The Newtown bee., 1904-04-29

MT Editor: Permit me through the columns of your busy BEE to speak to the taxpayers of our country town on the subject of poor roads. We all have heard time and time again of good roads and what the state has done for us in regard to furnishing money from doubt but the meaning is all right about the good road system. But put in the hands of incompetent men to carry out l fail to see where, in some respects, the state aid is benefit. We will take for instance piece of road that lays between Roxbury Station and what was formerly called the Hatch place. Going south about one quar-
 ter mile from the station, which was repaired about two years ago, at cost to the town of RoXbury of several dol lars and some cents and at the same time the state aid was about two thirds of what the town laid out on that piece of road. Well. note the re- place the Selectmen and the men that
 were working for them had a blue print to go by, showing where to fill, ,
 where to grade, and showing where to put in SluiceS to carry off the surplus of rain or snow water where the side ditcheS were incompetent to perform their part of the work. Now we come to working roads or making them, as there is great deal of difference in my opinion about making highways and working of the same after the highways are made. I want to say here that good many of our blue charts are no more earthly use in re- gard to highways than a whisper to a tormented calf. Let me tell you, tax payer, that man living 40 or 60 miles away from your town and never having an occasion to travel over our country roads only when he comes in the capa- city of road commissioner at big sal ary, and even then when he comes he proba bly, will ride into your town on a Pullman palace car, and will be met at the depot by somebody with double seated spring wagon to show him what the taxpayers are growling about in regard to hills and sluices, etc. In the minds of some people l may be making this item to lengthy. But hear in mind that in writing the foregoing l had to arrive at point where we all can see the object of the writer on the poor roads. The piece of road in ques- tion as you will notice from the fore going, starts at the Station, and I can safely say that at the starting point there is no worse mud hole in Litch- field county, then it continues to the Hatch place. Between the Station and the Hatch place there were on the chart two sluices and one grade; the grade to be cut down so many feet and filled into the hollow on the south side of the Randall property, now owned by an Italian named Pete Danley
 Well, between the hill that was cut down and this land there is water way that runs east from the railroad track which in most all seasons of the year carries good supply of water to the Shepaug river, and as there was culvert there before the chart ap- peared it was supposed that in the i'm provement that the road makers would see that that culvert would be at- tended to in proper manner. No comment from the writer. Look at it, you taxpayers. Let us look north little further on our state road. A lit tie south of Frank Collins premises there was culvert put in where nev- CT gallon of water lodged or staid on the road to my knowledge in B years. Just see what the blue chart can do! Now let us see what we mortal taxpay- CTS are doing under 15 mill tax and what we have done under 12 mill tax. In 1881, or the year following, at 12 mill tax we paid off, on a debt of our town, the sum of 5000. Let us look at the calendar since 1881 and compare it with. the year 1901, space of 20 years, and I do not include the years of '92 or 93 and see how we are pro- gressing. For the value of money re- ceived into our town treasurer's office ask yourself the question, (don't bother your neighbors for. they might ask you,) "Where is all this money going?" Of course it would be natural to make reply and say that the main portion of our taxes goes to help make good roads and pay for the education of children at the district schools. Now, my dear readers, will not beat about the bush but will say that if the board of edu- ca tion was as liberal in regard to dis tributing the appropriation of school funds as the selectmen of our town are in presenting their bills before an auditing committee, we would have no bad slough holes at the Station or anywhere else along the line.-[ Tax payer