The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-16
Massachusetts Highway Com
mission Hears Representatives
of Worcester County-ToWns
Anxious for State Highways
TOWN OF DOUGLAS WAS
WELL REPRESENTED
Eight of Her Leading Citizens
Press the Claims of the Town
Dudley Likely to Receive Aid
Holden Representative Asks
Better Road to Worcester

The Massachusetts Highway Com
mission heard representatives of Wor-
cester County towns, yesterday morn
ing, in Superior Court room, civil side,
on the utility of the state road con-
structed throughout the county, and
on the wearing quality Of the road.
The meeting was designed to be an all
around talk on state roads and good
roads building, but did as a matter
of fact afford facilities to a number
of towns to urge their claim for state
aid, in building highways.
The full commission was present, in
Guiding Chairman William E. McClin-
took of Chelsea, Harold Parker of Lam
caster and John II. Manning of Pitts
field. A verbatim report of the pro-
ceedings was taken by John H. Nc
earthly, clerk to the commission. The
attendance was $50, but many towns
were entirely unrepresented. No re-
Spouse was made for Hopedale, Hub
bardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Leon
inster, Mendon, Sturbridge, New Brain
tree, Northhoro, UXbridge, North
Brookheld, Northbridge, Oakham, OK
ford, Paxton, Templeton and Upton.
County Commissioners Emerson D.
Stone, and S. G. Taft were present and
addressed the commission briefly. Hon.
Ledyard Bill Of Paxton also gave the
commission the benefit Of his ideas re-
garding highways.
Chairman McClintock gave a descrip-
ton of the plan pursued by the COM
mission, especially in giving aid to
smaller towns. Under the new act,
towns with a grand list Of less than a
million dollars might be aided 40 per
cent of their appropriation for roads in
any one year. The state would meet
towns of over million grand list with
an appropriation equal to the appropri-
alton the town would make above it's
regular appropriation for roads, The
commission now laid out, or contracted
for, ready to build, 37S.18 miles Of high
way in the state. During the year
81 IL miles has been constructed. The
cost per mile was $3.50, a considerable
reduction from earlier figures.
Douglas was represented by eight of
her leading citizens. They We're not
present to engage in an academic or
technical discussion or of methods of
road building, but to urge the claim of
the town to a section built with state
money. J. w. Wixted, Representative
elect w. S. Schuster E. P. Heath, E.
N. jerks, ]. A. Hubbard, w. H Emer-
son, Gustavus Dudley and Charles
Massier formed the delegation. The
case was presented by Mr.. Emerson, as
chairman Of the selectmen. He remind
ed the commission that a petition of
the town for a state road had been in
the desk of the commission for two
years He said that Douglas had
hundred miles Of road to maintain and
much heavy traffic, and that the roads
were heavy burden. County Commits
sioner Stone also urged the claim of
Douglas. The remaining members of
the delegation spoke briefly
Dudley was represented by E. E.
Pratt. who said his town would be will
ing to put itself under the act relating
to towns with a grand list Of more
than a million dollars, and that he had
no doubt the citizens would make an
appropriation. Chairman McClintock
said in that case the town would I'M
doubtedly receive state aid.
F, T. Holt spoke for Holden. He said
the worst road in the town was that
to Worcester, and that state road
should be built there If anywhere The
chairman replied that it would not be
advisable to build state road in that
locality until the grade crossings were
disposed of.
Former Representative ]. A. Litch-
field spoke for Lunenburg. He said the
town had some state road, which was
giving excellent satisfaction. He com
for state road, saying that Lancaster
had good roads now, and did not need
aid from the state.
Robert Booth, a selectman Of Mil
ford, thought his town would make
an appropriation for permanent high
ways He asked why steam rollers
We're used, and why the broken stone
could not be rolled down by vehicles
going over 1t. Good roads in Europe
6a4
man replied that that method involved
a waste Of 40 per cent of the material,
and that the people of Massachusetts
would not allow the burden to fall
upon their vehicles
Hon. Ledyard Bill paid the commits
sion several compliments, especially a
compliment because the price of state
highways had been reduced from &c.
900 a mile to $500.
E. F. Bachelor of Spencer said
Douglas and those other towns
shouldn't mind. Spencer had had a
petition for state highway in the hands
of the commission for seven years 1t
was never too late to hope. Spencer
recently appropriated $1,000 for mac
adam road on the main street, and
after that a similar sum. The road was
giving excellent satisfaction Mr.. Bach
elder thought every town should take
pa VI ANS elPEAOpA AollOIl anu Dutlu per-
manent road with it. The commission
said the speaker should be commended
for this thought. 1t was the only way
in which the highway problem could
be quickly and successfully solved.
County Commissioner Emerson D.
Stone thought the towns should set
aside one-fourth of their annual ap-
preparation for roads to be expended
on permanent highways, and that it
should be compulsory on the state to
meet the sum thus secured with a ike
sum. He also advised the towns to
pick out men like Hon. Ledyard Bill,
who would have a pulp with the
highway commission, and who could
get state money for roads.
L. Wallace Rugg said Sterling had a
small grand list and 135 miles Of
roads to maintain. The supervisors
recently asked for an increase in the
appropriation and were refused. They
resigned and new Supervisors were