Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-15
MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT

In their new and more elaborate statement
published yesterday, the Board of Freeholders fail
70 bring out any new feature in the defense OF
their paving program. 1t is merely a repetition
of what they said in their statement of a few
days ago when they declared that they had
merely tried to give the people what they
wanted.
1t is an old saying that there Is more than
one way to skin a cat. Likewise, there is mere
than one way to get patent p%avements laid all
over the county. One way is to make the people
believe that there is not enough money to take
care of the particular road they want this year,
particularly II the people petitioning for the i'm
provement should happen to show an inclina-
don toward concrete. Then it becomes noised
about-the noise coming from nobody knows
exactly where-that If the people are not too
particular about the kind of road they want II
might be possible to squeeze through the ap-
preparation this year.
Naturally, being particularly anxious to have
the pavement, the petitioners, after being put
off from time to time and being left in doubt as
to whether they are going to be taken care Oh Oh
not. lose interest in the kind of pavement ana
simply urge pavement without specifying any
particular kind. Sometimes, being convinced
through some mysterious channels that by COM
ing out boldly in favor of a patent pavement
thew stand a great deal better chance OF getting
what they want, the petitioners ask for that
material. Others find it discrete to ignore the
NJ rticular kind of pavement altogether.
In any case, it is usually found that by keep
ing UP the agitation long enough, either Tor the
patent pavement or for no particular kind the
Improvement eventually goes through, but al
most invariably it is the more expensive patent
pavement that is specified.
BY thus soaring the people off until they are
willing to either ask for a bituminous variety OF
specify no particular kind at all. the freehoio-
ers are able to say they have tried to follow the
wishes of the people, especially II the wish Is
npenly in favor of the patent variety.
Immediately tollowing the previous statement
n the Board of Freeholders in which 1t was de-
efsrad that the Fords-Rogan's Corner road was
r.vad with the patent material because Commit
seaman How declared that that was what the
naonIa wanted. the Evening News received a
49, ,rication from a resident Of Fords chal-
,enrine Mr.. Hoy to show wherein hs represen-
ted the property owners on New 6ruhs"i0N
ovanue through Fords where the paving was
done. The letter asked that the origlnai pe"-
ZION in which the patent pavement was asked
for be made public.
Likewise, on the morning foliowlhg Tie pu"H
cation of the previous freeholders statement III
which it was declared that the patent pave
mont was specified on West avenue oe"aie"'
only aftc, Freebooter Quackenbush had inter
viewed his constituents there and found tna'
that was what they wanted, a properly owner vi
xua.t averue called on the telephone TO learn
who Mr.. ouackenbush saw. 1t was declared ps
,h,s resident on West avenue that, as one OF the
,orcast nronerty owners there, he was not seer
and he did not know of any OF mis- neishoof'
who we're seen. Furthermore, he declared 'ha
he knew that the preference of a majority OIL 'h'
property owners was for concrete.
Rut when it was seen that the freehoioer'
were not inclined to pave West avenue al a.
this wear these property owners along west ave
me decided 1t would not be wise to emphasiZ
concrete too much and simply urged that 'h
road he permanently paved. The wisdom o
this course was proven by subsequent events
For when the resolution appeared in the Boar
80 FreeboIders to have West avenue paved Tn
n.tent payement was specified. Now the free
holders claim that they were simply carryin
& nlt me WlSutS VI tiO
ers. As said before. there is more than one wa
to skin a cat.
The freeholder lay great stress on the letter
received from prominent citizens who expires
much satisfaction over the decided improvement
that has been brought about by the new pave
,oents that have been laid. There Is no oehyih
that the roads mentioned by these prominen
citizens have been greatly improved. But II
roticed that these citizens do not praise IN
treeholders because the patent pavement is iaiu
,hav rejoice merely over the improved eondl
tion of the road. And so do we all NO one ooJeo'
~ road improvements. The point is that II I'll
freeholders had taken better care or phe 'a1
ravers' money they would have received just a
,,ucb nraise from the citizens for road improve
ment and, at the same time, they coulo nav
yaved money to make even more improvement
,berebv receiving still more praise than the
have received.
IT is well known that the approval OF the az
tborities at Trenton has to be secured peiore
payement can be laid, But under the preset
administration at Trenton 1t is not surpfisih
that patent pavement is very acceptable, IL
pretty generally agreed that the patent paVemei
trust had a great deal to do with the ousting {
the old highway commission because " ma
adopted concrete as the standard road ir sta'
highway 1t is noticed that the new state Mgr
30 commission is showing a decided prefer