The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-29
GOOD ROADS MANS TRAVELS
COMMISSIONER MACDONALD's RE-
 TURN FROM SOUTHERN TRIP.

COM W WiSSIONEk MACDONALD'S RE- TURN FROM SOUTHERN TRIP. | tary of Agriculture Wilson and General Stone of the National Bureau of High Macdonald's Opinion of Virginia Roads. l Highway CommissionerJa James H. Mac donald returned this week from two weeks trip to Washington and points in Virginia. The object of the trip was to see General Stone, who is at the head of the bureau on highways at | Washington. The commissioners trip was very successful and he got, and it is safe to say, also gave some good points on good roads.
 He met both General Stone and Sec retary of Agriculture Wilson and dis cussed with them both the good roads question. In the course of conversa- ton with Secretary Wilson the latter remarked that a portion of his life had been passed in the Nutmeg state" From '52 to 55 he was a res.. dent of the village of Greenville, just outside of Norwich, Secretary Wilson expressed himself as highly pleased with the manner in which Connecticut is solving the good roads question, and remarked Tt is just what I should eX- pect of Connecticut" The commission CT was favorably impressed with Gene ral Stone, the head of the national bu- reau of highways, and says he is un- | doubtedly the right man in the posi- tion.
 Commissioner Macdonald glories in the trap rock of Connecticut, which in his report to the governor ne described was the best in the country. In Wash ington he saw collection of trap rock from the various states in the agricul- tural building. He felt natural pride in the better road-making material of his own state, and remarked to General Stone that he had reported to the gov ernor that Connecticut had the best trap rock for road-making, and he had seen nothing in the collection to cause him to change his opinion. He prom ised to send General Stone specimens of Connecticut trap rock that he might judge for himself
 General Stone expressed himself highly pleased with the way Connecti- cut was dealing with her highways. Commissioner Macdonald remarked to General Stone that trunk lines might be constructed north, south, east and west by the state. General Stone was favorably impressed with the plan and said that he had thought of sim liar system for the whole country. General Stone is a man of many origi- nal ideas, and he talked freely in re- gard to some of them. One of his ideas is that the government shall loan out postal savings to the town to be used in building good roads at 2k per cent. in- terest. In connection with the exten- sion of the postal carrier service to the country towns, General Stone suggest ed that it might be advisable to have these carriers equipped with some light tools. and wherever they found slight repairs necessary on the road it could be done by them at once. In this way General Stone thinks the water course on the roads could be kept open and the roads clear of loose stones. two ends which would be of great value in maintaining good roads. The carrier would have a personal interest in keep ing the road in good shape, and their interest and the saving of expense Gen eral Stone urges as the strong points of his plan.
 The Commissioner also visited For tress Monroe, Hampton, Norfolk and other places in Virginia and got some pointers on Virginia roads He does not seem as much stuck" on Virginia roads as they were stuck on him. Mud, clay and mud are the words in which he described the roads of the state that boasts of being the mother of presidents" Virgina's road system is wholly undeveloped Her highways are of yellow mud several inches in depth. The state is still in the toll-gate era of progress, though why they should charge a man toll for travelling on such roads the commissioner cannot for the life of him tell. He expressed this opinion to one toll-gate keeper, who said that the farmers are opposed to any better roads.
 The commissioner shook off the disa greeable recollection of Virginia roads in most enjoyable three hun dred mile trip by boat from Norfolk Va, to New York. Before returning home he visited his former home in All bany. N. Y, this being the first time he has visited it in twenty-one years.
 He reports that the good roads move ment in New York is making good pro- gress and that it is well it is, as the highways of the state are not of the best Two bills will be introduced at the present session of the New York legislature, one by General Guy and the other by w. W. Armstrong of Ro- chester. MT. Armstrong's bill is drawn up to avoid the objectionable features of the bill that was defeated at the last