Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-01-23
THE CHOSEN FREEHoIDERs.

fAA%Ss
The January meeting of the Board {
Chosen Freeholders was held in the C0uT
House last Thursday and county roa
propositions claimed a large portion of til
present except Mr.. Walton, who wa
absent on account of illness.
Mr.. Usinger raised the question 0
grading and excavating the lines of tn
county roads aud said, in his opinion
this work should be done by the township
through which the roads ran. 1t would
materially lessen the cost of the roads t.
county and be an evidence that the roat
was desired by all the people of the town
ship, and not alone by the abutting prop
erty owners. He then moved that hereafte
grading and excavating be township ex
pense, and the motion was adopted by 1
vote of to IA.
Messrs. Beckett, Nichols and Handle
the committee to view the proposed Null
lica Hill and Glassboro road, reported il
favor Of it's construction, distance OF
and ! miles. The estimated cost of the
road is $1l, 300. committee consisting Of
Messrs. Beckett, Nichols, Handle, Ledder
and the Director was appointed to prepare
plans and specifications of same.
Messrs. Nichols, Hoffman and Handle,
the committee on the county road from
Mullica Hill to the Salem county line, on
the old Bridgeton pike, a distance of
miles. reported favorable to its construction,
and estimated the cost at 1929 VIM. C.
Cattell was elected engineer of both these
roads.
Messrs. Wilson, Usinger and Tonkin
reported favorably to the construction OF
county road from Swedesbor0 to the
Salem county line at Auburn, a distance
of 81 miles, and recommended stone road
at an estimated cost Of ST., 541.64, the
township of Woolwich to do grading and
excayating to the amount of 81, 200. The
report was favorably received, and Messrs
Wilson, Usinger, Tonkin, Hoffman and
the Director were appointed to have plans
and specifications prepared.
A motion by Mr.. Hendrickson at the
above plans and specifications when re-
ceived be filed until such time as the county
finances warrant their construction, was
adopted.
A proposition by the South Jersey Elec-
trio and Traction Company to pay $50 per
year for the privilege of laying gas pipes
across the Hunter street Broad street
bridges was accepted.
The committee on the gravel road from
Hardingville to Glassboro, recommended
awarding the contract to Jos. S. Fisher, the
lowest bidder at $685.. so, which recon-
mendation was adopted.
When the committee on the Clayton and
Williamstown road came to report, Mr..
FISHER made protest against awarding the
contract to Smith Tomlin, of Bridgeton, at
Sc, 261, because Mr.. Tomlin, after hearing
the bids on the other road read, made a
change which brought his bid slightly
under that of Fisher Mr.. Tomlin ad-
mitted making the change, which he
claimed he had legal right to do, and
called the Boards attention to the fact
that, when the bids were opened on the
same road, the bid of Fisher was found
to be blank, and he was permitted to
A motion was made to reject all the bids
and readvertise, and a spirited discussion
followed Freebooter Handle claimed that
members of the Board were making it a
personal matter. He said If Tomlin had
not been the lowest bidder there would
have been no contention, and that, if his
bid had been in his pocket, as Fishers
was, it would have been thrown out.
He claimed that Mr.. Tomlin had saved the
county money in coming here and bidding
on previous work, and should be accorded
fair treatment Mr., Handle favored readver-
Using for bids on both roads, but the
majority of the Board insisted that the
awarding of the contract to Mr.. Fisher
on the Hardingville road was proper, and
by a vote of II to the bids on the
Williamstown road was rejected, and new
bids will be asked for.
John McCleary protested against closing
up the entrance to his farm on the line OF
Knights Run county road, and asked to
have same re-opened. The matter was
referred to Freebooter Bender.
A petition for a gravel road on what is
known as Chapman's Mill road, from
Swedesboro to Mullica Hill, a distance of
At miles was received and filed. This
petition may be said to be dead.
An ordinance was introduced granting a
franchise to William j. Peall and Thomas
P. Strittmatter to lay and maintain gas
pipes along the road from Paulsboro to
Swedesboro. The ordinance was referred
to committee Of three, to report at the
next meeGlUS Oh the DOdfu.
Mr.. Hendrickson reported that Mr.. An
drews, one of the Board of Directors of the
Trenton State Hospital had complained to
him of lack of accommodations for the
insane in the county asylum. No action
was taken to remedy the matter.
Joseph Summerill appeared before the
Board on behalf of the Paulsboro Traction
Company, seeking information as to when
the Board contemplated taking action on
the ordinance granting a franchise to the
company to build the trolley road on the
stone road. After lively discussion on
the subject the Board gave Mr.. Summerill
assurance that the ordinance would be con-
sidered at the next meeting, and Mr.. Sum-
merrill added that, with fair and Just
treatment, the company would build and
operate trolley road between this city and
Swedesboro within two years.
The report of County Collector Pierson
showed receipts, including amounts pre-
viously reported, of 1925, 1877. so, with
balances in banks of 1923, 038.6
Three persons were added to the pauper
list-one in Greenwich township and two
in Woolwich.
On motion of Mr.. Mathers, a committee
to consist of three members of the Board
and the Solicitor, was appointed to confer
with our Senator and member Of Assembly
in the matter of securing the county's claim
against the State growing out of the main
tenance of insane in the county asylum
Messrs. Mathers, Barnaby and Walton were
appointed.
Mr. Tonkin, of the Lunacy Committee
reported having visited the State Hospital
and found everything in good shape and
the county patients well cared for.
A motion by Mr. Mathers providing that
where the surface of county roads is in good
shape those portions be not torn up, but
merely re-surfaced, was adopted
Adjourned.
Obituary.