The Penn's Grove record., 1916-12-22
BOARD OF FRtEHOLDERS
Road Contracts Given. Trolley
Delays Not Relished

The December meeting of Salem
County Board of Chosen Freeholders
was held in the Court House in Salem
on the 18th. All members were pres
emit except Mr.. Griscom. Director Gray
presided.
MIR. j. M. Horn, a representative of
Warren Bros, addressed the Board rela-
tive to the use of Warrenite as a road
maerial, and extended an invitation to
the members to inspect their methods
of construction and material, at such
time - will be convenient to the Board.
Messrs. Heror and Smith, the com
mittee on the lower canal bridge, re-
ported offers to furnish and install cleo
trio motor and equipment for the raising
OF this draw bridge, for $1436.5O. Of
this sum $411.50 is for motor and
switchboard, ETC., by Walker & Kepler,
and $500 to install the same by F.. II.
Leonard, with about $125 for incidental
expenses, and the committee recommend
ed the acceptance of these bids, which
was done, and contracts directed to be
made for the work. Bids were former
ly received, in answer to an ADVERTISE
ment, asking $2205 for doing this work,
so that a saving of $76S.5O will be made.
Five hundred dollars vas voted the
treasurer of the Salem County Aims
house Trustees.
The Director and County Collector
were authorized to borrow $13,O75 from
the City National Bank, of Salem, at 5
per cent, payable on or before December
31st, to be principally used for bridges
and road repairs.
The jail committee reported that there
are now % prisoners in jail and 13 in
the road camp. The cost of maintaining
the Jail for the past month had been
$S6.73, an average of II 2-5 cents per
prisoner per day.
Tn building of the second section of
the Malaga-Penns Grove road, from Pole
Tavern to Woodstown, was awarded to
Fox & Powell, of Ocean City, for $15,-
1854, in accordance with bids opened
two weeks ago, they being the lowest
of five bidders.
Mr.. Heron again called attention to
the Pennsville and Salem road, and urged
that some permanent improvement
should be made to the road. He said
the road is worn out, and asked that it
be built in sections of, say, three miles
a year.. He said the Board is spending
some $1,000 a year for repairs, which do
not avail, and he thought the present
method a poor economy. He said it is
impossible to keep the road up with oys-
ter shells. He thought a slight increase
in the tax rate would accomplish the
purpose without the issue of bonds, but
he did not believe the people of the
county would object to a bono issue in
nrdar RI ~at ~Aol r1ole ~ o-a
Mr.. Heron also called attention to the
failure of the Salem and Penns Grove
Trolley Company to fill in their track ON
the PENIS Neck causeway, and a motion
was passed directing the Clerk to notify
the company, that unless immediate
attention is given to this matter the
Board will take no further action In
rebuilding the PENIS Neck bridge SO the
trolley company can cross it with their
cars.
He also reported that the contractors
building the trolley road are not giving
the county a square deal and he insisted
that they be brought to terms somehow
or other to make the contractors fill IN
between the rails along the PENIS
Neck causeway which is now a regular
death trap. Director Gray and Solicitor
Keasbey both declared Mr.. Heron to be
right in his statement and request and
Mr.. Keasbey said he had lone every
thing possible in a gentlemanly way to
get the contractors to live up to their
agreement.
A motion was adopted unanimously
ordering the Clerk to notify Stern &
Silverman, the contractors building the
road, hat the Board had set Friday, De-
cember 22nd, as a date for meeting and
considering new plans for the PENIS
Neck bridge but unless the road along
the causeway is completed to the salts
faction Of the Board by that date that
the plans would not be considered. The
idea is that the trolley company is very
anxious to have the plans for the bridge
approved and the bridge built that the
cars may come into Salem, but unless
the company will give the county a
square deal on the causeway question
the county will not begin the bridge
WORK. gfagmU
Howard G. Hitchner, the County In
spector Of Weights and Measures, was
before the meeting asking for ar in
crease of his salary. He now receives
$500 per year and pays his own expenses
out of this. He gave his reason for the
request saying his duties had increased
so much since the increased business at
Penns Grove and other parts of the
county.
The young lady clerk in the Office of
County Superintendent Of Schools II. G..
Dixon also asked for an increase in sal
airy from $40 to $50 a month. p
Mr.. Smith made complaint about fhe
stone sinking between the rails i'm the,
trolley tracks on Main street, Penns
Grove, and it was ordered that the troll
ley company be notified to remedy the
defect.
The hauling of cinders by the trolley
contractors across the PENIS Neck
bridge had cut the bridge planking out,
reported Mr.. Powers, but nc action was
taken on the report. 1t was stated that
EpDipcar VV.Ioon will h. -ooI- A.