The Newtown bee., 1896-03-20
Editorial Ink Drops.
THE ROAD PROBLEM

The spring of 1896 will go on record with the two most disastrous freshcts that have visited New England in many i ycars, and as consequence the people will have d handsome road bill to pay, At this date it is impossible to estimate the amount of damage, but the figures would surprise you. Selcctman Glover estimates the damage to Newtown roads at s5oo. OuIy a few small bridges were washed out. In Woodbury, the damage has been roughly estimated at S9oo while in New Milford, the damage to bridges and road, will approach 5 looo Southbury's loss u-trxcced $5Oo, as is the ease in Eoxbury, Brookheld and other nearby towns. In mct, all the roads throughout this section are badly washed, and much extra work and tx penditurc will be required.
 It therefore behoovcs the town officials to act promptly on the opening of spring. The main arteries of travel should first receive attention,a ,and the work thorough. ly done. While we do not cali for cx- travagaut ouJlays in any one section, the roads should be put in irst-class re, pair The travelling public demand it,
 TnE BEE has long advocated the plan of putting the convicts at work on the roads, and we believe that this will uIti- mately be done, In this connection, Ex- Gov Flower has lately said "There l. no reason why the prison labor should not assist, In Auburn Sing Sing and Danemora, the experiment of working the prisoners on the road is being tried with good results. And there is no reason why the county prisoners should not be worked on the roads outside of the corporate cities and villages of the State. But would advise the farmers to rely upon themselves and do honest days work; and with the present as- easements honestly worked out, they will be surprised to see how much bet ter their roads will be, the first year after trial of their own resources is made"
 George G. French, who signs himself "A crossroads farmer" in writing to The Independent, says: "To construct country higways bettar than they now are, the hills and rOadbed must not only be graded and loose stones remov. cd, but they should be SO constructed az not to be affected by freezing and thaw. ing-that is, the moisture in the travel ed parts of the highway must be ellimi- nated-the liability of the water in the roads to expand and contract, one inch in eight inches, with successive thawing and freezing, and the consequent dsn- tegrating, softening and mud.producing condition must be removed. I know of no better method by which this may be accomplished, than to place a substan- tial stone drain with open throat, four or five feet beneath the travelled part of highway, we'll graded, 80 as to receive and conduct the water entirely away from beneath the road; and besides to place open ditches, or canals, on each side of the highway, two feet deeper than the ditch under the road center, also graded to discharge the water flow ing into 1t, either from the central ditch or from the rounded surface of the road bed. which roadbed should be covered one foot deep with broken stones." The late William Platt used to advocate some such plan as this.
 But Mir French proceeds further. ae talks sensibly when he says: s.I fear that to pay for such road, whether by