The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-06-23
100000 YEARLY FOR ROADS

New Jersey is facing a serious prob
lem. 1t has thirteen hundred miles
of stone and other roads, built partly
at State expense, costing about ST.
900, 900. These roads must be kept in
repair or they will soon go to ruin and
the millions the State and counties
have expended in their construction
be sunk and lost. To keep them in
good repair costs on an average about
$500 a mile each year, or S390,O0O
year for the entire thirteen hundred
miles. But this is only part of the
problem. In addition to the State
aid roads, as they are called. are seven
or eight hundred miles of improved
roads built by various local authori-
ties. These are a part of the State
road system and they must all be kept
in repair. The people of New Jersey
have, therefore, to care for every year
at least two thousand miles of i'm
proved highway at costof $500 mile
year, or total of $500, 900 per annum.
This is new and what looks like
heavy burden upon the people,
State Road Commissioner Gilkyson
regards the situation with much grav-
ity and concern. A recent trip he
made in an automobile from Trenton
through the centre of the State con-
vinced him that the most serious dam
age is done to the best roads by big au-
tomobiles, run at high rate of speed.
He thinks it altogether proper that
the owners Of these machines should
be required to pay reasonable license
to help pay for some of the damage
they do. But he would not make it
excessive and burdensome, as he does
not think the innocent should suffer
for the sins of the reckless few. He
would however, have the laws that
prohibit high rates of speed vigorous
ly enforced, and thinks that capable
and energetic men should be appoint
ed as inspectors.
Colonel Gilkyson says the State road
has for some time been de-
voting its best energies to the solution
of the road repair problem. 1t is very
he says, now that it has dis
covered remedy for the rapid wear
ing out of the improved roads. This
is by the use of a surface treatment
by process invented in the office.
The process of construction, as de-
scribed by Colonel Gilkyson, is as fol-
lows:
g After the second coating Of stone
has been laid, light binder of clay
and gravel is added. To this is liber-
ally applied heavy asphaItum oil.
which is allowed to work into the in
terstices of the gravel and stone. The
top dressing of what is commonly
known as screens is then applied, and
the road thoroughly rolled. The oil,
attaching itself to the top dressing,
forms practically a bitumen body.
The object accomplished is to hold up
the road in shape. 1t is declared to
be absolutely duStleSs, with no rut-
ting or humping. BY preserving the
contour of the surface better drainage
is also obtained. 1t is estimated that
the construction of roads under this
system will reduce the cost of main
tenance fifty per cent"
Five miles of this kind of road are
to be constructed in Mercer county
this year, three miles on the road from
to Stoutsburg, and two
miles in Elm street in Princeton,
leading out TO Van Kinks Corner. An
other section is to be constructed in
Union county, from North Broad
street in the City of Elizabeth, out to
Lyons Farm. In this case tarvia.
by-product of tar, will be used instead
Of the asphaltum OIL Still another
section TO be built will be on road
from Camden to Blackwoodstown
The additional cost OF roads built in
this way, will be about $500 a mile.
Commissioner GilkySon is advocating
the use OF asphaltum oil or tarvia in
resurfacing present roads. This would
cost about $500 mile. But, as this
treatment would reduce the future
cost OF maintenance fifty per cent,
Colonel GilkySon points out that the
economic results will be most gratify-
ing, II this system proves successful.
The experiments in these cases will be
watched with great interest, not only
in the counties where they are tried,
but throughout the entire State.
Commissioner GilkySOn says the pol
icy OF the department. is to encourage
the different counties to be liberal in
taking care of their improved roads.
He Will not recommend appropria-
tions for new roads in counties where
they neglect to take care of the roads
they already have. There we're ex-
pended for road repair from county
funds last year 1892, 900, of which Nor
ris spent S33,870 There was also dis
by the State to the counties
out OF the automobile fund $56,473.
The demand for new roads does not
seem to show any abatement. There
is no office in the State House that is
so thronged with persons FROM all
parts of the State as that of the road
clamoring for his APP
proval of projected new roads. This
is due to the fact that the farmers
and others who use the improved
roads have discovered that they add
greatly to their prosperity in many
ways.-New York Hearld.
Dog Prevents Runaway.