Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-07-19
IMPROVEMENTS
PLEASE F0RDS
Is Remarkably Improved Sec
ton in Way of Sewers
and Paved Streets
IBy Evening News Correspondent

FORDS, July 19:-In spite of all
obstacles encountered, labor short
age, wage increase and unforseen
structural ~hindrances, the middle of
this month finds Fords a remarkably
improved town in the matter of sew
erage and paved streets. compared
to its condition of three years ago.
Since that time contracts for several
important streets have been award
ed to the paving contractors and a
sewer system has been installed in
all of the petitioned streets.
Nearly five years ago when the
growth in population of Fords be-
came highly noticeable and house
after house was being put up with
an Individual ceSspool, 1t became
evident that a general sewerage sys-
tenn was essential to the growing
town of Fords. AS the ground in
Fords Is not sandy the cesspools
were not at all successful and the
sewer became an immediate neces-
sity. Accordingly William Hoy, local
representative in the Woodbridge
Township Committee, arranged for
public meetings to be held in the
fOIQS HItIlOuSe, LII lllS hidlNtl was
Immediately taken up. The ordi-
nance was finally passed and the
township engineer, Morgan Larsen,
was instructed to make the neces-
sary surveys, Investigations, blue
prints and specifications. Owing to
the lay of the land, this was a diff
cult task and it was some time be-
fore the requirements of the State
Board of Health were a~scertained
and the plans were completed and
accepted by the residents of Fords.
AT a public meeting held in the
Fords firehouse the ordinance was
drawn and passed by the township
committee and bonds were issued for
she necessary funds.
When the bids were opened, Will
liam Ryan was the successful bidder,
starting work on New Brunswick
venue and King Georges Road and
working eastward on New Brunswick
venue to Crows Mills road or Rogans
Corner as the main line and COM
pleting with branch trunks and lat
erals on other streets. The laying
Of the sewer was but about two
weeks along when the many obsta-
cles of the past three years set in
but in spite of all Mr.. Ryan contin-
ued the construction as far as petit
toned with the result that Fords
now has a sewer in thirty-two of its
streets and a septic tank.
The laying of the eve system
brought to light another improve
ment Immediately necessary to the
welfare of Fords. the paving of the
streets and after many more
lengthy parleys with the freeholders
and the Public Service Company,
Committeeman Hoy succeeded in
completing plans for the paving of
New Brunswick avenue from curb
70 curb from Rogan's to Fords Cor
ners with the arrangement that the
f~reeholders. Woodbridge township,
the property owners and the Public
Service each pay their proportionate
share.
Work was begun in August 1920 in
setting the curb and excavating the
southern half but when the south
side vas completed a long delay vas
experienced while waiting for the
Public Service Company to remove
their tracks from the north side to
the center of the street. This was
eventually completed and the entire
length of the road Is awaiting the
warrenite top dressing which will
complete the road within about two
weeks. The paving of the entire
street and the moving of the trolley
tracks from the side to the center of
the road is indeed an added improve
ment, giving Fords a paved main
thoroughfare. The light commits
sioners have now contracted to have
an so candle-power lamp on every
other pole on each side of the street
and the thoroughfare will greatly
benefit by these.
Since then Fifth and Second streets
have petitions for paving and have
been completed, the former by Lid
die and Pfeiffer, and the latter by
the East Jersey Bridge Company
and both are open for traffic. Con
tracts have been awarded for the
paving of Fords avenue to William
Ryan, who so successfully completed
the sewer.
Approximately 173 feet of the
southern end of Fords' avenue is in
Raritan township and hence the
Woodbridge township cannot award
a contract for hat portion. How.
ever. MI. Hoy and Mr.. Larsen, the
local committeeman, at a meeting
with the Raritan township commit
tee, have been assured that the road
will be improved. Paving has been
petitioned for four more streets, Sec
ond, Fourth. Corrielle and Hornsby
streets and the first two will be up
for the final reading and advertising
for bids on July 25. The paving of
these streets is a great improvement
to the town and since the first con-
troyersy. the township committee has
given its hearty support to the i'm
provements in Fords.