The Penn's Grove record., 1913-11-21
Big ELECTION BILLS PAID
County Seeks neans To Build Roads

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The November meeting of the County
Board of Freeholders was held on the
18th in the Court House in Salem. All
members were present and Director Gray
presided.
The payment of bills for advertising
and tor election offic rs took most OF the
time. One lot amounted to 50, 200, and
included all of the election officers except
in Alloway township. This item does
not include the bills of the Township,
Borough and City clerks for election ex-
penses, nor for the advertising. Another
lot OF bills incurred in the recent labor
trouble at Brotmanville amounted to
$l35. rs.
The ordinance asking for a fifty year
franchise for the Delaware & Atlantic
Telephone and Telegraph Company,
which was to have passed final action
and be voted on at this meeting, was laid
over by request until the next meeting.
The ordinances OF the Electric Company
of New Jersey, and the one tor the Penns
Grove Electric Light, Heat and Power
Company, by request of those companies,
were laid on the table.
The Committee OH Supplies for the
Jail reported that the cost for keeping the
prisoners for the past month had been
$36 SO. an average OF l6S cents per pris-
oners per day.
A resolution to borrow 81, $50 in an
ticipation of taxes for county purposes,
from the City National Bank, was
adopted. A motion was adopted author
izing the Treasurer of the Surplus Rev.
enue Account to pay off one Salem City
school bond for 81, 900 and to purchase a
new one in its place.
Mr.. Wheaton reported that the Penns
Neck draw-bridge had again been run
into by the same tug and barge which
had damaged it before. This time the
abuttment was moved from four to six
inches, but it is still possible to move tile
draw on and off. The county already
has one action against these boat owners
for damages TO this bridge. Engineer
Cattell stated that he does not know to
what extent the bridge has been injured
by the last collision, but ii it is hit
many more times the present foundation
will not be in condition to hold the
bridge the county is planning to build.
In accordance with an act OF the Leg
islature OF 1912, three resolutions We're
adopted formally taking over the follow
ing township roads as State roads, viz:
Pennsville to Penns Grove; Alloway to
Q%uinton; Shirley to I'eerfeld. This
action on the part OF the Board was
merely to get the taking over correctly on
record, the roads in question having al
ready been taken over by the county.
A letter was received from Elmer
Street committee asking the County to
clean out the cutters in Elmer along the
county road. They expect it because of
such ali opinion from State Road Com
missioner Stevens. while the Freeholders
are opposed to it according to a decision
OF Assistant Road Commissioner Meeker.
Mr.. Vanneman raised the point that
there are State roads in Salem city, in
Woodstown and Penns Grove Boroughs
and i'll none of these instances is the gut-
ter cleaning placed OH the FreeholderH
He thought 1t a dangerous precedent 70
set and that if the county cleans Elmer's
cutters it will have to clean the others
mentioned. In Salem city three men
are employed daily III this work and the
Board OF Freeholders would not want
this expense saddled OF the county. A
motion was finally passed authorizing the
Solicitor to write the State Road Com
missioner at once and get his opinion
before the Board officially.
Mr.. Burk was authorized to buy a car
load OF stone to fill in the approach to
NortonvilIe bridge which is rebuilding.
A delegation OF Penns Grove Council
men asked that the Freeholdeis build a
road thru Penns Grove connecting the
county road row built to the south Bor-
ougl limit and the county road at the
north Borough limit, distance OF IL
miles. A gravel road to cost between
$l3,0 600 and $l4, 900 would be satisfactory.
A letter from State Road Commissioner
Stevens was read recommending it and
recommending that the Borough ask for
it. A letter to Harry P. Gray from the
State COMMISSIONS OIL this matter, stated
that the matter is entirely up to the dis
cretion Of the Board OF Freeholders. He
said he thought the county should fix
upon some policy in regards to building
State roads through cities and boronglis
and after the policy is fixed to adhere
firmly to it. He asked to be advised OF
this policy of Salem county before action
was taken i'll the matter of this piece of
road in Penns Grove borough. Mr..
-Keasbey stated it to be impossible for
the county to do this work next wear
without bonding the county. He said a
survey is now being made for the Penns
Grove-Malaga State road and the work
on this was to be- started next year, but
that both roads could not possibly be
built without issuing road bonds. This
road 10Y being surveyed runs from
Elmer to the Pilesgrove township line.
Mr.. Borton stated that if the county
builds this piece OF road in Elmer, that
Woodstown has a piece of road or street
that it will expect the coun4y to build.
The Board had once refused to build this
Woodstown street or road, but it would
be again asked to do so if it starts now in
building streets in Elmer. The policy OF
the county IN the recent past has been to
keep out OF borough or city limits and it
has more than once refused to build
short connecting link in Salem city.
Mr.. Burk moved, and it was carried
that the Finance Committee try to de-
wise a scheme to finance both this and
the other proposed State road and to re-
port at the next meeting.