The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-02-10

The recent death of the Hon. Henry 1.
Budd, Commissioner of Public Roads o f
the State of New Jersey, has again di-
rected attention, especially in Maryland
where the good roads movement is rap
idly progressing. to the road system of
New Jersey and the State measures which
have made possible the excellent high
ways of which that State now boasts. As
a pioneer in the construction of modern
stone highways, New Jersey has through
her past experiences indirectly assisted
many other States in building good roads,
and the county residents of Maryland will
find much encouragement and instruction
upon this important subject in consider
ing the great extent and cost of the
annual road building operations in New
Jersey and the excellent returns in money,
progress, and satisfaction which has re-
suited therefrom.
The growth Of New Jersey has been due
in a great measure to her good roads.
These induced occasional visitors from
New York, Pennsylvania, New England
and other sections of our country to be-
come permanent residents in the State.
These persuaded others to follow them,
and New Jersey drew brains, energy and
capital of other states to within her Dor
ders Today after persistent effort in the
same direction-namely, good roads and
more good roads-New Jersey though
forty second in area has twice as many
good roads as any state in the Union,
and the prosperity of her people is
thought to justify the expense which the
roads have cost Maryland is now to ex-
pend annually in the same direction
liberal appropriation of her state funds,
and a benefit commensurate with the
outlay may be expected as result.
New jerseys experience with her good
roads has justified the passage in 1908 of
a new state road law permitting an ex-
penditure for good roads of $500, 900
Maryland, by virtue of her new state aid
road law, will appropriate annually $780,
900 for the same purpose. In the past
ten years New Jersey has appropriated
$I,5I5,I6S and the counties have spent
double this sum. In all there have been
built and are now under contract over
600 miles of road, and there are outstand-
ing applications for about 500 miles OF
road for which the state has as yet made
no appropriation.
AS compared with other states, New
Jersey has spent for road building as
follows:
Amount Miles
New Jersey S4.5i5.49I $50 .
Connecticut 2.233OOO 4a4
Massachusetts 5.l5O,92S 4s0
New York 4,l35O00 4S4
Has this outlay been justified by the
results? The willingness of the counties
to pledge themselves for two-thirds of the
cost would seem to answer in the affirm
alive. During the year 1908 New Jersey
started over 70 different road improve
ments, aggrega.ing 1870 miles.
Nineteen counties took advantage OF
the state aid road law and petitioned for
state aid, and only two counties in all
failed to demand any portion of the APP
preparation. The counties prepare for
most of their road building in the winter
months and begin construction as soon as
the weather permits, and the activity OF
some of the counties of New Jersey dur
ing this season is remarkable. Three
counties of the state in 1908 completed 2S,
rs and I24 miles respectively in addition
to other roads under construction which
were completed in the next year.
One single New Jersey highway inn
provement in the years 1908 and 1904
alone cost over 500, 900, but in spite of
the expense the state saw fit to finance
the work. This improvement was the
boulevard 100 feet wide between Pleas
antvile and Atlantic City, connecting
the latter with the Burlington County
system of roads and making the last link
in the great highway across the state from
Philadelphia to the sea. Previously the
only road between the mainland at
Pleasantville and the sandbar on which
is located Americas greatest seaside re-
sort, was a narrow ribbon of turnpike
running across bad salt marshes on the
level with the meadows and often i'm
passable on account of overlooking tides.
The mud varied in depth from to rs
feet; and another interesting and costly
feature of this splendid engineering feat
J was the establishment of foundation for
the roadbed by pumping sand by new
application of the old principle of by
draulic dredging through wrought iron
pipes for distance OF one-half mile or
more. This alone made an item oil
SIS, 900 expense in the total cost.