The Penn's Grove record., 1905-03-17
CHOSEN FREEHOLDERs

CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS
Get Cost of Maintaining State Roads.
The regular meeting of the Freeholders
was held in the Court House Salem on the
9Th with all members present except VIM.
]. Freas. Director Ayres called the meet
ing to order after which roll was called.
The minutes of last meeting were read and
approved as read. Clerk Ford then read
the bills which weress all ordered paid
Sheriff Johnson's bill for the board of vag-
rants for the month ending Tuesday was
for 1922. 623: Mayor Miller's bill for
commitments and officers fees was for the
same time was for 500. rs. The bill for the
board of prisoners for one month was 1916.
724. Mr.. Borton, for the Woodstown dam
bridge committee reported that the town
ship had served a legal notice on Mr.. Col
son, the owner of the dam bridge, that
unless the dam be erected within thirty
days the township would build a road there
without erecting a dam The notice was
served about two weeks ago but MI. Col
son had been sick in bed ever since and
nothing had as yet been done.
The Woodstown State Road Committee
had nothing to report. The Pedricktown
draw bridge is for the time abandoned be-
cause of the impossible roads. Freebooter
Griscom reported the Warrington sluice
still frozen tight. The Bridge and State
Roads Committee and no reports to make.
The Public Building Committee which
has in charge the matter of the purchase of
the typewriter for the use of the Board has
taken no action and asked Clerk Ford to
give his opinion in the matter. He stated
that he had found a lose leaf ledger that
seemed to him to him to answer all the re
quirements and would save the County pur-
chasing a large and more expensive book
typewriter. Mr.. Ford also stated that he
had received since last meeting a request
from State Road Commissioner Hutchinson
asking for a statement of the cost of keep
ing up the state roads for the year from
May 1903 to May 1904, and for the period
from May LIST, 1904 to January LIST, 1905.
He stated that he had made reply to this
request and that for the benefit of the
members present he had brought the fig
ures with him which he then read as follows.
For the year from May 1903 to May 1904
the cost was:
Elsinboro, 1921. 10
Warrington, 1898 SO
PilesgrOve, 1880
Lower Creek, 0 .98
Upper ~Pittsgrove, 1880
Oldmans, 21.93
The first two townships had been shelled
in that period.
For the period from May LIST, 1904, to
January LIST, 1905, the cost had been:
Elsinboro, So. so
Warrington, 291.27
Pilesgrove, S. so
Lower Creek, 994. SO
Upper ~Pittsgrove, 10 SO
Oldmans, 22l.20
Figuring the number of miles built and
kept up it averages about one hundred
dollars per mile per year.
Solicitor Sumnerill reported that he had
not collected the ten per cent. due on the
State roads by Elsinboro township.
The committee on insane reported that
they had visited Trenton and that every
thing seemed to be all right. They report
ed AZ inmates from this county.
Mr.. L%ounsbury for the township asked
for information on the Quinton State road,
stating that the road was in need of repairs
but that the Township did not want to
spend any money on the load if it were
soon to be made a state road.
County Collector Butcher then advised
that before any more State roads he built
that the necessary funds be arranged for in
advance. He stated that the Road Credit
Balance was but So, 78O which would hard
ly be a beginning and that he thought that
some means of paying for the roads should
be provided before the work was
ed, by bonding the County or by other
means. Director Ayres said that before
anything at all was done in the building
of more State roads that he thought it ad-
visible to interview the State Road Com
missioner and find out what his intentions
and views in the matter are. That in view
of the letter received from the new Com
| missioner in reference TO the keeping up of
the present roads in preference to the build
ing of new ones that it would be wise to
get his opinion and backing before contract
ing for new roads anywhere. This opipion
met with the approval of the Board and a
committee was appointed to visit Mr.. Hutch
inson and find out his position in the matter
Messrs. Burk. Westcott and Summer;l,
were appointed.
Messrs. Lounsbury, Fogg and Edwards
were appointed a committee to visit the
Skencks Mill road and report on the a dv;sa-
bility of rebuilding the bridge washed
away in the last freshet.
Mr.. Borton reported that he had baen
spoken to by Mr.. Hewitt whose horse had
broken its neck by falling over the WING of
the bridge over Mill Ditch near the Reeves
Flitcraft farm. He stated that the NOR
was a poor man and the loss was sevaroIv
felt by him but that he had not determines
to ask the County for damages. He Mr.
Borton, stated that the matter was one Of
those accidents that could not be avoided
as the horse would in all probability bava
gone over the wing even had there been q
railing there. No action was taken in The
} matter.