Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-20
STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS FERRY

rha State Highway Commission is now going into the
ferry business. AS if it didn't have enough trouble on us
hands with the numerous highways ana DrluseS ~ ~
after. it proposes now to operate a boat across INC
hay connecting Cape May with Lewes' DEL
Ever since the state highway system has been createu
there has been more and more work piled on the commas
sion so that at the present time it hardly knows wMch wa!
10 turn. Without funds to do anything themselves, te COIL
,nissioners are at present begging the Boards of Freeholders
of the respective counties to pave the state highways ir
them ON the promise of having the money refunded at some
future date. And now comes a Terry 10 ado 10 ue oon"''-
sion's troubles. .
Inst why the State Highway Commission should be
called upon to operate a ferry across Delaware nay Il marc
to understand. AS we understand the functions OF TINS par
ticular department, its duties are TO proVloe all lmProVeu
system of highways throughout the state including the main
arteries of traffic. There is nothing in the law creating
the highway department that requires it to Ink up the s'ate
HIGHWAYS with the highways of any other state, especially
when such connection would require ue opefa"oh u "
ferry.
IF the State Highway Department can operate a ferry
across Delaware bay in order that tourists may cross from
Delaware to New Jersey and vice versa, why not have the
department operate a ferry across Harl'ah Day
The lower end of Staten Island with Keansburg? When 1t
comes to te amount of traffic carried, it is dollars to dough-
nuts that the ferry across Raritan bay would carry i've cars
10 every one on the Delaware river ferry.
But WHY should q highway department go into the
ferry business at all? Why not devote its entire time to
building up the state highway system and seeing that u Is
kent in decent condition? Judging from present conuluons
there is plenty for the highway department to do without
branching out MO III lcTly DuolliCo IHo1 @"hO
some enterprising senator or assemblyman will be intro
ducing a bill to have the State Highway Commission oper-
ate an airplane service from the Highlands to Coney Island
or between some other equally attractive points ana, II the
legislator has influence enough and can pun the proper
wires. he will probably get his bill passed.
Originally the state highway system was planned 10
connect the different county seats. Then one or two man
trunk lines were added. At that time the state road tax that
3 ;mposed was to take care of the entire work. But year
after wear, through the process OF log rolling in the leglsla-
lure. road after road has been added until the state is now
saddled with more highways than 1t can ever think OF prop
erlv caring for under the means now available.
OF course, the patent pavement trust, with a law for
bidding competitive bidding, has done all ii could to encour-
are the extension of the state highway system for the more
roads there are TO pave the more contracts there VIII De
falling into the lap of the trust.
But with the legislation of this year the State Highway
Department branches out into a new line and is to operate
a ferry between New Jersey and Delaware. a state high
way leading to the ferry landing would be all right, but
wouldn't it have been better to have left the operation OF
tho ferry TO private capital2