Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-24
MONEY FOR ROADS
SPENT LAWSHLY
Extras" Pile Up Cost of Con-
struction, Engineer Tes-
titles.

/ TRENTON. Nov. 24.-The time OF
the joint appropriations committee
of the Legislature was devoted yes
terday to detailing the great amount
| of extras" that hte contractors for
roads received. In one instance, 1t
was developed through Robert A.
| Meeker, the engineer for the State
road department, the contractor on
the third section of the Franklin
turnpike in Bergen county, contract
ed TO build a road for SOL, 1884. The
toatl price paid for the same road
was $S1 4S79S. the difference being
made up of the extras allowed by
the county and the State road de-
partment.
Mr.. Meeker explained that he. more
than any other person in the State,
was responsible for the extras" al
lowed in road building. In this par
ticular instance, he explained, the
conditions were peculiar, and were
not ascertainable ON the road sur
face. These unknown conditions in
cluded underground springs. The
SSl, S4I9S was not the total cost of
the road Mr.. Meeker said, as the
State department had refused to ap-
prove many items for extras" which
1T is presumed the county eventually
paid.
Examples of how freely the road
department spent its money were
forthcoming during the testimony of
Mr.. Meeker. For 5000 feet of road
from Leonia to Fort Lee. In Bergen
county the contract price was $5S,-
612.46. Within a few months this
road according to the testimony.
was in very bad shape. but MIR.
Meeker explained that the physical
conditions there We're bad.
On the Pate son Plank Road there
mas been expended 1926. 600 since 1909
ana the road is only two and one
third miles in length The first road
was built there in 1909 at a cost of
Sl25,OOO. This did not last a year,
Mr.. Meeker explaining that 1t was in
the early days of the penetration
system and it was largely experi-
mental It was resurfaced at a COST
of $4,000 and the surface again went
TO pieces so that il had to be repaired
for the third time in five years. This
road cost upward of 100000 mile
In less than five years and the cities
get f1ve-year guarantees on their
pavements.
Some time was devoted TO the dis
eussion of the road from Somers
Point to Absecon along the shore in
Atlantic county. This contract wa
let originally by Colonel Frederick
Giilkyson, then State road commits
sioner, and when his brother, J. Il.
GlIkyson, was the treasurer of the
Amiesite Company. There were
many delays, including litigation, 50
that the road was only accepted IN
1913 The road cost 5000. 1853,
and according to the report Of
Thomas +. Bowc, the engineer for the
appropriation committee, who was
over the road yesterday, it is in de-
plorabae condition. Mr. Meeker said
that this road was not recommended
by him and that he only approved
the plans under protest.
Glutrin Contract Held Up.
Colonel Edwin A. Stevens, State
road commissioner, said that the con-
tract for the gIutrin on the roads of
South Jersey, amounting to $104,00
had not yet been approved by him,
and he thought he would not approve
It until spring. One of the reasons
this contract was attacked was be-
cause it was let in winter. Colonel
Stevens will resume the stand when
the committee meets again next Sat
urday morning.
The committee yesterday received
petition signed by a score of resi-
dents along the Pennington road. in
Mercer county, protesting the further
use of the material known as glutrin
on the roads. They claim that the
was used on the Pennington
road during the summer, and the re-
suits were most unsatis factory. The
wells, springs and streams along the
road have become polluted with it to
such an extent that the water cannot
be used. Some wells have been out of
use for three months, and the farmers
bitterly.
The committee also Went into the
salary recei'ed by Mr., Meeker When
he started with the department four
teen years ago, he received S1,500 per
year Now he gets $4,000, and an un-
successful attempt was made to get
the last Legislature to increase this
to $4,000.