Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1922-01-20
COUNTY
To AID PAVING
Chairman Burton of State
Highway Commission Be-
fore FreehOlderS
REIMBURSEMENT ACT
Urge County to Reconsider
Plans Made Concerning
Lincoln Highway

NEW BRUNSWICK, Jan. 20
Efforts were launched yesterday by
the state Highway Commission
through their chairman, George
Burton. of South River, to influence
the Middlesex Board of Freeholders
to further consider the paving Of
the state highway between Highland
Park and Metuchen under the state
reimbursement act.
From an official source the state
ment was made last Wednesday that
the county authorities had prac-
tically given up the idea of availlng
themselves of the opportunity TO re-
build this important stretch OF road,
but with Mr.. Burton,s request that
the matter be further considered 1t
was decided to talk the situation
over and the decision in the matter
will be announced at the next meet
ing of the county board.
The freeholders objections to
complying with the request of work
ing under thai act are based on the
fact that the county would be call
ed on to bond for financing state
roads, which would seriously handi-
cap and interfere with county WORK,
and for the further reason that the
county would be compelled to pay
out interest charges amounting to
about 100000 a year over "a period
of four years.
These objections, as pointed out
by the state official, We're not as
serious as they appeared to the
freeholders by reason of the fact
that bonds sold for the purpose Of
assisting the state in their 1922 road
building program would have no
bearing on the county bonding ca
pacity, inasmuch as the county
would be authorized to issue addi-
tional bonds to the extent of one
half of one per cent. of the county
ratables over their bonding limit.
The interest charges. which form
ed further basis for objection
may also be paid by the state at a
later date, according to Mr.. Burton
as a bill is about to be introduced
into the legislature for this express
purpose.
No permanent highway improve
ment will be Undertaken by the
state this year as the 1922 allotment
raised by direct taxation was ex-
pended in the double program put
through last year, and as the entire
1928 allotment will be pledged for
tn . building of the new state bridge
DtlNttIi u Ut @AliibpS hii' h''"NH
Amboy, the commission is desirous
of preventing a tHo years lapse in
the state road work by asking the
cooperation of the counties in aid
ing the state.
Three Counties Fail to Act
The freeholGers were informed
that only three of the twenty-one
counties, Middlcsex, Hudson and
Sussex have failed 20 participate in
the road building suggestions for the
present year as outlined sometime
ago by the stat authorities, Mr.
Burton requested that immediate ac-
tion he taken by the frceholders oI
this co lnty before the passing OF an
act now before the legislature which
would prevent MiddleseX from TAX
ing GdVi ntage of tue reimbursement
act.
As DCinted out to the county board
the county has been extremely Tor
tunale in having the many miles ol
state highVay taken from their con
troll saving thereh. many thousands
of doi,ars each year. though at Inc
present ti.de the only bad section ol
state high Uay route number one
running from Trenton to Newark IS
the five. mile str' tch between Me-
:uchen and Highland Park, that the
state woulu like to have paved this
year.
Under the act the county would
prepare the necessary plans for the
work. award the contracts and as
sulne supervision of the construction
and feat the necessary bond issue
which has been estimated at $780,
900 which would ns paid by the state
in three nstallments during the
vearS 1924 10 1876.
Continued on page 6)