Waterbury Democrat., 1901-09-18
INSPECTOR OF ROADS.
Highway Commissioner Macdonald
 Will Soon Make m Appointment.


 In a conversation with a Hartford Times reporter Highway Commissioners James II. Macdonald stated that he will appoint an inspector of roads whose duty will be to see that the roads made with the aid of the state appro- priation are kept in repair by the To- can authorities. The inspector will be appointed by October 1. MT Macdon- aid has not yet selected the man for the position The law under which Commissioner Macdonald will make this appointment has been on the statute books for several years, but owing to the fact that the appropria- tion for assistance has been only suffi- cient to pay for local inspectors he had no money out of which to pay the ap- pointee's salary. Besides, the time had not matured until this year for mak- ing the inspections. The law empow- CTS the highway commissioner to in- sist that the local authorities shall keep the roads on which state money Ahas been expended in satisfactory re- pair.
 Mr Macdonald says the law is par ticularly applicable to macadamized roads. The highway commissioner is to be sole judge of the condition of the roads and his decision as to whether they need repair is final In case the local authorities fail to comply with his direction to make the repairs which he may desire made, the highway com missioner will make the repairs him. self and charge the expense to the town in which the road is located. It is realized that if the policy of the state to improve roads is to be a suc- cess care must be taken that wornout macadam is repaired and that the re pairs are made in season. The last general assembly increased the high way commissioners appropriation for inspectors from S6,000 to $10,000 a year, and out of this increased appro- priation the salary of the inspector of repairs will be paid. The inspector will be required to travel over the whole state where the state money has been | expended. This position will in no way interefere with the work of the local inspectors. The latter are ap7 pointed to watch the work on the roads as it progresses.
 Another matter which the highway commissioner is giving considerable at | tention to now is the failure of some small towns to use the money, tC which they are entitled, from the ap propriation which was made two years | ago. There are about thirty-two towns | in the state which have uneXpended balances to their crdeit MT Macdon
 aids steady policy, since he was ap l pointed highway commissioner, has l been to encourage the small, remote l towns to cooperate with the state ir improving the highways, and by his liberal construction of the law he has made it easy for these towns to take l advantage of the states aid. Finding l that many of the country towns could | not give attention to road making dur ing the spring and summer, when crops
 have to be attended to. he allowed the selectmen to make contracts for work l on small sections of roads, say fol I $50, $200 or $500 at time The towns have found this arrangement to be a source of great convenience, and they I thoroughly appreciate it. The bal
 ances due these towns will, unless the contracts are awarded by October 1
 and the work finished by April, 1902
 revert to the state treasury. Of course | the forfeiture of this money will not affect the right of the towns interest
 ed to share of this years appropriation