The Jersey City news., 1906-06-09
Crying Demand for Better
Roads to Ali the Coast
Resorts Of This State
BENEFITS THAT WOULD ACCRUE
WILLIAM E. DODGE STOKES
SETS FORTH THE DIFFICULT
TIES THAT LIE BEFORE TOUR
lists OF NEW JERSEY


Newark "Daily Advertiser" Mr.. Stokes
fortunately is blessed not only with plen-
ty of this worlds goods, but he is also
possessed of wonderful energy and pub
lie spirit
The other evening at Long Branch it
was my good fortune to have talk with
Mr.. Stokes on the subject of good roads
and the possibility of doing something to
make the present road to the Jersey
coast shorter and more convenient.
Mr.. Stokes is much interested in the
proposition to employ convict labor on
the public roads, instead of that labor
being used in competition in our prisons
with free skilled labor. The country is
now paying for the support of prisoners
who are brought into direct competition
through the prison contract labor sys-
TEN, with free skilled mechanic.
Some twelve years ago the writer
made study of the convict labor prob
lem ais it refers to the possibility of much
of it being employed on the roads.
journeyed through the South, where con-
victs are at times employed in road
building, and they prefer this form of
labor to being confined between four
walls at work.
l interviewed many of the Governors
of the Southern States, and with one ex-
ception those Governors believe that the
present employment of the conyicts was
against public policy, and tn welfare of
the convicts themselves. Said the Cover
nor of Virginia: Il do not believe that
it was the intent of the law to keep men
confined between four walls and deny
them fresh aid and sunshine. Neither do
l believe that the best interests of the
country are served by these conyicts be-
ing employed in direct competition with
free skilled labor"
Mr.. Stokes however, at present is do
ing something to shorten the distance to
addressed to me will show. Mr.. Stokes
says
There is no State in the Union that
has made such advanced progress inl the
improvement of its roads as the State of
New Jersey. The late General Roy
| Stone gave years of his life up to the
| interests of better roads, and especially
to the roads of his home State, New Jer-
| sey. He brought the matter before the
| Legislature, and before the Governors
| and beforet he various counties, and the
result was the value of land in New Jer.
| sey increased, and its good roads brought
| to this State thousands and thousands
from other States that otherwise would
not have come. But the good genera
| died before the entire completion of the
| grand work had started
| eve, who live in New York durins
| the winter and have our summer homes
| in New Jersey, and to those of us who
IN the early spring are compelled to leave
New York and seek the mild, balmy at
mosphere of the Jersey pine seacoast
where the Gulf Stream runs in, as al
Barnegat Inlet. where, though only eigh
| ty mile from New York, snow is hardly
ever seen in winter, and the temperat turt
| is fourteen degrees above what it is al
Lakewood, see the need of the following
| work, and we who own automobiles
especially, want theis done at once, ant
| the people of the State of New jersey
will help us if we will only point it out
to them in an intelligent way.
First, the boats that leave Whitehall
ferry for Staten Island should not bt
restricted to carrying only four automo
biles They should be allowed to take
as many automobiles as they can carry.
There are many of US who have waited
three or four hours to cross on crowd
ed day. Not only we ask this, but
the ferry people should see it is to theil
| advantage to do this, and to have ac
commodating, non-grafting employees
and they should run more boats in thu
summer time than they do.
And. then. another thing. The soutf
shore road between ST. George and Tot
tenville should have the speed limit in
creased, where it runs through the coun
try districts, and there should be at leas
forty-fve minutes time to cross the is
land and connect with the Tottenvill,
ferry to Perth Amboy
This ferry is also owned by the Stat
en- Island Ferry Company. This onl,