Three Bills Indorsed

New York, 1895

THE SUPERVISORS WANT SOME NECESSARY LAWS ENACTED.

An Existing Highway Statute Which Works an Injustice — Bridge Building to be Reformed and County Road Expenses Apportioned — The Lift Bridge Idea Revived.

The Board of Supervisors held a meeting at Long Island City on Monday. Mr. Knight, engineer of the Newtown and Flushing electric railroad, asked the board to pass a resolution giving the company the grade crossing of Broadway west of the Flushing causeway.

Engineer McLaughlin stated that the road was a county road, and the company should put in an application, with a map of the proposed grade.

Mayor Sandford of Long Island City appeared before the board, and on motion of Supervisor Koehler was accorded the privilege of the floor. He addressed the board in the matter of the Hunter's Point bridge, and strongly advocated the adoption of the lift bridge. It would, he said, give a clear channel of over 175 feet. A lift bridge would cost between $30,000 and $40,000 more than a pivot-bridge, with which Long Island City, although she would have to pay three fourths of the cost, found no fault. He had received many letters from citizens of the city favoring a lift-bridge, and he would suggest that when the board advertised for plans for a bridge, that a bid be asked for a lift bridge.

On motion of Supervisor Underhill, the county treasurer was directed to renew a note held by the Jamaica savings bank for three months at the rate of interest not to exceed 5 per cent.

Whereas Senator John Lewis Childs has introduced in the Senate a bill to exempt Queens county from the laws of 1893, which act provides for the widening of town highways, and puts one half of the cost thereof on the county, which said bill was prepared under instruction by counsel of this board, and

Whereas, This board is of the opinion that it is unjust that one-half or any part of the cost of purely local highway improvement should be put upon the people of other towns in the county, therefore it is,

Resolved, That this board approves of the said bill to exempt Queens County from the operation of said act, and earnestly requests the representatives of Queens County in the state legislature to urge the passage of such bill, and that a certified copy of this resolution be furnished by the clerk of this board to each of the representatives of Queens County.

On motion of Supervisor Denton, Engineer McLaughlin was authorized to purchase the stone now lying on the Jericho turnpike for use on the county roads at a price not to exceed $3 per cubic yard. He was also authorized to employ extra men on the county roads, not to exceed five, at a salary of $35 per month.

Supervisor Pople offered the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted:

Whereas, Senator John Lewis Childs has introduced in the senate a bill to amend the county law relative to the construction of bridges across Newtown Creek, and also a bill to amend the county road act so as to permit the board to apportion the expense of county roads as may be just; and,

Whereas, Said bills are in the interest of the taxpayers of the county, therefore

Resolved, That this board do earnestly request the Hon. John Lewis Childs, Hon. E. F. Vacheron, Hon. James S. Fairbrother, and Hon. John Madden, to secure the passage of said bills; and further,

Resolved, That the clerk of this board forward certified copies of this resolution to the county's representatives in Albany.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1895, p. 1.