The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-06-19
job was corrected.

in the road commissioners office.
While journeying with the commission
er the party met some freeholders and
they wanted piece of road built The
commissioner said, "That road is not
needed as much ass the road.
The road you would like buat does not
form any important link in state or coun-
ty roads, and the department means to
give its aid first to the important roads.
You build the road first"
The freeholders said that tney only
wanted to build two miles in that section
of the county and the road the commits
sioner spoke of was twice the length.
"Well l am willing TO pay the states
share of the four miles Of road and you
admit that the road l mention is the
most important one for county transpor-
tation.''
While the machine was speeding along,
the commissioner said, while these are
county roads, the state is paying one
half of their construction and l believe
that the state transportation from point
to point must first be considered. If any
freeholder has a pet project, / examine
it. If the plan is for the general good
o fthe county and the county can have
the money | approve it. But by keeping
constantly in mind the general good of
the county as well as the transportation
of goods over good roads from county to
county. l expect to get ait the states
equity in good roads, and / believe that
this system helps keep out the private
gratis complained of in some quarters.
Further along in one of the counties
the freeholders wanted to build several
roads. .You must first repair the -----
road before we can talk on other roads,"
said the commissioner. He said to the
correspondent: '.The keeping of roads
in good shape is of as much Importance
as building new ones. / had some little
trouble, in fact / had much trouble last
year in making the freeholders of sew
earl counties see this but the trouble is
disappearing. Of course the expenses of
keeping roads in good shape will increase
with the number of miles built but we
have provided help for the counties in
the new automobile law. 1t is not gener-
ally understood that the moneys for IL
eense go to my department for repairs
of roads. Every cent of this money
comes to the state road department and
its division among the counties lies with
bears the entire expense of examina ton
of automobile drivers and licensing ma
chimes to run on the roads as we'll as the
proper enforcement of the speed restric-
tions, and my department gets every cent
of revenue taken in to be expended in
repairs of roads.
With some freeholders in the machine
one day, the commissioner pointed to de-
fects ia the road and said, "The should
ers of this road need attention and they
must be fixed" Compliance was prom
ised. But the commissioner went over
the same route in few days and salts
fed himself that his suggestions had
been complied with.
Marrow roads will no aonger be built by
the counties with state aid. The ten
feet, the twelve feet and even the four
teen feet roads are to be things of the
past. The commissioner points out to
freeholders that such roads are at best
pathways and not fit for New Jerseys
future growth and he is convincing free
holders that narrow roads and roads with
much mud on the shoulders are bad roads
and they will soon disappear from New
Jersey.
A short time ago the commissioner
cleaned out his office and sent back to
county engineers plans for roads never
built and specifications for roads which
he could not endorse. Every road now
built must be found in plans in his office
kAaUs as well as complete specifications
@z8 GaDce of materials. The supervisors
&ae &Hzkructed in the plans and specifca-
s1&ld if they cannot give ten hours of
eaa Tine to road supervising. they are
mgg put on jobs. In this way the state
AaA a representative on every job and
80 soad commissioner is liable to some up
in his automobile at any instant.
Relative to the news that new mate
rial called road asphalt was to be used
ON future road construction, the commits
sioner says that he is in favor of a hard
material which will be free from dust
and will shortly try the asphalt without
the smooth surface now down in cities.
the road commissioner is liable to come up
street asphalt before the fine dressing is
put down and rolled smooth. In other
words, the material. will be broken stone
bor,nd IN aSr.hoIt and will ha d,1stlnSc