The Penn's Grove record., 1904-10-21
BOARD OF F-REEHoLDERs.

Salem, ON the lZCh, all the members De
ing present and Director Ayres presid-
ing.
The committee on the construction OF
the Penn's Neck State Road reported
that the road was practically completed
1t is built OF oyster shells, is 5.S7 miles IL
length, extending from the Penn's Neck
Bridge at Salem to the village OF Penns-
vile. The total cost of the road Is
S32, $685. "a, OF this SIT, 1888, "a being Ion
labor and extra dirt carted on the cause
way and $50, 900 for the shells used.
The WoodstOwn State read was report.
ed completed. Mr.. Borton commended
the contractors for the manner i'll which
they had pushed the work through,
while the road itself is one OF the most
beautiful III South Jersey. 1t is built Of
the Warran bitulithic material and cost
$36, 25S. rs.
Messrs. j. F.. Ayres, J. r. Edwards
and w. j. Freas, the committee on the
construction of an iron bridge at Rem
stervilIe, reported that they had re-
ceived ten bids, and recommended the
acceptance of the bid OF the New Jersey
Bridge Company for plain A for $l09e
they being the lowest. The recommend
alton was accepted-by the Board. The
Board also awarded to the Canton Bridge
Company the contract for an iron bridge
near the Pleasant Hill school house for
$34S.
The Matter of the Road Improvement
bonds was then brought up and Mr..
Freas presented the following resolution
which was adopted by the Board:
Whereas, K. M. Grant & Co. i'll their
bid for the twenty thousand dollars
of Road Improvement Bonds required
that the county furnish such certified
copies OF minutes and other copies OF
proceedings as they desire, aid whereas,
r. M. Grant & Co. have requested this
Board to furnish copies and atfidavits
which they are unable to do, and R. M.
Grant q Co. have expressed their will
lingness to withdraw their bid and ac-
cept the return of their check. and. the
| the Board of Chosen Freeholders OF
county are willing to grant the same;
Resolved, That the Board of Chosen
Freeholders of Salem county release R.
M. Grant & Co. from said bid for
the twenty thousand dollars OF Road I'm
! ~provenent Bonds and that the Director
and County Collector return r. NJ.
Grant & Co. their certified check.
Mr.. Freas also offered the following,
which was adopted:
Resolved, That the County Collector
| of the County of Salem sell to purchas-
| ers the twenty thousand dollars Road
Improvement Bonds issued on account
| of the Lower PENIS Neck State road at
not less than par.
The Collector stated that the entire
issue had already been engaged by local
investors.
The citizens of Pedricktown had a
huge petition before the Board asking
that the county repair the county line
bridge at Pedricktown or build a new
one. The petition was placed upon file.
This matter has been before the Board
for some time, Salem county being fav-
orable to the erection of a new structure
there while Gloucester county is oppos-
ed to such a move as the meadows on
the Gloucester county side are out to
the tides and at high water the tide
flows I'VE the eauseway leading to the
bridge. Gloucester county wants to
close the bridge but as there is SO much
travel over it at low water the Free
holders Of our county have placed the
matter in the hands of Solicitor Sum-
merrill, who will appeal to the Supreme
Court
When the contract was let for the
building of the Woodstown State road
it was ordered that two-thirds payment
for the same be provided by an issue OF
bonds designated ''Road Improvement
Bonds. r. M. Grant q Co., the New
York bankers, were the successful bid
ders for these bonds, which not only in
Guided those for part payment on the
Woodstowdn roa but also those on the
PENIS Neck State road, but upon adj
vice OF thei--codrseA-e~sed~to aeeepk
the issue, which was for 500, 600, quest
ioning their legality, that is as lar as
the bonds on the Woodstown road were
concerned, but agreed to accept $40, 900
worth upon the Penn's Neck road, upon
approval OF their attorney. But after
accepting this latter issue they wanted
the Freeholders to furnish certain date
and affidavits that were impossible to
give and at this meeting, as previous
ly stated, were released from their con-
tract, and the bonds ordered sold to
local investors. As yet no money has
been received from these bonds to pay
for the roads already constructed, the
bills for which are now due, and the
Board was forced to execute notes to
the Standard Bitulithic Co., to pay for
the Woodstown road, pending an issue
of bonds. Therefore the following res
olution was adopted:
Resolved, That the County Collector
and Director execute a note to the
Standard Bitulithic Company for $40, 447
being the eighty per cent. cost of the
Woodstown State road less the amount
already paid, said note to run for ninety
days and in anticipation of the issue Of
bonds for the payment of two-thirds
cost of said road, and that the Director
and County Collector execute a note for
three months so the Standard Bitulithic
Company for $543S. 81 on the acceptance
of the road by the committee, being
fifteen per cent. of the cost of said road.
w. T. billiard, Esq, submitted the
following opinion to the Board on the
legality of the 500, 600 bond issue:
To John F. Ayres, Director of the Board
of Chosen Freeholders of the County
of Salem:
At the request of your Board, | have
| examined the minutes and proceedings
| made and taken by it in reference to
the proposed issue of twenty thousand
dollars of county Road Improvement
Bonds to pay the share of the county
in the cost OF the improvement of the
| State Road from Salem to Pennsville,
now lately completed, which bonds are
to be issued under the provisions of the
act of the legislature of this State,
entitled can act to provide for the per-
manent improvement of public roads in
this State,'' approved April l, 1903, and
| the supplement thereto, and | am of the
opinion hat all the requirments of said
act in r~e.ation to the issue of much
bonds, have been fully complied with,
that SAID proposed issue of bonds is law
full and that said bonds may lawfully
be sold by your Board at either public
70 private sale as it may elect and with
or without advertisement.
Very truly
W. T. billiard.
Dated October IL, 1904.