The Jersey City news., 1906-01-03
State Road Commisslol Ter
Suggests That Injury to
to Highways Shall Be the
Basis of Tax
TOTAL AMOUNT PAID OK M
PRoyEMENTs IN THE YEAR
WAS s1,925, Al Il H u d $ o. N.
COUNTY's ACCOMPLISHMENT.

The taxing of automobiles on the ba-
sis of the damage they occasion to the
public highways is one Of the novel sug
gestions made by State Road Commis
sioner E. G. Hutchinson in his ANIMAL
report, which has just been submitted to
Governor Stokes. Tie machines are to
is no Indication that they will be pro-
hibited for the present, they should be
taxed i'll proportion to the maximum
speed Of which they are capable. which
is also fair measure of their powers of
destruction. . offset the increasing hay-
oc wrough by automobiles the passage
Of restrictive legislation to eliminate ar
mored tires, chain tires and blowers is
also urged Mr.. Hutchinson makes it
plain that unless something is done i'll
this direction much of the money spent
for good roads will be wasted.
The report shows that during the year
1905, 67.7S miles Of roads We're paid for
under the State aid act The total cost
to the State was $164. .64S.99. The rsgu
lar appropriation for. the year was $780,
600, and there was an additional appro-
priation of $15, 600 in the supplementary
bill. The balance available for roads
under construction is $120, ,5S3.54. Since
the passage of the State aid law in.
1892. 1,111.31 miles Of road have been
built in the State under the act the to-
tai cost of which to the State was ST.,
925, Al. II.
The result of the years work, in brief,
Is 67sgS miles IF read finished and 3S.46
miles in process of construction, a total
of 1O6.24 miles. The commissioner says
that when the above roads are paid for
the appropriation will be SO nearly con
sumed that road work for the year 1906
will have to cease. unless the Legislature
sees fit to grant an appropriation of at
least $13O,O0O in the supplemental bill.
In the discussion on the use Of the
highways by automobiles Commissioner.
Hutchinson says
s.Ehe automobile is now a recognized
means of conveyance, and as suck Is en-
tiled to the use of the highways, but
there are certain appliances used upon
them which are very detrimental to our
roads. They are the armcrad tire. the.
chain tire and the blower. The damage
done to the surface of oul macadan and
gravel reads By these appliances is so
great that the question of a remedy is.
creating considerable agitation all over
tie different counties of the State. The
temptation to get all the speed possible
out Of the means Of locomotion is almost
ilres slible; therefore no one should be.
allowed to run machine upon )nr public
highways without first obtaining n Ii
cense granted after a proper examina-
ton, as the majority of the accidents
ere caused by Incompetent chautfeurs II
the high speed machines are 70 be allav-
ed upon our highways they coull be fix
cd in proportion to the maximum speed
OF which they are capaole. In ether
word~. they should pay for the dausage
they Go. ard all noIey. paid into tbs
State treasury for such licenses should be
applied to the maintenance and repair
of our roads.
.'The dust raised By an automobile,
when running at a rateeof less than
twenty miles an hour. is moi aGy worse
than that raised by many wagons. but
when this limit is exceeded the automo-
bile becomes the dust nuisance. Many
cures for thesd annoyance have been
suggested. as the sprinkling Of our sroasd
with crude oil and different solutions of
absorbent salts. These will prevent the
dust, but are too expensive to be, gener-
ally used. Our remedy, therefore. would
be strict enforcement Of the sped lin
ii, the abolition of armored tires, chain
tires and blowers. and sprinkling Of all
our improved roads early IN the morning
and late in the evening. This wowid pre-
serve the roads and would reduce the
cost Of repairs very materially, at the
same time giving us a better, smoother
and more dustless surface than VI, now
enjoy. There is on better or cheaper
way Of preserving our roads tnsn D.
sprnkling. Water for that purpose can
be obtained from neighboriag streams,
and. in those sections where there are
none, from wclls driven beside the road,