The Penn's Grove record., 1917-10-05
I'LL Ale CONEYITES
Good Roads Wanted Everywhere
Salem County's Inspected

N@FAC09 1 ~ d1=
slllon, Ohio, to Washington and were
all arrested because they got on
the peoples grass, General Coxey adj
Vocated giving employment to idle
men by spending public moneys to
build good roads. They were made
the laughing stock of the nation by
the capltalistic press who advocated a
contraction of the currency by reduc-
ing the dollar crop.
What a great change in opinions in
less than a quarter of a century /!
Everybody is populistic now for the
rural mail delivery, postal savings,
parcel post, a big increase in the dol
lar crop, loans on farms and farm
crops as well as on bankers bonds; but
above all, middle OF the road Populists
by having them level, hard and
smooth, no matter what the cost.
Not only are good roads wanted local
ly, but a Lincoln highway has been
started from New York to San Fran
cisco and a Jefferson highway from
Canada to the Gulf Of Mexico. Yes,
even a Wilson skyway for airplanes
from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean
is in mind.
1t is for Coxey and his army of 23
years ago to laugh at standpat Re-
publicans and Democrats who have
gotten the Populistic ideas, not only
IN their heads, but are now ~enioyinp
the fruits of having the platforms Of
the Popullstic party enacted into laws.
II CoXey and his army were crazy,
then the whole nation has become in
sane, judged by the national honor
and sound money" standard of TWEEN
ty-ive years ago.
However, Salem county has been
progressing on the good roads project
Tor about Is years. Penns Grove
and Upper Penns Neck are the last to
get out of the sand and mud. Being
the last we have to have the best.
The Board of F~reeholders under the
direction of County engineer James
S. Sparks and l. C. Smashey, clerk,
made their annual tour in automo-
biles on Wednesday. Roy Mullen,
engineer of South Jersey division of
highways was in the party.
Starting from Salem they found the
shell road thru Lower Penns Neck
fne and the amiesite road from Plant
Z IN Upper Penns Neck, thru Penns
Grove so smooth that they imagined
they were gliding thru Paradise. The
SN0NS AOc0 L GIiilS N1ONC 10 1G0-
flcktown is not so good. Glutrine
was applied last year and it has MOI
proved satisfactory because it picks
up and holes are made. 1t is rougher
than where the glutrine was not ap-
piled. The road from Pedricktown
to Nortonville Is fine. The macadam
base laid in 1902 had a ugite top put
on this year at an expense of $4,000.
Returning to Penns Grove the party
went out East Main Street to Biddle
Creek. The macadam base was laid
In 1908 and has had several top dress
lngs of gravel. The intention is to
have a bituminous top put on next
year with Federal aid. The road
from Biddle Greek to Pilesgrove line
2.06 miles is being constructed and
the bridge and spillway at Layton
pond where the DUPONT Company get
water for manufacturing powder, is
being widened. A big pile of Elwood
s. Layton's, Ebenezer P. Zanes and
Horace Jones' farms have been hauled
on the road between the pond and
Wiley School house. The fill at the
cross road along Wiley woods is three
feet deep and thirty feet wide. SUIT
ton d Corson have the road graded
except from the upper side of the
woods to the Courses Landing road.
Stone has been put on the top of the
sand and clay filler from Biddle Creek
to the woods. This is to be finished
this year and a hituminous top put on
next year with Federal aid. This
IS a section of Malaga-Penns Grove
roa and will cost 500, 1901. 1t is the
worst strip of road in the county.
When finished the farmers can haul
three tons to a load where now one
ton is a heavy drag for a team of
horses thru the sand. The trucks
now haul six tons of stone to a load
to be put on the road now building.
1t is the intention to build the road
thru Pilesgrove next year with Fed
eral aid. In two years it is expected
to. have the great gliding highway
from Penns Grove thru Salem county
finished for tourists to Atlantic City.
The party took dinner at Stetser's
hotel in Woodstown. The afternoon
tour was to Pole Tavern. thence to
Ballinger's mill in Alloway where the
sixteen county prisoners are grading
the road. The gravel roads to Elmer,
from Elmer to the Gloucester county
line, thence thru Alloway, Quinton
and back to Salem were found to be
IN excellent condition. The party
arrived IN Salem at 5.45, after trying
the roads in some places at so miles
an hour.
1t was a delightful day for the trip
and all made it with pleasure. The
County Freeholders were much pleas
cd with the condition of the roads and
the progress of the contractors who
are delayed because of shortage of
labor.
Instead of building good roads with
idle men in Coxey's campaign all want
them now when wages are high and
laborers scarce.
Connie Mack,s Athlatics of tho