Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-03-01

with an auto. Let us not look backward. =
Mr.. Lindabury thought public opinion
could do more to curb reckless drivers shan
the law.
Charles +. Zelley spoke representing the
National Association Of Automobile Manu-
facturers He said be was vitality interested
because Of fine Jersey roads. He claimed
last year's bill was passed after due delib-
GRAFTON, and was all the legislation needed.
Nine months trial of that law, be insisted,
was not sufficient, He admitted there were
abuses, but said so there was in all phases Of
life. He said sentiment Gas growing
among automobiles which was cstracizing
reckless dryers and owners Of cars. His
argument was that it would be better to let
SO guilty ones go free rather than that one
innocent should suffer.
Adrian Riker, OF Newark automobile
club, said he represented 500 citizens who
were not criminals or lawbreakers, as the
FreIinghuysen bill intimated. He claimed
he drove horses at the seashore every sum
mer and had no reason to complain OF reck-
less auto driving. He said he had found
more danger from fast driving Of horses than
from reckless car driving. This was greeted
with enthusiastic shouts from the autoists
present. He said statistics proved that
more deaths were caused by horses than by
automobiles. The deaths by horses were
40 per cent, and by autos 5 per cent.
He declared the bill was an attempt to
drive the automobilists from the roads.
HOSTILE TO AUToIsTs.
John K Murray. Of Jersey City interrupt
ed to ask how many horses there were COM
pared to the autos. But Mr.. Riker lodged
and did not answer. Mr.. Riker said the
only in the Frelinghuysen bill was one Of
hostility to the autoists. He declared the
bill was an attempt to drive the automo-
bilists from the roads.
R. T. Belts asked the committee to ex-
clude motor cycles from the provisions OF
the bill, He claimed they were not danger
ous and did not damage the roads.
John Case OF North Branch was the first
speaker in favor Of the Frelinghuysen bill.
He handed up several petitions in its favor.
He said one was from the home of Mr..
Lindabury. He said there was great dis
content, and unless something reasonable
was done the people would rise up and de-
mand things that might be unreasonable.
Enthusiastic applause was given this by
the friends Of the BILL The speaker read a
letter to Senator Mlnturn, in which the
writer stated that the sDt0n0 5ilists wanted
the road, the whole road and nothing bue
the road, and every body else could go TO the
devil"
Senator Frelinghuysen, who was looking
after the interest Of his bill, introduced
former Senator Hutchinson, of Trenton,
state road commissioner, as the next speak
er
:: rI41,.;,so,, snaLa as
follows: Il am not here in the interest of
any special bill. l have but one object,
and that is to construct good roads and to
keep them good. Our state and counties
have spent to date nearly 81, 600, 900 in the
construction OF roads under the state aid
Jaw. and about one-half of that amount
under the county bonding act, aud we are
very proud Of our highways. The different
counties the past year have expended be-
tween S400 600 aud $500, 900 to keep their
roads in repair, and they could have spent
as much more if they had been provided
with the funds, as they are not in as good
condition as / should like to see them, and
the matter Of expense, under the present
conditions, is just commencing.
stOur friends have made the statement
that automobiles do no damage to our
roads. We have roads in our state upon
which we spend from $400 to ST., 600 per
mile in repairs and cannot then keep them
in smooth condition, and those roads are
the main ones through our state where the
automobile travel is the heaviest. Then
we have roads leading from the main routes,
where there is only occasionally automobile
travel, combined with the local traffic, up
on which there haYe been no repairs in five
years. One road built from the main line
of the Allentown and Trenton turnpike to
my mill, six years ago, has not cost an
average Of $50 per mile to repair, and there
are several very heavy trucks carting at
least three tons per wagon each day. just
beyond the end Of this road, where we
strike the main travel, we have spent
81, 600 per mile in repairs.
THAT automobiles are doing great deal
of damage is very evident from an article
in the Philadelphia Record Of January Is,
which | quote: ssChief Engineer Vodges
asked for 1000 to be used in repairing
Telford roads which had been torn up by
automobiles. Despite the controversy in
the courts over the subject Of state and city
licenses for automobiles, the commission
will require registration Of all automobiles
entering Fairmount park, as has been done
in the past.
I'm regard to the arinored and chain tires
| it is conceded fact that any device ON a
rubber tire is injurious to a road. At a
meeting Of the county engineers Of the
state, held in my Office on January 81 it
was the unanimous opinion that the use Of
the armored and chain tire should be pro-
hibited on our improved roads.
SACRIFICE ROADS FOR NECKs
ST had the pleasure Of attending the au-
tomobile show in New York, when took
the trouble TO make some inquiry concern
ing the different DEVICES there for sale.
asked one man who had two kinds Of tires
for sale, what they were for. he told me
they were to preYenb skidding. ] asked
him If they were not injurious 10 the roads,
and the remark he made was that he did
not care anything about the roads, but was
trying to save their necks. only quote
this as an illustration Of how much the
manufacturer Of these patent devices cares
q