Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-07-22
MUNICIPALITIES DON'T WANT TO TAKE
ROADS BACK FROM The FREEHOLDERS
At Hearing On Monday at Court House Officials Strenuous
ly Object to Return of Roads to Them By County
and Give Many Seemingly Good Reasons


10 returning I1e TOduS, ana all seemed
to think the present system best. Some
said they were not there to condemn
or criticise o to say whether the
Freeholders were right or wrong in
their actions in which they are in
dicted by the Grand Jury, but all
seemed to think the county had a road
system second to none, and they had
something to show for the vast sums
spent for road work.
Mr.. Camp said he was absolutely
sincere in anything he had done while
a member of the Board and defied any
one to prove that he had taken graft
of any kind.
Mr.. Groves, of Ocean City, who first
advanced the proposition to the Board
of returning the roads, read the fol-
lowing:
1.-The various municipalities, bor-
oughs and townships would in my
judgment be a whole lot better off if
they maintained and kept up all roads
within their limits, excepting, per-
haps, the recent roads that have been
built through the townships that con-
meet the several resorts and, in Ease
of the townships, the turnpike roads
leading from the resorts through the
townships, the main seashore roads,
both on the ocean and bay front.
The numerous other roads that are
maintained by the county, both within
the limits of the resorts and the town
ships, should be maintained by the
governing body controlling such terri
tory. This would then allow the
Board of Freeholders to pay strict at
tention to the maintenance of the
bridges throughout the county, the
permanent improvement of the sea-
shore boulevards and the maintenance
of the turnpikes leading to the resorts,
which is no little job in itself, judging
by the way that these roads have been
destroyed by heavy storms during the
past few years.
If this program was adhered to it
would shut off at one the problems
that confront the Freeholders from
time to time. If one resort thinks
that another resort has gotten from
the county a half mile more of i'm
proved road than they have, plans are
laid to have the county give the I'M
lucky resort an equal and, in most
cases, Just a little bit more of i'm
proved road or something of a similar
nature. And, when this program is
carried out, throughout the various
parts of the county, it that a lot
| of roads are built, sometimes, perhaps,
well, just because the other resort
got it and we should have it," and BE
cause the county pays the bill and it
won't cost us a cent" This principle
is all wrong. 1t means trouble and
taxes. The bills are paid by the va
rious districts of the county and, II
the same money was spent by the
various resorts that is nov paid into
the county indirectly for such i'm
provements, inside the resorts on
streets other than those controlled by
the county, perhaps the benefit to the
several districts would be better than
they now receive when they get roads
built by the county "for nothing!"
Members present besides the d.
rector and Vice Director were Messrs.
DeBow, Eldredge, Foster, Fox, Candy,
Groves, Koeneke, Ludlam, MacKissic,
Shaw and Stein; Clerk Fitch, Engineer
Rice, Road Supervisor McLinden and
Auditor Scull.
The following statement was printed
and circulated at the meeting:
!, May County for recent years, covering
ges leading to resorts, seashOre bOule-
es. Also amount of taxes paid to Cape
It's for the year 1921 and 1920 expendi-
md Improvements.
Cape May County is maintaining and
de the limits of the numerous ashor
4 meadow roads and turnpikes, leading
and or connecting the several resorts
pike: Ocean City-Corson's Inlet Road;
Third Avenue, Avalon-StOne Harbor
Turnpike; North Wildwood-Grassy
I'd Turnpike; Turtle Gut Road and Cape
lree similar roads, namely: Longport
|. and Absecon Boulevard, connecting
D not maintain any roads leading to any
~ County by the severe storm of April,
exposed roads, amounted to $~S0,000.OO,
$50, 000.0 90 was done to the same roads
.ntic County, Cumberland, Camden and
ravel bed in Cape May County, located
the roads of the county. Gravel for all
various beaches has to be brought in
Beach Main Stem
Bridge Road Road
Bonds Bonds Bonds Bonds
S13, 100000
80, 100000
81, 100000
$16,O 100000
~. 10000