Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-26
Ehrntt.g U1at

The Public Service Commissions order
directing that the Berks Dauphin
turnpike Road Company rebuild II
miies or It's toll road east of this city,
and repair the remaining eighteen
miles, calls attention to the fact that
thirty-five miles of the William Penn
highway are thus to be permanent
ized; The toll road is part of the
william Penn, but the association has
never had reason to be proud of the
iact, lnasmuch as the eXorbitanS
charge of S1.02 has brought "how,'$
from every user of the thoroughfaro.
since the Motor Club of Harrisburg.
some months ago called this turnpike
10 the attention of the Public Serv-
Ice Commission the toll company has
made efforts here and there to mako
an Improvement - these attempts
consisting for the most part of putting
down a cover of small stones. These
stones grind to pieces very easily; and
the dust, therefore, has made travel
over the toll road anything but
pleasure. For a half hundred yards
on both sides the highway the trees,
grass and houses are gray with the
pulverized road covering. In a speech
at Bloomsbury last Thursday Cover
nor Brumbaugh declared that dusty
| roads are injurious to the health of
the people. That, of course, is true,
and residents along the Berks-Dau-
phin Company's thirty-five mile dust
streak have reason to complain.
The William Penn Highway Associa-
ton Is lending it's aid to those who
wish to see the State take over the
Berks-Dauphin road. The road should
be freed of toll, all admit. There are
| those who can see, they say, that the
owners of the pike will not be able to
comply with the Public Service Com
mlssion's order The reconstruction
of seventeen miles of the highway
Will cost about $4,000, and the re-
pairing of the balance will mean an
additional $4,000. 1t Is rumored that
rather than spend this $4,000 the
tol company will sell out, thus re-
tanning the $4,000 for distribution
along with what is paid for the toll
road. The freeing of this turnpike
VIII benefit more farmers and motor
lists than the freeing of any other
turnpike in the State.
There Is q short toll road on the
William Penn Highway west of Lewis
town. Residents of Lewistown are
of this pike. too. The toll is fifteen
cents. Owners of the highway are
also the owners of an electric railroad
company operating in the Lewistown
district. Still another toll road is
that between Johnstown and Cramer,
poration. The road is not of the best.
The keeper of the gate is far from
accommodating, compelling travellers
to await his pleasure On the Berks-
Dauphin road the gate-keepers go to
the vehicle and sell the tickets, but at
the gate west of Johnstown the keeper
compels travellers to dismount and
walk in to window. The Johnstown
Chamber of Commerce and other
organizations are after the hide of the
Johnstown-Cramer Company, and ex-
pect to get it.
They say that every gate-keeper
along the Berks-Dauphin road was
peeved and irritated the other day by
the action of a motorist who had q
basket on the seat beside him. He
stopped very carefully at each gate;
and when the keeper came to him he
placed a large lemon in the toll coll
lector's hand. 1t is told that some
interesting bits of Pennsylvania Ger
man fioated on the breeze as the
motorist drove on.
Advocates of good roads find a.
hearty supporter in President Judge
george kunkel of the Dauphin county
courts. The presiding jurist usually
has a word or two to say in an official
way from the bench on behalf of betA
; ter highways at the opening of every
constables make their returns. Yes
terday, the opening of September
quarter sessions, was no exception
Among the scores of reports handed
up by the constables were dozen or
more which called the courts atten-
ton to sections of road in need of
, repair, of bridges which need plank
ing or handrails, of missing sign-posts.
In turning these reports over to Dis
trict Attorney Michael e. Stroup for
, investigation Judge Kunkel said:
These matters should be investigated
and attended to at once; the proper
persons who are responsible for the
upkeep of the roads and bridges,
should be called to account for the
conditions as they are reported here
to exist"
Since the price of paper began ia
advance so fast and newspapers were
compelled to reduce the size of their
issues numerous free copies have been
cut off and the number of papers in
the mail is considerably less. Men
in the postal service remark upon the
, the number of copies that must have
been cut off because there are fewer
bags devoted to papers and not a.
many are delivered.