Paying for Street Thoroughfares

In 1785 the Continental Congress established the township system originated in New England, and made it applicable to all Government-owned l and. The State then adopted or created the section-line highway of 2, 3, or 4 rods in width, to make the lands accessible and to permit their development. This was practically the highway system of the United States—are rectangular system. The easement to the road being by prescription, the abutting owners, in turn, had access t o t he road at all points of contact for trade and barter of the products of the land. Originally, the township paid for the construction of the roads on the sec t ion and quarter-section lines; then, someone in New Jersey applied the “scientific method.” By observation on a certain stretch of road, he found not only local township wagons, but wagons from adjoining tow n ships and from townships far beyond. He reached the conclusion and was able to convince the Legislature that the State should contribute. The first legislative ac t was to require that the abutting property owner pay one-tenth of the cost, the State one-third, and the county the remainder. Thus began, in principle, the taxing of urban units for the development of country roads.