Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-09-14
FREEHOLDERS IN new STATEMENT
Defend ROAD PROGRAM; ARE NOT
OPPOSED TO CONCRETE, IS CLAIM
Cite Instances in Effort to Prove That Demands Of People for
Special Kind Of Paving Mas Followed OutTe| Of Coun-
ty Road Patrol System and Of Manner in Which Board
Of FreehOIders Put Into Effect County Road Program

NEW BRUNSWICK, Sept. IA
In another statement issued today
by County Solicitor Fred Richardson,
the County Board of Freeholders de-
fends it's road program. citing num-
erous instances to prove their stand.
The statement follows:
Since the statement issued by the
Board of Freeholders last Thursday
there have been requests that fur
ther information be given on the
general policy of the board respect
ing road repaid and road improve
ment moneys. The following state
ment is made with the intention OF
giving this additional information.
Taking each of these things up IN
order the road repair program Will
first be explained.
Each of the seven members of
the Board of Freeholders have a
certain district assigned to them at
the beginning of each year and the
roads in this district are under the
jurisdiction of the freeholder having
charge thereof. In the early part
o: the year the freeholders adopt
road repair program which appor-
tions to each of the ninety odd roads
in the county certain sum OF
money to keep the roads in repair
during the current year. This road
schedule must be approved by the
State Highway Commission before 1t
becomes operative and it sometimes
happens that the State Highway
Commission will transfer the amount
appropriated from one road to GER
tain other roads which, in their opin-
ion, are more important. These nine
ty odd roads embrace somewhere in
the neighborhood of 800 miles of
roads and this county had about
$250,000 to take care of its road re-
pair work. The road repair program
is then carried out on the basis of
schedule approved by the State
Highway Commission. In some Sec
tions the work is done by residents
of the road, whose work in turn is
supervised by the freeholder in
charge. In other sections the work
is done by the county patrol forces
in charge of a foreman and under
the general supervision of the road
supervisor. 1t laust be remembered
that the men employed on the coun-
ty patrol, on the county trucks. etc.,
together with the cost and mainte-
nance expenses of road equipment
are all paid for out of the general
road repair funds.
Program Adhered To
"As nearly as practical the road
program is adhered to, but of course
it is necessary from time to time to
make changes in appropriations to
meet unexpected conditions in cer-
tain sections.
THE taxpayers of this county will
pay $125,000 in 1921 for the upkeep
and repair of their roads and the
state of New Jersey appropriates
IA t@ l. to-
expenditure made by the county and
all work done by them is checked
over by the state and approved be-
fore the state pays it's motor vehicle
funds to the county; and the county
before receiving the money must give
an itemized and detailed statement
showing the work done and the ex-
peEditures made. This work and
these expenditures are subject to the
approval Of the State Highway Com
mission-who in turn issue a check
signed by the goyei nor and comp
troller.
Severe Traffic in County.
"It is beyond question that the
county roads of this county are sub
jected to very severe traffic on ac-
count of the geographical position OF
Middlesex county. In this connec-
ton it is also recalled that the coun-
ty has overburdened itself by taking
over roads that should more prop
erly be maintained by municipali-
ties. Every expenditure of the road
repair program is certified to by the
county supervisor of roads and also
by the freeholder in charge of the
particular district where the repair
is effected before being presented
to the board for payment; it is then
passed on by the board as a commit
tee of the whole.
"The matter of road improvement
when permanent or extraordinary
repairs as they are called, are to
be made, have given the Board of
no little concern. When
the PRESENT Republican Freeholders
took Office in 1918 they found very
little permanent road money avail
able-for the reason that the bond
ing capacity of the county was prac-
tically exhausted. They proceeded.
however to do what work they could
with the finances available. Natu-
rally, some necessary work had to
be laid over until additional bond
ing capacity was had. The result
has been that 1920 and 1921 have
seen heavier road improvement pro-
grams than either of the two pre-
vious years.
Limited ON Choice
ITO begin with the hoard or
Frcehnldcrs Is Limited III its choice
of pavement. Under rulings from
the attorney generals office, con-
STRUNG the county road act, the
County Boards of Freeholders are
restricted to advertising for one type
of pavement and cannot legally ad-
vertise for alternate bids on dltfer-
ent pavements. This was attempted
in Essex county and the State High
vay Commission. through it's engi-
neer. promptly notified Essex coun-
tv that unless this procedure was
Immediately discontinued, no state
fnrthn ON NO their