Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-03
CAMDEN'S DAY OF TRIBUTE
TO THE GOOD.ROADS CAUSE
The New White Horse Pike and What Il
Promises for the Near and
Distant Future

~ A<SA Va tuS SOTt VI eutNuelugm C0at IN
- less enlightened times would have been
wasted on rarad!ng politicians will he used
up IN Camden County tomorrow to celebrate
the opening Of the last link Of the new
White Horse Pike. Thus We are learning
slowly but surely to discriminate between
the shadow Of progress and the reality.
New Jersey was one of the 6rst States
to perceive the immeasurable economic and
social value of good roads. The completion
OF the great new motor highway, Of "a road
Of velvet from Camden to the sea-" will
mean more and. perhaps, suggest more in
the way Of social progress to all the com.
munities It serves than hundred speeches
OF the sort that campaigncrs are now dc.
livering in the doubtful areas between the
Oranges and Cape May.
Only few years ago the main highway
running between the Camden city line and
Berlin was regarded as an ideal road. It
had good surface and good foundation.
But the State tore II up after laying the
fine concrete highway eastward to the shore
and widened 1t and built new foundations.
and so completed one Of the finest motor
roads in the world to carry traffic from one
side Of Jersey to the other. The last bump
and the last point Of congestion has been
removed for motorists who 90 between the
coast cities and Camden.
There was time when the farmers in
New Jersey shuddered whenever they
glanced at the estimates of expenditure pro.
posed by the States road builders. They
have lived and learned. Their crops are
now moved cheaply and swiftly in their own
,uo;ortrucks to all central market points.
The scheme for great cooperative "road.
side" farm markets now being elaborated
and perfected by New Jersey farmers. who
perceive the rich opportunities of a system
Of direct sales Of fruit and produce to mo.
toring mult1tudes. is direct outerowth Of
the good.roads system. It Is destined to
change the economic status Of many farmers,
to relieve them Of the handicaps Of the
commission system and to make good many
Of them either rich or very we'll to do.
If half that we hear Is true there has
been graft In some Of the Jersey road con.
tracts. But it is probably negligible in
comparison with the good accomplished
through roomy and smooth highways newly
laid down between farm regions. coast re.
sorts and the outside centers Of population.
When the highway system that has the
White Horse Pike as Its central artery is
connected By the Delaware Bridge with the
swiftly expanding network Of modern State
roads in the eastern part Of Pennsylvania
the whole region thus affected will undergo
wholesome change. Motors Will be even
more plentiful then than they are now.
Camden will virtually be a part Of Ph!la.
delphia. The greater part Of the new
White Horse Pike vii! have the aspect Of
A suburban boulevard.
Camden County reacts properly enough to
the OCCASION therefore. when It arranecs to
turn out all its Mayors in high hats and its
prettiest girls for a sort Of fete tomorrow.
For of u great modern highway you may
say what cannot be said Of many other
devices Of civtlization-that it does good
for everybody. Its benefits fall as impair.
TALLY as rain.
The shore cities will profit greatly by a
dustless highway that Is certain 10 attract
an unprecedented volume Of summer traffic
from all sections Of the East. Camden and
even Philadelphia will be similarly fortu.
nate. And South Jersey farmers will find
themselves nearer to their most important
markets, with an increasing volume Of pat.
ronage moving at their doors.
The new White Horse Ptke-why don't
they call Il the Shore Boulevard?-!s In one
way unique. There are other great new
roads attractive to tourists. like the Lacka.
wanna Trail and the famous shore road from
San Francisco to Los Angeles. But there
is probably none that will serve the daily
needs Of multitude half 30 great az that
which, for one reason Or another, travels
across Jersey every day In the year.
Weak links in the newer systems OF State
roads are still 10 be encountered cas!onally
in cities and boroughs. Philadelphia will
soon feel the need Of a wide. clear avenue
Of some sort between Broad street and the
Delaware River.
Camden, through q special commission,
Is already endeavoring to provide for the
greatly enlarged tide Of traffic that will BE-
turned into the heart Of the city by the
Delaware Bridge. The commission has been
hampered BY various neighborhood claims,
but Il 10 working systematically toward a
fanlike system Of boulevards which is in.
tended to connect the bridge terminus d.
rectly with important State highwsys run.
ming north, east and south.
In Pennsylvania something Will have 10
he done sooner or later about the sleepier
boroughs that stubbornly maintain very bad
or even dangerous bits Of road as links in