The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-10-29
10 the Citizens, Taxpay'
ers and Legal Voters
Of the County Of
Hunterdon

ing false statements thus making it
unnecessary for me or any other can
didate on the Democratic ticket to adj
dress letter to you telling of their
misrepresentation But the Repub-
llcan County Executive Committee has
seen fit to make misleading statements
thus compelling me to place myself
before you.
The committee states in a published
letter under the caption Facts" that
Il was requested to resign as road
supervisor because of dissatisfaction
with my services" This statement is
absolutely untrue and without foun-
dation. The fact is that | rendered
my resignation to the Freeholders
about four years ago because at the
time | did SO the salary paid me was
but $1,000 year, out of which | was
compelled to pay my own travelling
expenses and furnish at my own ex-
pense an automobile for the County in
order to enable me to properly super
wise road repair. At that time Hunt
erdon County was the only County in
New Jersey that paid such a small
salary and failed to provide their sup
ervisor wit Improper means OF trans
portation, as well as bear his ex-
penses. Under these circumstances
could no longer afford to give my en-
tire time, as / had been doing, to the
County with such small salary be-
cause my salary was not sufficient to
bear then the heavy expenses which l
had to meet in my home. My wife at
that time, but now deceased, was suf-
fering from an incurable disease thus
making it necessary for me to employ
take care of her in order to make her
life as comfortable as l possibly could
in her last days and it became neces--
sary for me to seek other employment
so that might meet my obligations
and do what of right | should and did
do for her comfort. / was not re-
quested to resign; it was voluntary
act ON my part for the reasons above
stated
Again they say under my supervision
of "your expensive roads then began
their breaking up" This is also not
true, the true fact being that at the
time of my resignation your roads
were in excellent condition at all sea-
sons of the year and it was the unani-
nous opionion of those who used them
whether resident Of this county or
state, or our neighboring states, that
the roads in Hunterdon County were
in the best condition of any roads be-
tween New York and Philadelphia and
in order to keep them in such condi-
ton / can assure you l was on the
road every day and saw to it that my
instructions were fully carried out by
those under my control. The begin
ming of the break in the roads was
during the winter and spring of 1919
and 1920 and you know it was caused
BY the exceptionally heavy traffic be-
tween New York and Philadelphia at
a time when your roads were soft, the
heavy trucks that used them were
compelled to carry foodstutfs to New
York and Philadelphia because the
railroads refused to carry it, there
being railroad strike. These trucks
being of enormous size and carrying
tremendous loads wore out, ruined
and made impossible the expensive
Lincoln Highway between Philadel-
phia and New York and then began
using your roads, and the trucks so
heavily loaded were too great for them
to stand but they continued to use
them until they were practically
ruined and made impossible. And by
this unexpected and extraordinary use
of your roads you are compelled to
spend thousandsof dollars to repair
the damage thus done. Under these
circumstances is it fair to charge this
condition to me when you know the
cause of the present condition and the
breaking up of your expensive roads
was three years after | was out OF
office?
In reply to their criticism on the
budget and the floating Indebtedness
at the close of the fiscal year 1913
and requesting you to vote for the Re
publican candidate so that there will
be a minority representation on the
Board of Freeholders and thereby pre-
vent a repetition of such condition,
it claiming that the $4,000 floating
Indebtedness is the result fmisman-
agement by the Freeholders and
charging that your money has been
expended with unsatisfactory results.
In answer to that | desire to state
to you, Mr.. Taxpayer, and voter, that
during the year 1919 labor and ma
terial began taking steady raise
from January to December. Your
roads and bridges needed repair and
it was necessary to construct new
bridges to insure safety to the travel
ing public. No one could tell in Jam
uary 1919 (when the law requires the
budget to b ehade) what the cost OF
labor and material would be during
the year and what repairs the roads
and bridges would need, and what
bridges should be constructed. But
because 1.-THE unforeseen and unex-
pected increased costs of labor and
material necessary for road repair,
bridge repair and bridge construction
to insure the safety of the travelling
public this condition arose.
Bear in mind that the Republican
Party which in their article (they
claim to be the minority had mem
Der of the Board of IFreeholders at
that time who is one of the most con-
scientious and capable business men
in Hunterdon County and who thor
oughly understood the condition and
who voted upon all expenditures and
who believed he was acting for the
best interest of the taxpayers under
all the then existing circumstances
and conditions and did not expend
your money with unsatisfactory re-
suits.
So Notwithstanding the fact that a
minority representative was on the
Board it did not alter or change the
conditions which confronted the
Board and which demanded attention
as your public servants. The Repub-
lican member, Mr.. E. H. Wilson, voted
to construct new roads and at the
time was fully aware of the bonded