The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-11
OUR STATE HIGHWAYS
COMMISSIONER MACDoNALD'S RE-
 PORT TO GOVERNOR COOKE.

q N@VA 4 V WY 1SGAF SSNNNHs Progrsss of Road Buildlng-Interesting Data Showing the Work That Has Been Done-The Towns That Received As sistance From the State-The System of Road Building Discussed at Length.
 Highway Commissioner James H.. Mscdonald's report to Governor Cooke is replete with valuable information in regard to the highways of the state. It contains copy of the circulars which MT. Macdonald issued to the selectmen of the towns during the past six months, which the report covers.
 Following is an abstract of Commis- gioner Macdonald's report:
 MONEY FOR GRADING. among which the amount set apart for grading was divided, with the amount given by the state to each:
 Hartford County-Berlin, S413.
 New Haven County-Beacon Falls, $41S; Branford, $413; Prospect, $41S.
 New London County-East Lyme, Stonington, $413.
 Fairfield County-Bethel $413; East on, $413; Monroe, $500; Stratford, $4lS; Westport, s413.
 Litchfield County-Bridgewate $500; Canaan, $413; Goshen, S413; Harwinton, $500; New Milford, $413; Norfolk, S41S; North Canaan, $413; Winchester, $413.
 Middlesex County-Chester, $200; Westbrook, $413. The total amount ap- proprlated for grading purposes was sS.947.
 TOWNS DO THEIR OWN WORK.
 The report states that very gratify- ing feature of the award of the con- tracts is, that out of the twenty three towns that advertised for bids fourteen towns of this number secured the con- tnact to do the work themselves, leaving only nine towns for outside contractors totdo the work. A situation of this kind meets with the approval of the citizens residing in the towns for the reason < that it furnishes employment to the townspeople and secures all the money to the towns. This feature of the work this year Is a. new one and a straw to show the trend of a growing disposition on the part of the towns to do their own
 
 friendly relationship on the part of the towns to the good roads movement. It has been the intent of the commissioner from the beginning of this good roads movement to have the towns do the work required to be done in their town by the towns themselves, and it will be his purpose to continue such a policy @ and the commissioner has reason to be- lieve that next year a greater number of towns will figure on the work to be done than have ever done so before and secure, not only a betterment ot q their roads, but also all the money that may be appropriated for that purpose thus keeping it within the limits of the town. The county securing to itself the most contracts toWn-wise Is Litchf1eld securing nine out of eleven contracts let. for the improvements of their roads under the law of 1S97 Following is g list of the towns in the state in which the selectmen have taken contracts ir behalf of the town under grading ap- 1,ropriations: Berlin, Prospect, Easton Monroe Westport, Bridgewater, Ca. naan, Goshen, Harwinton, New Milford Norfolk, North Canaan, Washington and Winchester.
 ALLOTMENT OF APPROPRIATION
 The following table shows the amount voted by the towns, the appropriatioI by the state and the amount actually paid for work done:
 HARTFORD COUNTY.