Evening journal., 1922-02-17
LEWES INSISTS
ON GOOD ROAD
Committee Dissatisfied With
Attitude of County Road
Commission
TO CONFER NEXT
WITH STATE BOARD
Special to The Evening Journal.

Special to The Evening journal.
LEwEs. Del, Feb. 17.-Lewes
and Rehoboth, citizens are beginning
to awake to the possibility Of in
definite delay in procuring any bene-
NJ OF the State and county highway
funds. At the request Of a number Of
prominent citizens. who took the
stand that patience and good
brotherly feeling" for all other Sec
tlons in procuring good road funds,
was ceasing to be a virtue and that
action was essential or the entire
eastern section OF the county would
not participate in good road funds
Mayor Thompson called a citizens
meeting, and appointed a committee
OF thirty to meet the Sussex County
Highway Commission, learn the
status of the situation and insist on
something definite being done to-
ward building the road from Har-
beson to Lewes and Rehoboth.
About thirty odd committee and
taxpayers journeyed to Georgetown
Tuesday and met the County High
way Commission. The condition of
the road as found by the committee
was cited as ample argument for the
need Of the road, several automo-
blles getting stuck In the mire and
number Of the committee appear
ed with their clothes mud-besmirch-
ed, giving IT the appearance Of a
"salted" exhibit for the benefit OF
the highway commission.
Chairman. John G. Townsend. Of
the highway commission, presided
at the meeting Others present in
cluded former Senator Oliver A.
Newton, former Senator Charles
Mitchell, William IL. Bookhammer,
William Il, valiant, r. ID. Lingo,
State Highway Engineer. c. d. Buck,
and County Engineer Hin.
Former Congressman II. r. Bur
ton. chairman. and Thonals r. Ing
ram. secretary OF the Citizens Com
mittee, acted as spokesman and pre-
sented arguments urging prompt
construction Of this stretch OF road
II was claimed by the committed
that the economic benefits from
I building this gap Of road, in connec
) tion with the establishment Of tn,
, proposed Cape May ferry. giving tn
E farming interests of Sussex count
Z direct daily market to South Jer
! sey summer resorts. would prove o
, greater value than any piece OF rOal
; yet constructed in the county, II wa
claimed. and further that It natural
" hasten the development OF tn,
, 22 miles Of Delaware coast. thereby
bringing revenues TO State and coun.
ty
BY opening OF the Cape May ferry
the Lewes connection would make Il
the Interstate highway, thereby en-.
titllng the State to greater proper
tion of Government good road.
money. IL also was urged.
The fact that Rehoboth, Della
wares only seaside resort. was beinl
deprived of the benefits OF a good
road. while other State roads con-
nected up with Ocean City Md.
was claimed to be a discrimination
against our State seashore resort
and an appeal to State pride wa'
made on behalf of Rehoboth by tn,
speakers.
Emphasis was stressed on the fac
that Lewes and Rehoboth hundred
has not one foot Of modern road
while the district pays one-sixth o
the county revenue and CORE
spending amount OF the good road
bonded indebtedness. and tina
enough OF the eastern side OF tn
county to embrace approximate.
one third OF the area Of the count.
-
roads In this connection it wa
pointed out that every town in tn
state except Milton. Rehoboth an
Lewes were connected with tn
county seat at Georgetown by neN
roads.
A number OF citizens from variou
sections OF the county took part q
the conference, insisting on thi
I stretch Of road linking the Stat
' highways with the seashore be com
J. pleted.
After a lengthy hearing OF tn
- committee. chairman Townsend Z
% the highway commission took IN
& floor He carefully reviewed III
e State and county road building pre-
gram and explained that the Hal
n beson to Lewes and Rehoboth roa
k was generally accepted as a Stat
Highway project that the funC
n available for the county buildin
y program were limited and only su
e ncient to complete projects alread
he started; that the issuance Of the az
n. ditional $1,000. 10000 Sussex Count
Highway Bonds was restrained M
he til such time as the Legislature al
a proprlsted additional State funds.
,e the State could spend "hfty-fft,
Z, with the county. During the cour
OF the chairmans explanations ]
ell was bombarded with questions.
pr Strenuous objection was made I
r the Lewes delegation TO some col
n templated' projects which they tern
ID ed luxuries. such as connecting d
town and villages and town an
= village streets with highways a
ready built. while Lewes. Rehoboi
and Milton. had no road whateve
According 10 remarks Of Sta
Highway Engineer Buck. because
the limited appropriations by a
Legislature for road building. q
State Highway Commission wou
cease its building operations Jai
uary /. 1923. after which Il wou
only function as Highway Mail
tenance Commission until the Legi
lature made further appropriation