Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-02-12
REFUSES To
WITH DRAW
BRIDGE BILL
Reported Out of Committee and
Advanced to Third Reading
in Senate

A second reading has been given
Senator Thomas Browns senate bill
No. AZ in the state senate, which au-
thorizeS the State Highway Commis-
sion to take over, under the highway
act, the bridge between South Amboy
and Perth Amboy, as q part of the
state highway system. The act also
would include the Albany street bridge
at New Brunswick.
The first and second readings of
bills In the senate are more or less
perfunctory proceedings, but when the
measures come up for their third and
final readings, they are subjected to
the cross fire Of opposition before
their final adoption.
State Highway Engineer w. G..
Thompson has asked Senator Brown
TO withdraw his bill and met the fiat
refusal of MIR. Brown to do so.
In his argument the engineer ad-
vanced as his reason for the request
that, IL it was found legal, the COM
mission was about to give Middlesex
county $250,000 due il from the state
for highway work. He also Informed
the senator of the action taken by the
commission at their meeting Of the
February 6.
But contradictory statement ap-
pears in the engineers let .er in which
commission voted to take over the
Amboy bridge at Perth Amboy, effec-
tive about October /, or when the mo-
tor vehicle collections for 1920 shall
have become available for its main
tenance-" but in the third paragraph
says: Commissioners Blakeslee. voted
against this proposition. 1t. therefore
failed TO carry, inasmuch as there were
but four votes in favor OF 1t. whereas
xrynn Pad a a a w
Il commission"
The senator also has been In con-
ference with Governor Walter j.
Edge, who seemed highly in favor OF
having the state take over the bridges
bu~ also favored a waiting policy. The
q vernon said that he feared that the
expense of taking over the bridges
would interfere with the maintenance
OF the state highways.
Senator Brown said this morning
that Middlesex has waited too lone
now for the state to take over the
burden of the bridges and that no de-
lay should come up that would make
it necessary for the county to carry
the load saddled upon It, while 1t I;
responsible for but ten per cent. OF
the use made Of the bridges.
Mr.. Brown has thrown the entire
weight of his power In the senate INTO
the bill with the hope for its adoption.
He induced Senators Whiteney and
Bright to report II out of committee.
where it might have been buried but
for their favorable acton.
There ought to be delegations from
every civic body In the county at the
session when the bill comes up for
final reading. probably next Tuesday
night" Mr.. Brown said today. 'The
Republicans as well as the Democrats
who have the interest OF the county
at heart should see that sufficient force
is brought 20 bear to induce all the
senators to vote favorably on the
measure"
The state highway engineer brought
the matter to the attention OF the
The resolution then introduced pro.
vides that "the state shall take
over the maintenance of the Am
boy bridge, except that the TAX
ing over of this bridge for main
tenance does not act TO the prejudice
adopting a different location for the
new bridge at some time in the fu-
ture. the point being that the pre-.
sent location is a very poor one and
decidedly uneconomical and that when
we shall build new bridge we shall
reserve the right to abandon the pre-
sent location.
There will be q meeting of the
commission in the latter part of this
month when Chairman John w. Her
bert returns from Florida at which
time this action will undoubtedly be
ratified. according 10 Mr.. Thompson
in q report 30 Governor Edge.
Other Bills Passed.
Other bills passed on second read
ing were:
Senator Ackerson. Adds a new
route to the state highway system 10
he known as no. 16. and is to run
from a point on Route No. 4. in or
near Keyport. u AllenhuEst and to be
known as the Ocean Highway"
The bill introduced by Republican
Senate Leader Case on behalf of the
administration and which will create
a state employment bureau to find
places for returning soldiers and soil
ors has also passed second reading IN
the upper house. So has the bill by
Senator Mackay. of Bergen. increas-
ing the salaries OF the circuit court
judges 10 $4,000 a year.
Senator Hammond: Fixes eight
hours as the days work for deDuty
keepers ard guar rds at fhe state prison
and the reformatory. They now work
about twelve hours.