The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-01-21
Road Repairs Urgent.


In submitting his annual report to Gov
ernor Stokes, State Road Commissioner E.
Q. Hutchinson declares that road repair
ing is the question now confronting the
counties of New Jersey. Past years have
been devoted to the building of hundreds
of miles of stone roads and now these are
reaching the stage where expensive repairs
are necessary.
Mr. Hutchinson declares 1t will pay big
dividends for the State to keep its roads in
good repair and he recommends the spend
ing Of enough money each year to do this
work as 1t should be done. Extracts from
his report follow:
"We have 1895 miles of roads built
under the State aid law toward which the
State has contributed g., 1888. OO7. In ad-
dition to this. the counties have built 800
miles without State aid, which they must
also keep in repair.
Under the automobile law passed two
years ago. we will have about $S2, 600 to
distribute In 1908 among the different
counties as the States contribution towards
repairs. While this seems like large
sum, feel that the license fee should be
increased, because we will need for our
more than two thousand miles of roads
over $4,000 to keep them in repair"
According to the road repair section of
the report, there was spent last year for
road repair $648. 4SS. 80, of.which sum the
State gave from its automobile license and
fines $50, 1885, leaving the counties to fur
nish s592. 01475 of the repair moneys.
Because it Is admitted that automobiles
do an immense amount of damage to
roads, the commissioner believes that their
owners should pay handsome license fee,
thus decreasing the burden on the people
to keep the roads in good order.
In Burlington County, last year, $35,
479 81 was expended to repair roads. Of
this amount $8,85075 was paid by the
State, the balance by the county.
Taking up the South Jersey counties in
detail the commissioner says this:
In Atlantic county the road from Ham
monitor to Atsion, 6.41 miles, was COM
pIeted last year and the county is at work
on the road from Mays Landing to the
Gloucester county line, 1894 miles.
Burlington county purchased one more
turnpike, the Moorestown and Camden,
II miles, and is working on the West
field and Camden turnpike, g. 10 miles. and
the Lumberton and Medford road, 500
miles. Automobile money from the state
went on the Mullica River road.
Camden county finished three roads,
commenced in 1906 Blackwoodtown turn
pike, 2.53 miles; Kings highway, 1.55
miles, and Linden avenue, .98 mile, and
has commenced and finished three other
roads, the Haddonfield and Collins corner.
8. miles, Cove. 1.7S miles, and the Ber-
lin and Milford gravel roads, 4.05 miles.
1t has also purchased the Camden, Ellis
burg and Marion turnpike, nine miles,
making the total 95. 90 miles, 'The roads
of Camden county," says the Commits
sioner, ARE in very fine condition and the
county is to be congratulated.
"Cape May county finished the Goshen
road, four miles, and after two years of
hard work." says the Commissioner. has
completed the Sea Isle City turnpike,
2 sos miles. While this county 10 endeav-
oring to repair irs roads, it has now about
thirty miles of improved roads and the
travel is increasing; therefore its repair
account should be increased correspond
ingly."
Cumberland county is still without any
agitation in the good road building linei
the only bid for building road last year
was rejected by the Board of Freeholders.
Gloucester county built no roads, but
has two under consideration. The Malaga
and Downstown, connecting the improved
roads in Gloucester with those of Allan
tic.
Ocean county finished the Berkeley
Township Main Shore road, thus complet-
ing one of the finest gravel roads in the
state, which extends from Tuckerton to
Toms River. They are at present work
ing on the Lakehurst and Lakewood road,
which, it is hoped, will be continued to
Browns Mills. as far as the Burlington
county line. The New Egypt end of the
Lakewood and New Egypt road, 5.27
miles, and the northern end of the Bay
Head Seaside Park road have been sur
viewed. and it is the commissioners inten-
ton to approve the specifications and plans
as soon as they are prepared.
Salem county built the Aldine road.
The commissioner closes with an item
Of oils and tarvia for preventing dust. He
finds that both are good. but costly, and
hopes something less costly will come
along 'fn order that we may live along
good roads and enjoy them without being
.1,.orad NTH dirt -