The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-06
STATE HIGHWAY
 COM MISSIONER
 GRANDSON RECORD


 New Haven, Dec. 6.-while declar-
 ing that he had not. made any of
 hcial or authorized statement yet in regard to the controversy which has
 arisen regarding his building of the
 state highways and that he plans,
 when the press of his duties has re-
 faxed so that he has sufficient time to
 prepare a detailed. careful statement
 regarding the entire subject for the
 public, State Highway Commissioner
 James M. Macdonald, when interview
 ed by reporter at his home last
 night, indicated that he felt that the
 state had full confidence in him as
 its highway commissioner. Further
 more, while he declined to state his
 opinion as to the necessity Of an in- creased commission, his statements
 indicated that he did not feel that the work of the state highways was too great a burden for one man to | bear under the present system nor | that the roads were in any bad con
 oition through inability to keep up | with the work. On the first point
 Commissioner Macdonald said that in i his opinion that fourteen years that
 he has served as highway commis-
 sioner of the state should entitle the | commissioner to the suggestion, at
 least that his work had been satis- | factory to the towns of the state or
 he would not have been continued
 so long in office.
 When asked to talk regarding the I
 prominent men that in their opinion
 the work of the office required too | much Tor one man and that a larger commission was necessary, the com
 missioneh said that the legislature
 has provided eight district deputies.
 enc for each county in the state, and also deputy commissioner, thus in | creasing his stan to nine assistants to
 whom will be delegated the power to supervise these roads while under construction The reason these men were not appointed this fall was sim ply by reason of the fact that it was SO late in the fall when the bill te- came effective that they could be of little service to him personally and
 none at all to the state through the winter months and he preferred to carefully so they could all start in to work early in the spring. The reads, he added. have all been in- spected during the past two years stan of 40 engineers have been busy preparing the work. The only delay there has been was, on account of the large amount of work scatter ed throughout the state and the fact that there were not enough contract ors to do any more work than that which was let out Work will be let out this winter so that the contract ors who are not at present equipped will have a chance to be ready for next spring.
 Speaking of the>roads of the state Commissioner Macdonald expressed himself as satisfied with those that have been accepted. and denied that they were crumbling to pieces short | ly after they have been built, or that they are in bad condition.
 It is quite possible. he said, that from financial embarrassment some | of the towns may have been unable | to maintain the roads to the stand | ard required under the new travel | xt~f11 stand neglect.
 Commissioner Macdonald. when | asked about the Berlin road. over | which the controversy started. de- l clared that there is absolutely noth- | ing to the story that the road is go- | declares the section of the road in | question has never been accepted yet | by the state and that 1t will not be until next year, but he said he con- sidered the work so far as it has | gone made a very good road already and one that has met general ap- proval- It is simply in an unfinished | condition, and up to the limit of the | highway. Only one section, that nearest Berlin. has been accepted so far.
 He said he had been criticised, not for spending too much money. but strange to say, not enough, but that he felt he has spent the money as rapidly as is safe and sane for the interests of the state that it should be spent In regard to the Brazos incident last week the commissioner closed the road to protect the lives of his men while at work He said that up to this time the road had not been closed at all, although it has not been accepted yet, and that he thought this was the object of the closing by Brazos.