The Penn's Grove record., 1919-06-13
nent from Montcfalr 70 Builder and

program is the fact that in all liSeli-
lOOd 39,626 miles of the g. 49, miles of
state highways now under way will re-
ceive $S20,231.2S of assistance from
he federal government. This sum has
aeen appOrtioned from the $3.50 ,S33.38
Of funds available for New Jersey in
1919. Ia 1920 it is anticipated that this
state will receive approximately ST.
$4,000 of such federal assistance and
l similar sum in 1921.
Policy of the Commission.
SO far as the new construction on
the state highway system during the
1920 building season is concerned. the
work program adopted by the commits
sion at its June meeting contemplates
the expenditure of S4,590.IGS on a total
Of 4G.3S miles of the state highways.
This mileage IS distributed over every
one of the routes of the system except
Routes >, I, II and II and has been Sc
IectQd with a view, first. OF the compile
ton of the most important arteries of
traffic and the assumption of control
over them by the STATE, and, second,
with a view to Keeping the remaining
routes safe and comfortable for travel
until such time as the commission is
able to take them over completely I'M
Ger safe control. THE estimates,
amounting to $3.50, TGS. deemed neCeS-
sary for the execution of this 1920
work program includes OUTLAWS of
rights of way, expenditures for heavy
excavation. grading and drainage prof.
Gets, costs for bridge undertakings,
anlong which is preliminary Worl; on a
new Perth Amboy bridge, etc, all of
which have purposply been made high,
so that the commission in The midst of
its activities next year may not by any
chance find that the none! at its dis
posal is inadequate to meet the prices
for highway work ruling then.
Not only has the execution CT the
1919 program and the preparation of
the 1920 work program for the state
highway system and the disposition of
federal aid money engaged the atten-
ton of the Highway Commission, but
it has also been busy in supervising
the distribution of state aid to the
counties and municipalities in heir
Highway projects. These activities
have involved the direct control of
about $1,000, 900 of the states money
and an ever greater amount of that of
the subordinate jurisdictions. 1t can
be seen, therefore, that combining the
e1a 70 I,iul.x-ov taS- tho fn1nrD1 aid and
the state aid and the expenditures
made by the counties and municipali-
ties on state aid projects the State
Highway Commission directs Il public
business which annually involves the
judicious spending of 1etWeen $4,000
900 and $4,000, 900.
Oysters Will Be High.
With the oyster planting season now
under way for about a month in the
famous Maurice river owe in the Della
ware bay, planters and shippers have
let it be known that the prospects are
not bright for cheaper oyster steWs and
"raws" or fries in the city restaurants
next fall and winter.
The oyStermen had expected the Ia
Dor situation TO improve a lot this sea-
son. but. while they have been able to
get fuller crews than they did a year
age. the wages still keep high. Owners
of oyster beds now being replanted fig
ure that il costs more than twice as
much for the labor and "Seed" as it did
before the war.
On the larger boats, which carry ten
men crews, the monthly pay and grub
bills frequently top the $1,000 MARI.
Where plenty of men were to be had
for oyster crews three or o u years
ago at about $40 Il month, the present
run Of oyster boat hands are now aver
aging twice that much, and their board
represents an outlay of about ST a day
per q
Planters say that the trough cull'
law makes it necessary to carry bigger
crews than formerly. Three oyster
boat captains We're fixed $3.50 each this
season for violations of the rough
Gull" law, which requires that the
decks of the boats be kept clear Of all
DllI d per Celil VI SiiClIS oit ucbiSh
The intent of the law is to have the
culls and rubbish thrown back upon
the beds, as it is upon this material
that the oysters spawn.
Oyster ''seed" dredged III by the
tongers from the creeks has reached a
record breaking price this season, SELL
ing for so cents a bushel, which IS
three or four times as much as the
oyster bed owners paid for plants a
few years ago.
The oystermen say that these condi-
tons will have a tendency to keep up
the price of oysters ever beyond next
winter, as the oysters planted this sea-
son at such big expense will not be
ready to market for at least three
ears.
Jersey Poverty Dying.
1t would seem that poverty is on the
decrease in New Jersey from unofficial
reports submitted by 60 delegates to
the convention of the State Association
of Overseers of the Poor at Atlantic
City.
l~4 %h0t.