Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-22

COUNTY ROAD

Taxpayers are becoming rouse 10
the unnecessary expenditure of money
by public officials. The resolutions
wick Board of Trade and presented to
the Board Of F~reeholders Thursday
night are in accord with the general
sentiment of the county. 1t Is exactly
the same attitude that the EVENING
NEWS has taken from the beginning.
1t is not enough to keep the tax rate
from going higher-the people demand
that taxes be reduced. A rate of 81
and over on the 500 valuation cannot
continue without doing untold injury
to the communities where such assess
ments are made and 1t is the duty OF
the county officials as well as munic.-
pal boards to retrench and economize
in every way possible In order 10 bring
taxes down.
In their resolutions presented to the
f~reeholders Thursday night the trustees
of the New Brunswick Board of Trade
ask that a plan be adopted only ito
spend such sums as may be absolute
Is necessary TO repair the main high
ways and put them In good condition
at as low cost as possible" This Is IN
accord with sound public policy. We
must preserve that which we now have.
Reads already improved must be kept
up. Because of the extremely hard
winter the work of repairing roads
that are already improved Is going to
take a considerable sum. Under ex-
listing conditions only that which is
absolutely necessary should be done.
The New Brunswick Board of Trade
trustees also strike home when they
declare In favor of specifications SINH
State Highway Commission" This
applies to repairing roads already i'm
proved as well as building new ones.
The New Brunswick Board of Trade
are opposed "to the present plan that
makes 1t impossible for any reputable
contractors to hid on work of any
character In the county, and so is
everyone else who has any consid era
tion for the taxpayers.
Experience has shown that the con-
crete road which the State Highway
Commission mas adopted as standard
stands up the best. There Is no
monopoly In handling concrete and it
ought to be accepted as standard by
the Board Of Freeholders. There is
absolutely no excuse for paying an ex-
orbitant price for some material with
a patented name when the same kind
of a road but under a different name,
can be built for less money and at the
same time benefit a local industry pay
ing a big county tax.
The idea of resurfacing a concrete
road with a high-priced patented ia
terial, as is suggested by the Board OF
Freeholders. is preposterous. Wher
the State Highway Commission is sub
shutting concrete for the patented ma
terial in everyinstance where a patent
ed pavement has to be rebuilt, 1t Is
contrary to the best interests of the
Middlesex taxpayers to have the Board
of Freeholders use a patented material
TO resurface a concrete road that is
already built.
If a concrete oad has gone to pieces
1t is evident hat it was not properl,
built In the first place and the drain
age is not sufficient. 1t should b'
fexd up with concrete and the mis-
takes remedied. To smear a high
priced patented material over a con
crete that is already defective is a de
liberate waste of public funds ant
ought not to be allowed.
The trustees of the New Brunswick
Board of Trade have performed a pub
lie service in presenting their resolu
tions 10 the Board of Freeholders
There must be the strictest ecohomy IL
the handling of the taxpayers none.
and no favoritism should be shown TO
a ~high-priced paving material with
patented name.