Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-01-07
The County Road Problem.


cut the county that the Gloucester Co.
Democrat is not the champion OF lax.
venal or derelict officials, and we are
not going to mar our record now as
a staunch champion of the principle
Of holding county officials to st let ac-
countability for all public acts
The road problem is the momantous
problem of our county economy to-
day, as it is of every other CO 'nty Oh
the State that engaged extensively IL
road construction fifteen years ago
under the State aid law.
These roads have been a great boon
to our farmers. They have changed
the aspect of almost every farm o.
our county. They, as much as any
single force, are responsible for the
agricultural awakening that has taken
place in this State in the last decade,
because they have lowered the cost o.
marketing crops at least one nalf.
But there is trouble brewing. The
expense of repairs is enormous, and
the results are not satisfactory. Es-
pecially has this been true as to the
Crown Point and Westville-Glassboio
roads, and the users of these roads
naturally hold the Freeholders re-
sponsible. At present censure for
work done on the latter road is most
pronounced Last year the sam OF
seven thousand dollars was expended
on three miles of the WeStvilla end,
and during the last two months the
lower section has been restrfaced.
The users claim this work has been
unskillfully done, and the expenditure
has been wasted. That the road is
now almost unpassable because of
unskillful workmanship, and insult
able materials employed.
This road was constructed ten feet
wide 1t has borne tremendous
traffic, not only in number Of vehicles
but in weight of loads-five ton weight
being not infrequent
The work on these roads has been
largely-the past year at least-under
the supervision of Elwood Us,nger,
chairman of the county road commit
tee Mr.. Usinger is recogniZed as a
practical man. If there is one feature
of his duties as Freeholder to which
he has given more thought and be-
slowed more of his untiring energy
than another it has seemed to us to
be on the road problem, and if he has
erred in his method of repairs-in
making roads that will carry the great
traffic imposed on them and be good
all the time -itsurely is no more SER
ious error than all road builders have
encountered.
At the Good Roads Convention at
Atlantic City last Summer, the road
repair problem was one that was most
discussed yet not solved. We were
not present, but Director Tonkin, Col
lector Pierson and Clerk Bell. of our
Board of Freeholders were, and they
can, no doubt, vouch for this state
ment.
The movement of the users of the
county roads to inaugurate new
system of care and method of repairs
will be cheerfully aided by eve'y tax
payer. Those who do not use these
roads in their business, enjoy riding
over them. They enjoy, too, their
successful use by the men who are
making the farms of our COMFY SO
profitable and SO great SQUIRE of
revenue to all business interests, and
these men will surely have the best
wishes of all concerned.
But there is danger in such rloye-
ments, and the Democrat would coun-
sci moderation in all that is done If
what has been done has not been hon-.
estly executed; if methods have been
illegal; if there has been grating, as
some aIlege, we have no defense for
anybody implicatd But we assume
that the faults which exist in that road
now, grow out of the narrow original
construction; the heavy loading on
new, unsettled materials and the
weather conditions that have pre-
vailed.
We would like to be able to sug-
gest sure, economical metnod OF
repair; we would like to be able to
point theway to cheap and permanent
road construction and maintenance,
but the earnest men who have The task
in hand we are sure are better equip
ped But be sure you are right, then
go ahead, because the second failure
is less excusable than the first.