Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-02-21
Much Will be Advanced
in Support of Bridge Bill
CONTINUED from page l.,

NNSOlLlDueO hiOhb haSf
ing an approximate total paid 50 far
of $157,S Maintenance costs each
year have amounted to about 100000
or a total of $4,000 while the M
ployes and tenders cost about $4,000
annually or a total of $255,OOO. These
figures make q grand total of 1884,
92S.
The Albany street bridge at New
Brunswick has cost an approximate
total of sss3,700. 1t was built about
twenty-five years ago, paid for on
twenty-year bonds at a cost of $780,
900. These bonds drew annual inter-
est of foul per cent and are now paid
off, the interest total being about
S256,O00. The latest necessary re-
pairs, the construction of a new draw
over the Delaware & Raritan canal
will cost s12S,000. and bonds have
been issued for the work which Will
draw four per cent. interest. The
cost of maintenance has been about
$4,000 a year and the cost of tenders
and employees about SASS, on an
average, which makes that item for
the life of the bridge so far about
S1S9,700.
Under the original road act, that OF
1912 provision is made that the coun-
ties shall make up a budget of the
money needed for o work of which
the state shall pay forty per cent on
state roads. If the state does not pay
the money, the counties may TAX out
anticipatroy notes pending the pay
ments. Another act of the same year
provides that the state shall a one
third of the cost of maintenance on
bridges of over 1000 feet in length.
This was designed to V the AM
boys bridge and while its legality has
never been tested is not believed to
be enforcible as it might come under
the head of special legislation. It's
purpose was mainly to relieve the
county of Middlesex of the burdens OF
the Amboys bridge.
An act of 1914 provides that the
state may at its direction a one
third of the maintenance costs of
bridges in the state or the request of
the freeholders of a county that it do
so.
These three laws were superseded
by the state highways act of 1917,
which brought about a revision of all
the state highway acts, and which
turns over to the state all automobile
license moneys, federal aid moneys,
moneys from condemnation of lands,
ETC., to carry put its work. 1t also
provides for the acquisition of roads,
bridges and toll bridges in the state
by the state and limits the extern
sion of any of the state highway routes
into cities of over 1000 people.
The appeal of the highway commiS-
sion tina the county bide its time, that
:, the Brown bill be withdraw on the
promise that the commission will act
shortly carries little weight with the
senator or with those backing his bill
They say that if the state failed tc
take over one-third the cost of the
bridges when legislation allowed OF
that course, it can hardly be expected
to take over the entire cost of it's w
v~olition new.
The county's claim is based on the
justice of the situation. When the
bridges were built ehty were for the
use of Middlesex county with little
thought o fthe automobile develop
ment, and with little thought of the
state wide and the interstate import
| ance which they would later assume
But now, even the state highway com
mission and the governor acknowl
edges that ninety per cent of the traf.
, fc over the bridges comes from out
side the county. This makes IT yer!
r apparently unfair to expect the COUNTY
to bear the entire burden of the two
bridges.