The Jersey City news., 1906-01-03

L
There is one other cause of unneces-
sary wear and damage to our reads that
should be removed. 1t is the narrow tire
on heavily loaded wagons. The present
! law provides that townships may allow
rebate of taxes to al owners of wag-
ones or carts used for the transportation
J., of merchandise, having tires of not less
than four inches in width. We would
suggest that this law be amended so as
| to include every municipality in the
State.
The premium Of 81 per year for each
wheel would be money well and profit
ably expended, as the resutant saving
of our road covering would be many
times tbs amount, to say nothing Of the
added comfort to all. Massachusetts
and Connecticut have gone still further
and impose n penalty not exceeding $1G0
on all wagons having tires of less than
prescribed width for a given size of
axle. As they ase, next to New Jersey,
the leading good roads States, we think
that their example night be proftably
followed by us.
.The enforcement Of the requirement
of the new road law. passed last winter,
/ that the counties should keep the roads,
built under State aid, in good repair. or
have the moneys due them withheld until
should certify that they have been puaeeu
in coed repair, has had a marked effect
upon the condition Of our roads. Their
sIlrfacs is smooth. their sides are free
from weeds and grass, the cutters and
bitches are c,ean. and unsightiy and in
furious pipes and culverts have been re-
moved The change is so marked in some
sections that the roads are hardly recog-
n:zable but if our vigilance relaxes we
fear that the local authorities will be-
come careless The result would be that
which it now has for being the home OF
good roads. Other States claim pre-enG-
nance in agricultural products or manu-
factures, but New jerseys position as
the first good roads State in the. Union
is as yet unchallenged. As we have SO
long excelled. we are naturally anxious
to hold the high positions We have gained.
'sOne of the evils Of the old freeholder
| law has struck us most forcibly, namely,
that the appropriation for the year shall,
be made atxthe stated meeting held on
the second Wednesday in May. This
makes it impossible to commence any new
| werk before the first of July, and three
moEths of the best road building portion
of the year are lost; consequently, it is
often impossible to complete a road in
one year, and the same has to be car
red over until the next. We would.
therefore, most earnestly recommend, in
order to remove any question, that the
| freeholder law be amended by striking
out the second Wednesday in May and
stituting therefor the first day CT Janu-
| ary,' as it is at this meeting that the
boards make their appropriations for the
year. They could then determine before
| the latest March, what roads they were
| going to improve. These could then be
| submitted to the commissioner for his APP
proval, and if the same We're granted the
board could advertise the roads for the
required three weeks and award the CON
tracts at their April meeting. By this
| means we could obtain better roads and
also be able to complete them before the
end of the fiscal year."
The total amount expended by the Sen
ate and the number of miles paid for in
each county since the passage of the
State aid law were 81. .925, ,441 II and
/ III. 500 mites.
The report contains a brief summary
Of the work accomplished during the year
in each county. Essex County" it says,
continued in the even tencr of its way,
adding few more miles to its already
large stone road system, grading and
paving Franklin avenue, 1.3S miles;
Roosevelt avenue, LA miles: Pier lane
1874 miles; Wall street and Stuyyestant
avenue, 2.90z miles. and South Orange
avenue extension, IS miles, total of 5. "A
miles. and, in addition, is building two
roads through the Watching Mountains.
the natural grades OF which are 50 steep
as 10 require cutting of from twenty
seven to thirty-one fet depth. The
consequent amount of work necessary to
be done was so great that neither Brad
ford avenue. LAG niles, nor Mt. Pleasant
avenue, LOT miles, could be completed
this year.
Hudson County" the report says,
s-has nearly flushed the Bellevlle turn
Il. A. t. Il