Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-02-01


From Harper's Weekly. Copyright, 1900, By
Harper \ Brothers.
ommcndS that the amount that coun-
ty may spend in any one year for per.
manent road building be increased
from one-quarter of per cent to one.
half of per cent Of the ratables.
MIR. Budd laments that the increase
in the cost of labor and material as
well ms freight rates for hauling stone
during last year made tile annual ap-
preparation of Sl500O0 only sufficient
to pay the states one-third Of the cost
of construction of S3 miles of road as
against III miles in 1899 The increase
in the price of stone was from 80 to 100
per cent. and this he attributes to a
combination on the part of the owners
Of stone quarrics. The increase in the
price of transportation of stone was
from 10 to 20 cents per ton.
"ln one county alone" he says. "the
railroad company transported for the
state aid roads over 1900 tons of
crushed stone. receiving for freight on
the same, at the rate of - cents ton.
about S26,000-an increase over last
year of about $1,000, and the distance
did not average over - miles from
the quarry to points Of delivery The
freight charged amounted to about one,
third of the cost Of the roads"
In his comments Mr., Budd says. We
think that although the quarrieS claim.
ed they were losing moHey al the old
-ates 1t was a great mistake for them
to combine 70 increase their prices be-
yond fair profit
The increase in the cost of labor. ma.
terial and transportation during the
last year, Mr. Budd says, brought the
average cost per mile for constructing
stone roads up to S5.3Sl, as compared
with an average cost of about 81 900
per mile in 1899 This increase is
developing a demand for the use of
gravel instead of stone in the building
of permanent roads.
Mr.. Budd also favors the use to some
degree of coarse sand or gravel instead
of all stone screenings for the binder be.
lNttil llit NpAl SITS vi u uHilNt StOut.
The printed report will this year be
accompanied by road map with all
the improved roads properly marked.
1t will show continuous good roads
from Jersey City to Camden and Allan
tic City and from Trenton to the sea
shore
The number of miles of permanent
roads built in New Jersey since the
passage of the state aid road law in
1898 is 5SS. This includes the g. miles
built during the past year. for which
state aid will be provided out Of the
1901 appropriation. 1t does not in.
clude. however the many miles of
stone roads built in Union. Essex.
Hudson and Bergen and perhaps other
counties at either county or township
expense before the state aid law was
passed.
The G5 miles built during the past
year for which no state aid has yet
been apportioned cost S2Sl, ,lS6.50, and
the states share will be one-third of
that amount, or $97 ,0G2I6. This will
increase to more than S950,000 the
states share of the cost for improved
roads In New Jersey When there Is
added to the nearly $3,000000 of total
cost for these roads the amount spent
for improved roads where no state aid
was allowed. it is probably not eX'
cessive to say that there has been
spent in New Jersey in the last 10 or
II years for permanent roads not less
than $4,000,000.