The Penn's Grove record., 1921-11-11
County FreehOlders
After State Funds
Costs More To Keep Prisoners
In Jail Than In Road Camp

Salem, N. j., Nov. 8, 1921.
Accepting the invitation of the
State Highway Commission to be
present at a conference to be held in
=. Bridgeton on Friday afternoon, the
Road and Finance Committees of the
Board of Chosen Freeholders will at
tend and instructed by the Board will
request that the State finish the
building Of the Salem-Woodstown
road to Salem in concrete, build the
Salem-QuintOn road in concrete and
grade and gravel the Quinton-Marl-
boro road under the reimbursement
act. Should the Road Committee of
the State Highway Committee see
proper to take all this work then with
the construction of the Pennsville-Sa-
lem road in concrete and with the pen
etration method this County will have
one of the most extensive road build
ing programs in the State and will be
doing her share toward solving the
unemployment problem in accordance
with the wishes of the Federal gov
eminent.
1t was only after long and thor
ough discussion of the question at the
meeting of the Freeholders on We'd
nesday that it was finally decided just
how far the County was willing to go
in this proposed road construction
campaign that is now being talked
over at the suggestion of Governor
Edwards with the freeholders of all
the counties of the State. Besides the
members of the Board the Salem
Chamber of Commerce was represent
ed by a committee composed of Pres
ident Summerlin and Chairman
Smashey of the Executive Committee.
This committee had met with the
Freeholders' Committee on Roads and
Finance on Monday when the matter
was gone over in an exhaustive man
ner. 1t was then believed that it was
good policy to ask for all the money
that the State Highway Commission
might be willing to set aside for Sa-
lem County and in view of the fact
that a number of the counties are
bonded nearly up to their limit and
cannot take advantage of the reim-
bursement act it was believed that we
can secure enough to carry out the
q and thus obtain many miles
of permanent highway that are badly
needed but which under ordinary cir
cumstances could not be finished for
many years to come.
At the meeting on Wednesday, Mr..
Borton made a motion that the com
mittees attend the conference at
Bridgeton and be instructed to re-
quest the Highway Commission to
build the balance of the road from
Woodstown to Salem, to build a con-
crete road, from Salem to Quinton and
to grade with gravel the Quinton-
Marlboro road all in 1922.
On motion the committees were in
~structed to request the Highway Com
mission to set aside sufficient funds
out of the reimbursement fund to
meet the cost of putting a concrete
surface on the Quinton-Marlboro road
before the end of 1926.
In the discussion it was shown that
the County can furnish the money to
the State under the reimbursement
Act for all of this work without in
creasing the tax rate. 1t was also
shown that while this work was be
inc done by the State it would be
possible to finish the Salem-Penns-
Vile road and in a much shorter time
than was anticipated to complete the
reconstruction of the Garden and
Harmersville roads.
The Committee of the Salem Cham
Der of Commerce presented a plan
whereby it would be possible to use
the County Road Camp to do the
grading and crawling of the Quinton-
Marlboro road and it was c~ontended
that the work would be done much
better than if it was done by con-
tract. 1t would also bring to the
County approximately 100000 of
State money that could be used in the
construction of the road between Sa-
lem and Pennsville.
In order to expedite the work it
was suggested that steam shovels
should be used and in this way the
road could be graded complete with
in six months or less. 1t was also
shown that with the road thus treated
it would not be necessary or even
good policy to proceed with the con-,
crete work for at least two years and
this would mean that the taxpayers
would not have to pay interest on the
money advanced for one and perhaps
two years. =
While there was a diversity of
opinion as to the ACCESSIBILITY OF US
ing the Road Camp men for the work
it was the unanimous opinion that the
road should be graded in 1921, for as
it is now. it is the worst road in the
County and one of the heaviest trav-
eled.
Another important matter taken
up was the soldiers armory for the
City of Salem. A letter to the County,
Collector from Adjutant General
GiIkyson was read in which it was
stated that the State Military Board
had agreed to buy the lot on Market
Street now owned by Mr.. Strauss for
IS, 1000 and instructed the Board to
make provision for this sum according
to the Act of the Legislature either
by appropriation of funds available lie
or by bond issue. The lot is to be
taken under title to the State. I'M
communication was on motion accept
ed and ordered filed and the instruc-