Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1911-12-21
STATE ROAD MAINTENANCE.

4 The question of State road repairs
and maintenance will be put squarely
up to the next Legislature, if present
prospects are realized.
The Newark News of Saturday says
! that Colonel Stevens, the new conl-
missioner of roads, has declared in
! favor of State system of maineen-i
ance, and as he appointed SPECIAL
committee of engineers and super
| yisOrs, two weeks ago, to report a
plan for more liberal compensation
by the State on road work, it seams
reasonable to assume that the COM
mittee has recommended the plan
which the commissioner has made
public in outline.
In substance the plan is this:
About SEQ miles of the great thor
oughfares, those that are subjected to
"a tearing traffic." that connect the
main cities and that pass through RI
raj, agricultural comunities, wnicn
are in no way benefited by this tras-
fic. would be set apart and maintained
entirely by the State. In this sys-
ITEM would be included the roads from
Atlantic City to Camden, from Tre1
ton to Freehold and others OF equal
Importance.
Next, and of no less importance,
the road commissioner would adopt
vigorous measures to take the roads.
out OF politics. He would employ
gangs of men by the year, exnerien aed
capable, in every way efficient nd
keep them on the roads all the time,
much the same as gangs are employed
on the railroads, and as ney are
found in European countries. He
would have the supervisors appointed
for terms of five or even ten years,
would select only the most active and
efficient men and relieve them from
the political influences and personal
whiHs Of the county boards OF free
holders.
This plan is entirely new for New
Jersey, but the conditions are such
that something new must be done.
The State and the counties can't go
on year after year extending the
road system and then shamstully neg
lect it till the repair bill reaches ST.
900, 900 and is still insufficient to-
catch up with the annual terrific
wear and tear of vehicular traffic.
Already the Changers have enthu=
siastically indorsed Colonel Stevens
plan. and there is reason for their
action There are $4,000 farmers in
the State, comparatively few Of them
owning automobiles. many Of them
living miles away from improved
roads and many others wishing they
did. because Of the damage done 70
their houses and their crops by the
dust raised by motor vehicles. And
there are 81, 900 licensed autos in New
Jersey, every one of them making fre-
quent use of the roads and leaving the
general taxpayers to meet the dam
age. It is not just to lay the enor-
nous burdens of road repairs on COM
munities that are not able to bear
them, and are in but slight degree re-
sponsible for them.
On the other hand the automobilists
themselves are likely to favor the
new plan, because it will have ten
dency to prevent an excessive in
crease of the license fees. To their
credit is. may be said that autoists, as
a rule, recognize their relations to the
States enormous bills for road re-
pairs, and are willing to pay larger
license fees; but naturally they OBJ
ject to exorbitant or disproportionate
charges.
What the politicians. will say to the
plan is OF little consequence, unless
they shall have influence enough to
appoint and remove engineers and
supervisors at will, and to surface
| the roads with politics instead of trap
rock.
The road conditions in this State
require prompt attention. The pro-
posed plan of State maintenance is
but a suggestion, but it deserves stu
dious and careful consideration, evea
though it is wide departure from
the policy that has been in operation
for the past twenty years.