank Road to remain Sin such a
wretched condition. The motion was
| carried by a unanimous vote.
The meeting adjourned after the re-
| election of the following officers for the
| ensuing year:-President, A. Philip Hex
amer; first vice president, l.. G.. Cells;
| second vice president, w. G. Whittemore;
| secretary, lido F. Rocker; treasurer, c.
w. Disbrowe.
Executive Committee-Lawrence Pagan,
Samuel Besson, A. ]. Volk, Henry Mehl,
H. H. Rolffes and Charles Schultze.