New-York tribune., 1900-09-30

State TO the other upon roads build in each county
and made into a continuous system through a
well studied scheme which State Road Commits
sioner Henry l. Budd has nurtured ever since he
has held the Office
New-Jersey's modern roads have a total
length of thousand miles, which is consider
ably in excess Of that of any other State, while
five hundred miles of additional roads have been
applied for in of those for which contracts
have been awarded.
The project to build these roads by means of
State aid at the outset very unpopular. The
movement was started in one or two counties in the
southern part of the State by a few progressive
farmers who had become weary of hauling their
produce to market roads often hub deep in
sand or mud. 1t next taken up by the Oranges,
farmers clubs and county Boards of Agriculture
and discussed IN all its bearings Next the League
of American WheeImen lent hand, and in con-
nection with the State Board Of Agriculture sue
ceeded in securing the enactment of the first State
Aid law. This in 1892, and it finally
amended until the law of 1895 passed, which IS
! the present law. Originally the Boards Of Free
holders were compelled order the construction
of road where the necessary signatures OF the
adjoining property owners had been secured to the
petition, and in the event of the neglect or re-
fusal Of any of these Boards TO act provision was
made for mandamus proceedings, which had to be
resorted In Burlington County at the outset, as
the Board of Freeholders refused to award the
contracts to build the roads until compelled to do
so by the courts.
A year later those who most strongly opposed
these roads outspoken in their favor.
The result was a number OF additional roads were
satisfy the demand for extensions from all parts
Of a9e G9unfy % & Gnus NewJeEey nj mas Ihe hor0 f
construction Of PUBLIC roads by appropriations from
cared for at local expense Their supervision was
under local authority except where by special
act The money raised for their construction and
townships through which they passed.
The State Aid act recognizes the fact that the
where they live and that it was not right for the
local authorities TO be taxed I9T tne roads Wncn
it provides that when property owners along a
them shall petition the Freehoders for it, agreeing
thereby 70 pay 10 per cent of the cost; Upon the
its approval by the State Road Commissioner the
State will pay one-third and the county the re-
The only counties that have not yet availed
a9d and a5e Nav etbongb II s5omid not he
inferred from this that these Counties have no inn
proved roads. several of them have-nOtaby Ber-
for the elimination of the mandamus feature of
the law al! of these counties would have secured re-
yorable to them but the BOARDS & OF tresholdeTs
and have ignored all the petitions presented to
The State Road Commissioner Henry l. Budd is
largely due the credit for these as
ever since his appointment to the place. nearly
six years ago. In speaking Of the great strides
in the last decade. Mr. Budd said the other day:
ANY who had predicted ten years ago that
we would have such a complete system of roads
) have would have been locked upon as
visionary. Remember, the road movement was not
begun until 1892 The first road was built in Middle
sex County. from Old Bridge to Matawan, dis
tance of about FIVE miles. Burlington County next
made application for road, but II was bitterly
opposed the ground that IL would increase taxa
ton Litigation followed, resulting in decision in
favor Of the road. To-day the people are almost
unanimously in favor of good roads and in the
ty today there about 1l5 miles of road the re-
County Will about 80 miles of improved road;
Camden. IS; Essex. co. Gloucester, 30; Mercer. Ga;
Middlesex so; Monmouth 46; Morris, 80; Passaic,
20; Salem, 10; Somerset. q. and Burlington, 15:
''Ir 1893 81 the State built IS miles Of road in
1895 miles, 1896 81 miles; 1897. sc miles 1895, S4la
miles and 1899 lis miles. The total amount eX-
pended in road construction by the State and coun-
ties up this year was S,00l475, and during the
current year over $500, 600 will be expended"