The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-12-22
For Improved Roads,

Ocean county is awakening in the mat
ter of improved roads and does not intend
to be in the rear ranks in this subject of
public improvement Efforts that have
been previously put forth had cold water
thrown upon them by the Board OF Free
holders of that county, owing to the OBJ
iections of some who seemed to be actu-
ated by personal motives when there
should have been a desire to give the
public what would be beneficial to the
community. So strong has this idea been
prevalent that the subject of abolishing
the Board of Freeholders and substitut
ing Commissioners is being seriously con-
sidered, and the whole thing may hinge
upon the question of road improvement.
The Village Improvement Association
of New Egypt took steps last week to
start the good roads movement, and called
meeting for Saturday afternoon. The
primary object was to get expression from
residents, not only of Ocean county, but
of those in Burlington county who live
along the line of the road from New
Egypt to Chesterfield An application
for a stone road connecting these two
places was made during the life of the
late Henry l. Budd. and had he lived the
road would doubtless have been built be-
fore this Since then other roads have
been pushed forward and this one has
been compelled to wait The people In
terested got tired of this condition, and a
movement has been made to change it.
The meeting on Saturday was held in
Meirs' hall, and was presided over by
James D. Holman, of Ocean county, John
Meirs. of the same county, being chosen
as secretary The chairman explained
the object of the meeting to be the con-
sideration of the building of stone road
| from the Ocean county line tC Chesterfield.
| Charles e. Woodward, Freebooter from
Chesterfield, was asked to give some in
| formation on this subject. He said that
several years ago survey was made for
stone road between the two places. At
that time it was necessary to get sigma
lures from a percentage of the property
owners along the road, guaranteeing the
payment of ten per cent. of the cost.
There was no trouble to do this and every.
ching was in readiness to proceed, when
State Commissioner Budd died and new
man took charge. This completely changed
the situation. The old survey and map
are still in existence but under the new
law Mr.. Woodward thought it would be
necessary to do the work oyer
| Ex-Sheriff Finley asked what 1t costs
to keep the roads in repair and on being
told that last year it was about SAC, 1000,
he said he thought it would be better not
TO build any more roads. In response to
a question what caused the roads to get
out of repair the answer was that narrow
tired wagons were the greatest detriment
to the highways.
The question of funds for the purpose
of building roads was then discussed Mr..
Woodward said he doubted if the State
Commissioner would approve the road on
the Burlington county line as he had al
ready sanctioned sufficient number of
miles to eat up the appropriation available
for that purpos next year. The bonding
of the county would give ample means
but it was a question whether the tax
payers of Burlington county would be
j willing to adopt that course
A member of the Ocean county Board
of Freeholders spoke in favor of going
; ahead as far as possible in this matter
Burlington county had been fortunate II
getting large number of miles OF i'm
proved roads, and Ocean county had re
NAMED quiet. That community could a
least do its part.
George Wildes asked if, under tn
nresent condition of the treasury in Bur
iipgton county, this road could be built
On receiving an answer in the negativ
/ he wanted to know why any action SHOULD
] be taken.
To this proposition came the reply tina
II would do no harm to start and ascertal
t what could be done. If the subject wa
q to be allowed to go, year after year, as
a had been in the past, the road woul
never be built. The present Road Con
missioner had already stated that he fe
4 favorable to this road and it could not d
:. any harm to get the proposition started.
a Acting on this idea Walter E. Border
: Wright Longstreet and Harry Borde
were appointed committee to draft
/ netition TO the State Commissioner {
e Roads asking that new survey be mac
n and urge upon him the Importance
building the road at the earliest perioG
&c The matter having been disposed of Il
n Ocean county people discussed the built
d ing of a road from Davis to New Egyp
n w S. Chafey expressed the opinion tn
. this road was of vast Importance to Il
- town of New Egypt
G Mr.. Polhemus, of Monmouth count
E. said his county had already decided
q the road from Allentown to ImlaYstov
and he did not think it would agree to Il
70 Davis and New Egypt road this year
le Then Mr. Chafey moved for the a
re pointment of committee to petition I
~ a road from New Egypt to Lakewood.
Mr. VanHise thought there would n
VI be any trouble to get this petition sign
ne by not only every property owner alol
We the road, but that the name of near
+" every taxpayer in the county could be
:. cured. But ne has not much faith
US petitions They do not count much.
IN some bodies it takes hard knocks a
he hammers must be continually used.
nv could not see where the petitions were [
~ ing to advance anything. If you col
IN get a committee of three men to spe
list their time and money to look after
affair and then sit up with certain r