The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-20
KICK
OVER THEIR
TRACES
Want More Liberal Laws
and Demand Probe of
County Boards.

That the actions of the Boards Of
Freeholders in the matter of the DELAY
in repairing the Plank Road may be
investigated by the Grand Jury is pos
sibie, following the action taken last
night at the meeting of the legislative
committee of the New Jersey Automo-
bile and Motor Club, when a resolution
was passed criticising the dilatory
practices of these bodies and especially
the Essex County Board, and this reso-
luton was amended so as to suggest
that the county inquisitors be asked
to investigate the work lone on the
new bridge over the Hackensack River,
and compare the materials and price
paid. This resolution was unanimously
adopted.
The resolution was offered by j. H.
Wood, a member of the road committee
of the club, who further supplemented
the resolution by stating that IL the
Grand Jury made an inspection of
some of the piling in the new bridge
n then compared the work Ind ma
terial with the cost there would be
cause for uneasiness in some official
quarters.
why. the action of these bodies in
dragging along the proper fixing Of the
road for years is di~sgraceful," con-
tinued Mr.. Wood. 1.-THE Freeholders
claim that it is due to the fact hat no
arrangement can be made with the
Public Service Corporation. Then why
did they allow the corporation to con-
struct bridges over the Hackensaek
River and agree to stand a portion of
the cost, thus giving the company the
bridge, and still making no arrange
ment as regards the Plank road itself,
one of the most important roads in this
section and the connecting link be-
tween Jersey City and Newark"
II was understood after the meeting
that the automobilists will bring this
matter to the attention of the county
inquisitors Immediately, and that some
of the men prominent in automobile
circles have sufficient data to warrant
q thorough investigation.
The meeting of the legislative com
mittee was a special one and was at
tended by representatives of various
clubs for the purpose of discussing the
action to be taken when the Leglsla-
ture meets toward the present automo-
bile laws, the most important being to
take action to stop the holding up of
luis W ~ -
discussion OF this question brought out
the fact that, according to the evidence
gathered by the representatives of tho
various automobile clubs, the fines Inn
posed upon a~utomobilists. which under
the law should go to the State for the
purpose of repairing the roads, seldom
get further than the pockets of the
justices of the peace or the treasury of
the municipality in which the fines are
imposed.
Give Crosby, chairman of the legis-
lative committee, who presided at the
meeting in the place of the president,
Angus Sinclair, stated that this prac-
tise was prevalent all over the state,
and added that thousands of dollars
had been collected in fines on autoists
and none of it had ever reached the
State. The slogan of the members
present was concerted action on
the part of all the automobile
clubs for the purpose Of getting
fairer legislation, and a resolution
was passed to the effect that n
copy of all the resolutions passed be
forwarded to w. f. Sadler. president of
the Associated Auto Clubs of New Jer-
sey, and through him n copy of the
resolutions be forwarded to all the
clubs in the State. One of the ques-
lions argued at some length was the
increase of the corps of automobile in
spectors to fifty, half of this number to
be paid men and the other half to be
reputable automobile owners, who
would take it upon themselves to see
that the laws were enforced, the in
spectors of both classes to have the
power to arrest offenders.
The motion was made by Mr.. Wood,
and it was aimed, he explained, to do
away with the indiscriminate arrest CT
drivers of the horseless wagons by
country constables, who saw Visions
of fines to come to their pockets. 1t
was the intention of several of the
members present to make this even
more radical and to attempt to obtain
legislation making this body a sort of
State police, and taking out of the
hands of the police the power to arrest
a~utomobilists for infringements Of the
law.
Sadd1er Opposes Measure.
w. r. Saddler of the Mercer County
Automobile Club, and president of the
Associated Auto Clubs of New Jersey,
opposed this measure. "It would create
an entirely unnecessary State body that
would grow year by year and eat up
the funds paid the State by automo-
biles," was the contention of Mr.. Sad
dler. "Why, this matter can be han
died by the police" he declared, land
1 am opposed to any move of this kind.
This State corps of inspectors would
soon grow to such proportions tina it
would be unmanageable. and the cost
to the State would be such that there
would he no money left for the renairs