Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-10
oANNor OBSCURE PATENT PAVEMENT ISSUE

CANNOT OBSCURE PATENT PAVEMENT ISSUE
1t is a far cry back to the days when the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company built a new road across its property at
the south approach to the Raritan river bridge and made it
possible for the Jersey Central Traction Company to extend
its line to Perth Amboy and, at the same time, provided a
route whereby vehicles could avoid the outrageous "hole-
in the-wall." The State Highway Commission has been
delving into past records, it seems, and the prominence given
John W. Herbert, former head of the highway commission,
leads to the suspicion that the underlying motive is to dis
credit him, if possible, as a retaliation for some of the state
ments Mr.. Herbert has been making recently regarding the
extravagance of the present board in awarding paving con-
tracts.
Unable to answer Mr. Herbert or explain the awful
differences in paving costs that he exposes, the present
board would throw out a smoke screen, so to speak, in an
effort to detract attention from their own misdoings and
focus the public gaze on the distant past.
Whether or not the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
was ever paid for the right of way across its property lead
ing to the Raritan river bridge on the south shore, we know
not. Ii we are not mistaken this was a matter that con-
cerned the City of South Amboy or the County of Middlesex
rather than the State Highway Commission. The fight at
that time was between South Amboy and the railroad COM
pany. The bone of contention was the hole in he-wall
The railroad company wanted to abolish the hole alto
gether, while South Amboy wanted the famous passageway
widened.
While the scrap was on the Jersey Central Traction
Company secured a franchise to lay tracks across the bridge.
At the same time automobile traffic across the bridge to the
coast resorts was growing by leaps and bounds. The trolley
could not get through the hole and the necessity for at
f0rding relief for traffic generally became apparent. The.
Pennsylvania Railroad Company solved both problems by
building and maintaining at its own expense the road
across the meadows, which is now a part of the state high
way.
An effort was made to have South Amboy take over
this new highway as a street, but the city refused to do so
unless the hole-in-the-wall was widened. The upkeep of
such a street, it was argued, would be too expensive just
for the sake of the through traffic. Finally, if we mistake
not, when the Pennsylvania railroad was about to close the
road owing to its deplorable condition, the Board of Free
holders agreed to assume responsibility for the new highway
which had become extremely popular, If South Amboy would
first accept it, such a step being necessary as the road was
mainly within the South Amboy city limits. The Board of
Freeholders, in turn, passed the highway over to the state
commission when Route No. 4 was established as a part of
the state highway system.
Naturally, the Pennsylvania railroad asked something
in return for giving away so much of its property and the
cost of the two bridges carrying its tracks, made necessary
by the construction of the new road, was the consideration
demanded. In view of the fact that the new route elimin-
ated the outrageous hole in the-w as far as the vast ma
iority of the public was concerned, it was considered a good
bargain and the deal was readily agreed to.
Just at present the thing that is interesting the tax
payers most is the gross extravaganza of the present State
Highway Commission in favoring patented paving material
for building the state highways. Mr.. Herbert, who was
president of the State Highway Commission when the Pen
nsylvania right of way was taken over and who was ousted
from office by Governor Edwards after the ommission had
adopted concrete as the standard state highway, has been
SAYING some very pertinent things about recent road con-
struction which has reflected seriously on the present board.
This board. upon taking office, Immediately put patent pave
ments back on the list. The figures quoted by Mr.. Herbert
show the present board up in a rather bad light. Instead Of
answering Mr.. Herbert, however, or explaining to the pub
lie some of the things they would like to know, the present
board tries to start a back fire by delvng into the past and
digging UP the deal whereby the right of way on the south
shore of the bridge approach was secured.
II won't go. The people are wise. Two wrongs never
made a right, anyway. The issue today is patent pavements.
1t is not to be confused with anything that took place six or
eight years ago.
The New York girl whose motto is "a husband a month
ought to be allowed, whatever happens, to keep the name of
her latest husband, which is Boob.