The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-01
A ooMMissroYER,s orronrUx11r.

COMHISSI0NER'S OPPORTUNITY
Governor Woodruff has approved the
bond issue of $6,5OOO0O Of this ar cunt
$45Oo,OO0 will be at the control of High
way Commissioner James H. Mac
donald for use in improving the high
ways of the State. The remaining sum
will be expended by a commission ap-
pointed some time ago to build a.state
armory and arsenal and State library
and Supreme court building.
Unless we are mistaken this Is the
only time in the history of the State
when single commissioner was en-
trusted with the expenditure of such
vast sum of money in public i'm
provement Incidentally it will be the
first time in the history Of the State
When single headed commission was
given such a test of its usefulness and
integrity. 1t is the novelty of the
scheme rather than any lack Of confid-
, ence in Commissioner Macdonald that
| has made many people incredulous as
to the alleged lack Of business precau-
ton involved in the grant. 1t has been
said that a private institution would
| insist upon a commission to oversee the
expenditure, etc, etc There is proba-
bly, great deal of truth in this asser-
tion and yet If a private institution was
! single-headed In its organization as
the road commission is It would be ne
cessary to reorganize In order to en-
force the business principle referred to.
Even then we suspect that the Job of
building roads would be so carried on
by sub committees that in the end
the money would be expended under
individual supervision
Commissioner Macdonald neverthe-
less has every reason to feel proud over
the confidence reposed in him by the
General Assembly and by the Governor
of the state. 1t may be said of him
too that had he not given such gem
eral satisfaction as highway commits
sioner 1t would have been itnpossible
to secure for his control such large
bond issue we have not the slightest
idea that had the original organization
Of the department been retained
the State would have been willing to
make such bond issue. And 1t is in
that connection that the experiment be-
| comes a most interesting one. Origin
ally a three-headed commission, the
logic of a more business Capitalization
of authority compelled the substitution
of single headed one. There was no
reasonable escape from 1t and when 1t
was adopted IT brought with 1t reliance
upon the personal equation. There
was no one to trust but the commits
sioner and since he has proved him
self trustworthy in small things he
must be assumed to be trustworthy in
large things.
The Journal and Courier has no ques-
tion Of the reliability OF Commissioner
Macdonald We take that, as we take
his enthusiasm, as one of the things
one can wager on. At the same time 1t
Is a great responsibility which has been
placed on his shoulders by the State
and as he doubtless realizes he must
bear 1t prudently and with even great
err caution than he has borne the bur
dens Of the past to escape the shafts
Of criticism which are always ready
for officials whose task is large and
expensive one. We have never been
very much pleased with the constant
reference to the fact that the State
capitol was built within the appropri-
alton, especially when strangers speak
of it. The surprise manifested In the
compliment suggests a Fundamental
weakness In Connecticut manhood
which in one instance seems to have
been overcome. When the work of
the road department is finished and
there is to be found everywhere In the
State of Connecticut a dollars worth
of good roads for the dollar expended it
will all be taken as matter Of course,
and not as another escape from sus-
pected weaknesses of character.