Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-09
STATE To REPAIR
ELIZABETH ROAD
After Re-Electing Herbert as
Chairman, Repairs on Route
No. ! Agreed Upon by Board

TRENTON. April 9.-The regular
annual organization meeting of the
New Jersey State Highway Commission
was held In this city yesterday. John
w. Herbert who has been chairman of
the commission ever since it's estab-
lishment was unanimously reelected
to the office to serve for his fourth
consecutive term. Mr.. Herbert in ac-
cepting reelection expressed apprecia-
ton OF the confidence reposed in him
by his colleagues and assured them
that he would continue to give to the
state the same liberal expenditure of
time and energy which has character
lied his work in the past. He also
spoke in the highest terms of the help
full cooperation constantly given him
by the other members of the commits
sion and voiced the hope that former
Commissioners Watson G. Clark and
Walter ]. Buzby whose terms recently
expired would soon be reappointed to
office so that the commission and the
state could again avail themselves of
their valuable highway ability and
experience.
In appointing the various COM
mittees for the year the chairman
named Robert s. Parsons and Samuel
Haverstick to serve with himself as
an ex-officio member of the executive
N.
kuser and Samuel Haverstick were
placed on the legislative committee
and Samuel HaverStick and L. e. Dun
can on the cities relations committee.
A. Lee Grover, the present secretary
of the commission and Harry Meixell,
Jr., the clerk to the chairman, were
both reappointed to office without a
dissenting vote.
After the organization was COM
mi
hearings to county and municipal
highway authorities who sought help
and advice on local highway matters
and then took up the regular schedule
OF business. First In order and i'm
portance was consideration of the ad-
visibility of taking early steps to re-
build that portion of route No. lying
between the Pennsylvania railroad
crossing over st. Georges avenue at
Railway and the city line of Eliza
beth. This Is an amiesite pavement
on a macadam base and was built
by Union county in 1916, less than
five years ago. The commission as
sumed control over 1t on July 1
1919. and hoped that in spite of the
severe traffic to which 1t was subject
ed 1t would give adequate and proper
service without reconstruction for
several years more. Recent tours of
inspection and reports of investiga-
tion made by the state highway en-
gineer convince them, however, that
the highway is beyond repair and
that any attempt to maintain it
would be an unjustified waste of
money.
In consequence 1t was voted that
owing to the vital importance of route
No. l the 1920 building program
should be modified to provide for the
reconstruction this year of that por-
tion of the route in question. During
the discussion of this matter the fact
was developed that the warranite
pavements on route No. 1 between
Metuchen and New Brunswick ana
New Brunswick and Cranbury were
In similar condition and that numer-
Gus other stretches of patent pave
ments lying on state highway routes,
although constructed by the counties
only a few years ago were In n state
of disintegration which made II
doubtful economy to attempt to patch
them up and try to maintain them any
longer.
Next in order of Importance the
commission considered the bids which
had been submitted for the construc-
tion of the Cape May Court House
Swainton Section of Route No. IA;
The Smith Mills to Charlottsburg Sec
tion or Route No. s and the Muliica
Hill to Woodstown Section of Route
No. G.. The commission reported the
bids submitted as too high and In the
first two cases mentioned rejected
them and in the last case referred
the bid to the executive committee for
investigation and report at the next
regular meeting of the commission.
On the other hand the low bid of
Philip Jannarone for the construction
of the Whites bridge to Bloomingdale
Section of Route No. s at the cost of
$S8 S67.62 was adopted as We're the
bids for building of five bridges on
Route No. 6.
After attending to numerous mat
ters of departmental routine, the
commission voted to recess to meet
again at the call of the chair.