Connecticut western news., 1885-09-30
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1ssl
NORTH CANAAN ROADS.

Hitchcock and Bigelow gave up their road contract about month ago. They have received $400 for work but wheth- CT that covers their claims up to date of cancelling the contract deponent saith not. After the contract was given up, the selectmen hired the Falls Village road gang by the day.
 The contract system of repairing roads has been tried in this town for the past three years, weighed in the bal ances and found wanting" Perhaps is IS the fault of the contractors per haps it is the fault of the road inspector; perhaps it is the fault of the system 1; possibly it may jointly be the fault of all three. Wherever the fault lies the fact remains we have wretched roads, notwithstanding contracts amounting to nearly $3OO0 have been awarded for keeping Al miles of road in repair dur ing the last three seasons, also in addi- tion to these contracts several hundred dollars have been expended individually and townwise for permanent improve ments on the roads, and yet the select men now estimate that $2000 will be re- quired for roads and bridges the coming year.
 We are inclined to think the contract system is faulty and very expensive for the town. The town does not get value received for the money it pays out. No contractor will work out the last dollar on the roads. The contractor reserves goodly portion of his allowance fear ing that the fall rains will cause wash outs or serious damage to the roads which he must repair before his contract expires. The town had better take the risk of such extraordinary repairs in- stead of paying 8 contractor to assume the risk. If an individual can afford to take these chances then certainly the town can afford to take them also.
 Sharon has 126 miles of road, Salis- bury 96 miles, Canaan Falls Village and Huntsville) over 50 miles. None of these towns contract the repairs on their roads to the lowest bidder. They go in for value received for the money ex- pended and they get an honest days work for its equivalent in cash. Con- pare their roads with ours, and yet North Canaan has only Al miles of road to keep in repair.
 Judging by the money expended for day labor on the roads in the aforesaid towns and considering the condition of said roads we see nothing that is favor able to contracting the roads in North Canaan.
 The selectmen estimate that $10, 1000 will be required by North Canaan to pay the expenses for the ensuing year. Our taxes must be increased to raise said amount. A few days since, among some waste paper, Hiram Weed of Lakeville found copy of the town of Canaan's expenses for the year 1812-13. He sent 1t to us and wrote as follows: [" Tn com pairing the expenses of running your town in those days, (the orders given out and charges for work done amount ing to $500 per year or sol with the present expenses. which undoubtedly are as many thousands as it was then hundreds, you will cry out toaon reform as well as civil service reform ' Yes, indeed we do, and it must also be borne in mind that in 1812-13 the town of Canaan comprised the whole territory extending from the Massachusetts line to Cornwall, and which has since been divided into two towns, in one of which alone North Canaan) the estimated ex- penses for the ensuing year are 10000, whereas in 1S12-13 $500 covered the ex- penses of both the present towns of Canaan and North Canaan.