Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-08-28
IN
FAVOR Of STATE
HIGHWAY BOARD
Believe This System Is a Step
Towards Solving Vexatious
Road Problem.

Discussion among automobilists
since the. midsummer meeting of the
Associated Clubs at Port-au Peck
Tuesday and the launching of cam
paign for the betterment of the State
roads, with a Recommendation for a
direct State road tax of one-half a
mill, has been in the nature of sug-
gestions of just how to go about the
work That the state roads are in a
Wretched condition and that the man
ner of caring for them under the pres
ent laws Is not bringing about the
desired results is the contention of
the large army of motorists. How
the condition Is to be remedied,
though, is the problem to be worked
out.
Horace A. Bonnell, chairman of the
good roads committee of the Asso-
ciated Clubs and the man who
launched the scheme for State tax,
as well as being the principal critic
of State Highway Commissioner
Edwin l.. Stevens for the latters al
legged failure to properly care for the
State roads, thinks that a highway
commission of three members is one
of the solutions of the problem.
There should be a change In the
laws so as to give New Jersey a
state highway commission OF three
members" declared Mr. Bonnell to-
day These three commissioners
could divide the State into three sub
divisions and take an equal amount
of territory TO supervise. They could
meet in Trenton, say at least once
week, compare notes of what has
been done and plan for the future.
All contracts should be let under their
supervision and they should person
ally supervise all road work. The
highway commission plan has worked
out well in other States, and think
It would work well in New Jersey"
Would Take in Motor vehicle Department.
Mr.. Bonnell also thinks that the
State motor vehicle department
should be placed under the manage
ment OF a highway commission,
should one be established. The sec
reaary of states office is no place for
the licensing office, he contends. The
department has grown too large Tor
supervision there. Besides he says
that the motor licensing question Is
so identified with road work that both
should be under the control of the
same department.
Bond issues for roads, Mr.. Bonnen
thinks, Is out of the question, as do
the majority of motorists. 1t Is de-
clared to be a costly proposition. Be
fore the bonds are paid off, Mr.. Bon
nell says, the roads are worn out.
The cost of poor roads because of the
loss of business to the state, Mr.. Bon
nell declares, is enormous, and 1t Will
grow larger If there Is no immediate
remedy.
Colonel Stevens makes some very
nice speeches" said Mr.. Bonnell, but
he doesn't get anywhere. He has no
remedies to suggest or plans to res
lieve the situation. He simply sits
on the Job and gets nowhere. Mr.
Stevens says IL will take $40,000,OO0 to
repair our roads. That may be so,
but whatever it takes we should get
remedial legislation to go ahead and
repair them, no rnatter what the cost.
"That the road question will attract
more attention at Trenton next Win
ter than heretofore is generally be-
leved. Commissioner Stevens has
admitted that the entire road laws
should be revamped. This he declared
aft the Port-au-Peck meeting, and he
further said that when change
was made that the men put In charge
should be so placed that they would
be unhampered In their work and not
subject to removal at the whi1ns of
the politicians or whenever there was
a change in administration.
Want Politics Eliminated.
I'VE don't want it so that when
Democratic administration comes
into power that the road department
heads will be thrown out, or when
the Republicans return they will
make another shift. Road work
shodld be made the lifework of the
men who do 1t, and they should be
competent and should be safe from
politics in their positions"
The motorists do not think that
there will be much opposition from
the public at large to direct State
tax In view of conditions. 1t is as
serted that everybody pays his school
tax now without feeling it particu-
larly and that the road tax would
he paid the same way should 1t be