The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-18
THE GOOD ROADS WORK
ITGOES BR4VELY ON IND CONNEC-
TICUT rs AWAKE ON THE SUBJECT

One Hundred Towns Have Applied for
Road Improvement This Year Under the
New Law and Eighty-elght Towns Had
Good Work Done Last Year.
Connecticut is prominent among the
states of the Union which are alive to
the Importance of good roads to the
welfare and prosperity of the people.
Most gratifying is, and has been since
the movement begun, the response to
the call all along the line In the state
for road improvements The good work
already done is very important, and
great deal more is to be done this year.
Our townsman, Chairman ]. H. Mac
donald Of the state good roads commits
sion, on being enquired of last night as
to the extent of the good roads work in
the state, said that up to date applica-
tons had been received from one hun
dred towns for roaA Improvement un-
der the new law this year 1896, and
that road improvements under the new
law had been made in lightweight
towns during the year 1895.
On this subject the following from
the New York Tribune, in which Con-
necticut gets good notice, will be of
interest:
stock. Brokers credited with acting
There is a pretty general acceptance
throughout this state of the main prop
ositions upon which all plans of road
improvement are based. 1t is admitted
that the highways Of New York are
bad, both absolutely and in comparison
with those of neighboring states; that
| common experience proves the costli-
ness of crude methods of construction
and repair; that considerable expen-
| diture for betterments, continued
steadily through series of years,
would be wise and profitable invest
ment, and that a beginning ought to
be made forthwith. The subject has
engaged official attention during sew
eral administrations, and been much
discussed publicly and privately, espe-
cially since the great and growing ar
my of bicycle riders engaged in the
controversy. A special committee Gre
ated by the legislature last year, hav
| ing made careful and intelligent in
| vestigation, submitted an excellent re-
port at the beginning of the present
| session, and Governor Morton renewed
his strong appeal for practical action
The early prospect of sensible legisla-
| ton was favorable, and it was expect
| ed that long step in advance would
be taken before adjournment.
But this is one of the important ques-
lions upon which practice does not
readily follow preaching. 1t costs moth
! ing to accept the creed of road improve
ment, but it costs a good deal to i'm
prove the roads. For this or some 9TH
err reason bills which reflect intelligent
public sentiment do not get beyond the
committee stage. We suppose that
members are timid about converting an
abstract proposition into a concrete
| fact If this is the explanation, we
| think they are more timid than they
need to be. Road improvement is pop
ular in New Jersey, Connecticut and
Massachusetts, and there is no reason
| why IL SHOulu uUt pe pOpuldI III 1NeW
| York, if it could get a chance to be. In
some cases a public undertaking can
not demonstrate its utility except upon
a large scale and after it has reached
completion. This is not true Of high
way improvements. A short strip of
good road is a convincing argument to
all who traverse it, and thus small
expenditure makes advocates out of OBJ
jectors. This has been the universal
experience in other states, and the rule
would work here as well as it works
elsewhere. A little more courage on
the part of legislators appears to be all
that is necessary.
We agree, Furthermore, with the
| chamber Of commerce that the good
faith of the state, ard especially of the
administration, is to some extent in
volved in this matter. This is con-
sideration which must carry weight
with Governor Morton, and he would
be remiss if he should neglect to use
| his influence in an appropriate matter
to expedite the reform to which he is
fully committed.