Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-09
SMOKING THEM OUT

Sf ~J r.
nation is that they have merely given the people
what they wanted.
This is too fimsy.
Can anyone imagine the people, already stag
gering under the awful burden of taxation, de-
hberately petitioning any body of public off,
rials to make the taxes still higher? That is
about what 1t would amount to If what the free
holres try to tell US were true.
Just imagine a lot Of property owners who are
anxious to have the road in front of their prem
ises paved insisting upon having a patent sur
face on the pavement If they knew that such
surfacing material would cost a great deal more
than all concrete.
1t may be true that some of the requests re-
ceived by the Board of Freeholders specified a
bituminous dressing of the patented variety, but
we are sure that if the freeholders, in their eff
fort to make their available funds go as far as
possible, had called the attention of the petit
TONERS to the fact that an all concrete road
could be built much cheaper and that it had
proven to be equally as good, the people would
gladly have changed.
The freeholders, in their statement, say that
they specified the use of warrenite on the Fords-
Rogan's Corner paving because Committeeman
William Hoy, of Woodbridge township, has told
Ii-~ Nao NflltS lis
would be interesting to hear from Mr.. Hoy in this
matter. Did Mr.. Hoy, in getting the sentiment
of his constituents-if he did make an effort to
get such sentiment, explain at the same time
that the warrenite would cost more than the
straight concrete? Did the freeholders, who had
more requests for road improvements than they
could take care of, tell Mr.. Hoy that il he could
get his constituents to change from the patented
,a.ta,tot 70 opo uyb,ara tbara co,,Id ba nnen hid
ding it would be possible for the county to pave
more roads than they would be able to do If the
patent material was insisted upon?
Mr.. Hoy is a candidate for reelection as
township committeeman in the second ward in
Woodbridge this fall. He will have ample op-
\ peM setween now and the election to tell
his constituents all about this paving job. The
freeholders have seen fit to pass the buck" to
him. Is he willing to assume the full RESPONSE
bility? Incidentally, the people of the second
ward in Woodbridge will have ample opportuni-
ty to ask Mr.. Hoy why he insisted on a high
price pavement when a concrete pavement could
have been laid at much less expense. We are
sure that the people of Fords are not enjoying
the high taxes they are paying so much as to be
willing to help tatten the pockets of the patent
pavement trust in such a manner-not If they
had been honestly informed as to the relative
prices. A little explanation from Mr.. Hoy would
not be amiss. He might tell just who the "con-
stituents" were who told him to urge the free
: holders to use the patent pavement on the Am
boy avenue job, as the freeholders say he did.
Surely they were not present at the township
committee meeting held in Woodbridge last
Tuesday night.
We note also that the Board of Freeholders,
in TIL, feeble attempt to shelter themselves
.rom the rising storm of popular protest against
their paving extravaganza, state that warrenlte
was specified for West avenue in Sewaren after
Freebooter Quackenbush had consulted his con-
stituents in that vicinity and learned that this
was the type Of pavement desired"
Whom did Mr.. Quackenbush consult?
Not a few of the property owners along west
avenue were in communication with the Eve
ming News at that time and, as far as we coulo
learn, the sentiment was practically unanimous
in favor of concrete. There were several dele
cations before the Board of Freeholders in re-
gard to this West avenue job and we know ina
it was the desire of these delegations to have
open competition because they wanted to keeI
down the cost as much as possible.
In fact. the freeholders told the first delega'
tion that the county did not have the funds tC
pave West avenue this year. At the meeting
held January 81 Director Dey told a delegation
that county finances would not permit a con
crete road at this time and suggested eXtraordi
nary repairs-that of scarifying the surface an'
forming a road of stone with an asphaltic oind
err. Yet when the contract was finally awarded
it was found that the county could AFFORD no
only concrete, but an even more expensive pave
ment of the patent variety. The mention o
concrete at that time shows that the freehold
ers mus. have understood that a concrete pave
ment was desired.
AT the meeting Of the freeholders held Apr
Z. when another delegation of interested eltl
zens were present to urge action on the Yves
avenue paving, after some discussion, a resolu
ton was finally introduced to advertise for bids
but a clause was included in the resolution call
ing for a warrenite surface. This, it was statet
in the published account of the meeting, was
surprise to the delegation-another indication
that the people had not expressed a preference
for a bituminous variety. Yet, now after fou
or five months have passed and the freebooter
think the people have had time to forget, the!
come out with a statement that warrenite wa
specified in the West avenue job because Free
holder Quackenbush had consulted with his con
stituer in that vicinity and learned that thi
WAS the tvne of pavement desired"