The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-05

foreclosures or mortgages nave result
ed in small losses and sale of banl
stocks in larger apparent gains. Tht
earnings of the fund for the last year
after deducting the whole expense o.
it's management, were nearly one nun
bred and ten thousand dollars, or an IN
come of about five and one-haH pei
cent. This shows good management, es'
pecially when it is considered that the
principal of the fund is year by veal
being placed on stronger ana surei
foundation. The state has in this rune
a pride which springs from hlstorlca
associations, and is not measured ny
the amount of the revenue.
GOOD ROADS.
OF the one hundred thousand dollars
annually appropriated by this state loi
the Improvement of it's highways, over
ninety-nne thousand dollars We're speii'
last year under the law. Forty-elsh'
miles of road were thus improved Az
this rate it will take more than hlty
years to build UP general system Oh
good roads throughout the state
Within the last half century enough
has been wasted in the unWlse pullalhs
and repair of roads to construct hrst-
/ class highway between all the hamlets'
the villages and the cities OF the state.
If you can stop this vast waste, ana
then, to the money thus saved add state
appropriatians increased by one-third or
what YOU can save by wise retrench-
ment in other lines of state expense, you
can have an unbroken system OF excel
lent roads in less than twenty years.
/ State aid wisely offered, will excite cal
( interest, and local interest once aroused
becomes the strongest factor in sowing
the problem of good roads. To the ROAD
improyen1e nt of every town there should
be offered a state supervision when
gives to each town the benefit of the eX-
perence of all the towns, and which en-
lightens local authority rather than SUI
persedes it.
The poorer towns of the state are al
ready burdened in keeping open ana
making passable their many miles or
highway. For improvem6 of roads In
these towns the state should bear three
fourths of the expense instead of one
half We can certainly afford to give
to our poor towns n proportion of aid,
which neighhoTlng states give to rlch
and poor alike. The money spent on
roads in these towns should be used, as
far as possible. in giving work to their
unemployed laborers. In this way the
money goes from the rich state into the
poor town. and after it has done its he
nehcent work, flows back into the state
again over the highway which it has
built There is no real increase In bur-
dens, and the less fortunate share in the
general prosperity. The poor hill towns
IL, II ctt fn a 1,
homes, and good roads are the best
ways for opening up these sites to the
world.
STEAM RAILROADS.
The railroad commissioners report no
material change in the condition of the
steam railroads operating in the state.
OF the fifty millions of passengers
transported over these roads, in the
year, not one was killed, and only
twelve were injured. This shows fine
condition of the rail and roadbed, an eX-
cellent road equipment, and high de-
gree of care in the running Of the trains.
There has been q small decrease in the
number of passengers and in the earn
ings of this part of the business, but
this decrease has been more than offset
by increase in freight and in the reVe-
nue. derived therefrom.
These companies have a capital or
over ninety-nine millions of dollars, and
during the past years the dividends to
their stockholders have been nearly tlve
millions Of dollars Their taxes, paid to
the state, were nine hundred and ten
thousand one hundred and thirty seven
dollars and fifty cents, or more than
one-third of it's revenue from all
sources. The state is to be congratula-
ted on the prosperity of its steam rail-
roads and the companies themselves
are to be congratulated for their excel
lent management, for a fortunate loca-
ton of valuable franchise, and for the
protection and support Of a thrifty and
approaching people
STREET RAILWAYS.
The thirty-one street railway compa-
MES of the state have capital stock to.
the amount of s1o,t51 OiO, a funded debt
of S1O,O22 SEQ, and floating Indebtedness
amounting to s75S,S2 They pay a
tax to the state of $153 052.77
There is strong feeling that, on ac-
count of damage done to highways
these companies should pay their taxes
to the towns In which their roads are
located. But taxation should be on
value, according to value, and because
of value, and the companies should be
compelled to make good in some other
way, and year by year, all the damage
caused by their roads to the highways
of the towns.
AGRICULTURE,
During the last year tho state has
paid for the support Of its various agri-
cultural institutions about forty avel
thousand dollars. OF this sum, thirty
five hundred dollars have gone to the
state board of agriculture about twelve
thousand and seven hundred dollars to
the experiment stations sixteen thou
sand and eight hundred dollars to Storrs
Agricultural college. about seven thou
sand and five hundred dollars to the
cattle and dairy commissions, and about
six thousand and four hundred dollars
to the various agricultural societies and
associations.
In your support of the agricultural in
sttutons of the state there can be no
well grounded charee of class legsa-
ton. The productiv ness of the f rm is
of universal beneficence, and lies at the
of the prosperity Of all .
Your agricultural College needs no de- /
Tense for its existence. 1t was not need I
cd to add dignity to the labor of the
farm. 1t was rather itself, the out
H. ;,,l1