Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-01-25
WHAT OTHERS
THINK OF IT.
Opinions Regarding the Dam.
aging Of New County Bridge
Not Favorable.


ark Evening News of Saturday gives
an outsiders opinion of the wrecking
or the second time of the new county
bridge over the Raritan river:
"There's an old saying that Iuns
something like this: IF a mar makes
a mistake he's excusable; but if lie
makes the same mistake a second time
he S a fool, The Raritan river bridge
at Perth Amboy is damaged a second
time, in exactly the same place, by
exactly the same forces and to almost
exactly tho same extent it was dam
aged last winter. There is either con
summate folly, consummate stupidity,
consummate rasca!ity or a mixture of
all combined in the building Of this
bridge and it affords one of the mos
conspicuous instances Of the utter in
competency and un|reliability of public
officials that this state has even seen.
"a mere statement of the facts
speaks louder than any condemnatory
utteranc's. For twenty years, more
or less, the need Of a bridge across the
Raritan river, to connect South Ambov
and Perth Amboy, has been recognized.
Finally provisions were made, some
two years ago, to build a pile struc-
ture, with a draw over the channel
AS the river at this point is wholly in
Middlesex county, the Board Of Chosen
F%reeholders had entire Charge Of the
building Of the bridge. They put up
a himsy structure, not even taking
the precaution to put guards on the
upper size of the bridge, to resist the
force of the ice when it broke up and
Aoated down the the river. The re-
suit was that the unprotected struc.
ture was carried away, ard its mater.
ial twisted into kjndling wood.
Then the board, have uselessly ex-
hausted all the bridge funds a5 their
~disposals, rushed to the legislature,
then in session, to obtain authority to
iexpend $3.50, 600 more morey. They
were successful, aud they repaired
the bridge. put in the draw and com.
pleted the unfinished part of the strUc-
ture. Early last spring they appro-
priated Sl1, 1000 to build ice-treakers,
with which to protect the new bridge,
hut expended the money in improving
the Jail and lift the bridge as bare OF
protection rs it VIA last winter. The
snow melted, the food came, the ice
descended and carried the bridge
away a second time.
$50 far as expense j. concerned, no.
body outside of Middiesex county has
any interest in the Raritan river
bridge. The taxpayers there must foot
all the bills unless the contractor can
be made t0 boar the loss of the recent
damages 10 the structure. But the
moral effect Of public officials in any
county acting after the manne of the
MiddleEeN county ereeholders in the
building Of such n bridge is something
in which every citizen and taxpa yer
in The state las an interest. The first
ruin Of the bridge might possibly be
excused, though it is hard to see upon
grounds, but the second was ab-
solutely iueXcusable.
The Middiesex freeholders build a
they know will be carried
away the Passaic freeholders build
abutments an wing walls OF mud IN
stead of stone and cement, allow the
specifications to be ignored and pay
high prices for work never done.
Which is the worse may be difficult to
decide, but that such doings are per
mitted in any part Of New Jersey is a
disgrace to the state itself, as well as
to the county. and calls for tho NEST
drastic investigation, followed by
such punishment rs win fit such crimes
against public Interests.
'Middlesex and Passalc counties
have both voted to abolish their boards
of chosen f@reeholders. but another
year must elap+a before the men who
arc responsible for bridge work in
each OF then are driven out of Office.
This is not enough, however. If such
officials 20 unwhipped of justice in
one county, men Of the same stamp
will take courage in other counties
md try the same tricks with the pub
So "