The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-12
STATE BOARD ORGANIZES
CONNECTICUTyS HIGHWAY COMMITS
SION HOLDS ITS FIRST MEETING.

Preliminary Work Laid out-J. II. Mac
donald Elected President of the Board-A
Circular to be Sent to Each Board of
Selectmen in the eState-Applicatlons from
Towns Pouring In.
The first meeting of the state high
way commissioners, appointed by the
last legislature, was held yesterday af-
ternoon in this city at the office in
Hoadley building of Commissioner j.
II. Macdonald, the full board being pres
ent. viz, j. H. Macdonald of this city,
"A. 6. Sternberg of West Hartford, and
w, r. Mcdonald of Cromwell. The
board organized by the election of ]. H,
Macdonald as president of the board
and Mr.. Sternberg as secretary. The
commission decided, owing to the limit
ed amount of money appropriated, viz,
$4,000 a year, for two years. and there
being 16S towns in the state, that each
town should have an equal apportion-
ment in the use Of the funds, no town
W 1ClG1NG illOIC llIetll PoJVOV q S6A AOA
road improvements. The commission
also decided to send each board of Sc
lectmen in the state copy of the new
law passed by the late legislature pro-
viding for the establishment of the state
commission on highways and for the
Improvement of roads in the state where
needed. The commission in addition
will send to each board of seleetmen
a statement as to the scope, objects,
aims and powers of the commission as
authorized under the new law. Under
the law the state will pay one-third of
the expense of road improvements exc
cuted in each town under the terms of
the law, the county one third and the
county the remaining third. No town
can draw more than $4,000 in any one
year from the state for road improve
ments made in pursuance of the new
law. The commission proposes in order
to give equal and exact justice to all,
not to act upon requests from towns
for aid in road Improvements in the
order the requests are received, but to
give all the towns an equal chance.
and limit for receiving requests was
decided upon and August Is was set as
the limit when requests San be received
for state aid.
This put all the towns on an equality
as to the amount to be expended by
the state this year, no town being fa-
vored to the exclusion of any other.
a large number of requests have al
ready come in. Some of the requests
have come from selectmen without any
l,,r ~
board of selectmen. Under the bill it
is necessary to have suitable resolu-
tion passed before any town will be
eligible to have any appropriation made
by the state, and so as to avoid having
any misunderstanding it is the purpose
Of the commission to print the bill es-
tablishing this commission and full par
ticuIars concerning the aims of the COM
mission and send a copy to every board
of selectmen in the state. One reason
why the commission has placed the
time limit as early as August Is is be-
cause the time after that date Is short
in which to do any work before the
cold weather, and yet the time is suffi-
cient to allow of good beginning in
the work of improving the roads Of the
state.
In Massachusetts the state has as
sumed all control as regards directing
where new roads shall be located and
as to the letting of contracts, etc., and
the state pays the bills This plan is
working very successfully. When the
towns have full control in the matter of
roads an illiberal and narrow policy
is sometimes almost unavoidable on
account of the impoverished condition
of the treasury.
The Connecticut commission intend to
visit Boston next week and meet the
Massachusetts highway commission
and confer with them as to their meth
DDS of procedure in carrying out the
work
The official terms of the members OF
the Connecticut commission are as fol
lows J. Fl. Macdonald of this city
six years; Mr.. A. G. Sternberg, -four
years, and Mr.. Mcdonald of Cromwell
, two wears