Middletown transcript., 1911-03-25
THR dnPONT BOULEVARD BILL


amendments thereto, should
come up for consideration in the
closing days Of the legislature
4 and that, too, with a business
calendar already hopelessIy con,
gested. Ample time should have
been allowed for a careful exami.
nation of it's provisions and a full
understanding of the rights TO be
given the incorporators, and the
duties and responsibilities to be
incurred by the State for yearly
repairs, upkeep,etc. Legislstion
that will vitality affect the States
welfare for a 100 years to come,
te-be decided offhand in a few
hours
Even a cursory reading shows
some things that should be al
tered.
Thus Section 142 allows the
Boulevard to be used for ''any
other purpose not unlawful and
not necessarily detrimental to
the use of said road for vehicu
lar travel" Section 167 repeats
this provision.
This is language equally broad
and blind. What does it mean ?
'tNot detrimental to the road for
vehicular purposes" but what
about the abutter? Erections for
manufacturing and other pur-
poses might not damage the road
but yet seriously damage the ad-
jacent properties. Then, how
can there be any rational, fair
basis for an estimation of the
debts and credits of an ease
ment of unknown character and
amountS
What might be a generous
compensation for the damage
done the adjacent owner in one
case, might amount to absolute
confiscation in another ? Why
not a provision protecting the
abutter against all such contin.
gencies 4?
Section 145 limits the width of
the "road for vehicular ira 7el to
not less than IL nor more than Is
feet" and the whole space, "to be
devoted to the Said road for We.
hicular travel and its accessories
shall not be less than 30 feet
wide"
Accessories" that Is, side
walks, cutters, etc. This is, we
believe, most serious objection
-one which will increase with
the passing years till the enor-
nous growth of the traffic will
soon impair the routes useful
ness if indeed not its safety as
public highway. The idea has
widely prevailed that there were
TO be ttoo separate public roads
one South and one North. Not
so, 12 to 18 feet for road way and
and say, six or eight feet on either
side for sidewalk, gutter, etc.,
80 feet in all.
On the road from Philadelphia
to Atlantic City 60 automobiles
an hour pass a given point-one
minute This Boulevard if
built as per design, will in a short
time become a national curiosity;
strangers, tourists, etc., by the
tens of thousands will visit and
use it and even if the whole 30
feet were given up for a high,
way, thronged as this famous
Boulevard will be, the inevitable
congestion will be fatal to its
comfort or even its safety-cer
tainly for farmers and others
than automobilists. Then think
Of accommodating such an enor-
nous travel at once North and
South upon 9 II or 18 foot road
way-the thingis absurd-impos-
sible This grave defect must be
remeaied Let rs hnild. like an
cient Rome, for the centuries
not for day after tomorrow.
Again Section 162 permits the
Boulevard corporation to lease or
sell, etc, one or all of the fran
chises granted by this act, ETC.,
the vendee taking all the rights
and privileges of the original
corporation. This is another
serious defect in the law which |
should at once be- cured.
The time is even now ripe for
a competing railroad down this
Peninsula, uniting the great trunk
systems of the North and West
with those Of the fast developing |
South. Delaware, with refer
ence to these vast territories
above and below, is the strategic /
connecting link. For so years |
this State has been ground finer
than fiour under the merciless
tariffs, f,eigl,tand passenger, OF
Aha ~ r. q w. and PennsvIvauia