Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-01

4LtOlAty NcliIA al
The systematizinq of this new feat
ure ingrafted into the law in a com
prehensive and working plan entailed
no small amount of work, so that the
department may be pardoned for re-
lating the incidents connected with
the organization Of this system. The
only apology for so doing IS that this
question of care and maintenance is SO
important not so much because of
what has been done. as that which is
to be assumed as the mileage of the
roads increases and the expense en-
tailed thereby assumes, as it must Of
necessity. larger proportions.
Pending the investigation into the
question Of the condition of the vari-
Nus sections of highways that had
been improved under state aid, the de-
partment, Immediately upon the law
becoming operative, equipped every
snWn with full information ralatlve N
its provisions both by correspondence
and also through the medium of q
copy of the law. In addition to the in
formation impaired in this way-and
so the selectmen of every town might
have 4 complete understanding of the
| law and its interpretation-the select
men were invited to attend a public
meeting at Hartford, at which the
commissioner explained every section
of the law in it's relation to the towns
and their interest in the matter, as we'll
as the changes that had been made
from former laws, so that no reason
able excuse could be offered for any
town being unfamiliar with the law in
its operation.
The late adjournment of the legisla-
ture, together with the extension Of
the usual time limit Of six weeks
which has always been accorded by
I 3 Ii to coll
meetugs-carried the season of 1907
practically down to its close. and very
I little could be done except to make
surveys in the late fall months. The
entire work of systematizing the re-
pair plan. furnishing material,and get
ting into operation under the new law
was placed on the department in 1908
"a year that viii be long remembered
by the department in beginning opera
tons under the present law.
First Appropriation. A misunder-
standing has existed in regard to the
period Of time that has elapsed since
the new law went into effect. The
law. i'm its present operation, has been
i'm force only one year and its close
was the first day of october. 1908. The
law will not be within its legal limit
atoms In reference to the first appro-
Large Amount for Construction.
In addition to the question of repairs
and the expenditure OF this largely in
creased sum of money. there were in
force appropriations from other years
under which contractors we're at work
The larger amount was from the sec
oud year of the 1905-06 appropriation,
which did not expire until October 1,
z9O7-the beginning of the present ap-
prOpriation-with the usual six
months extension Of time for the fui-
flment of contracts. So that the de-
partment was not only obligated to
enter into an engagement to take
care Of the increased appropriation
but also the completion of contracts
upon which contractors were at work
at the time we entered upon the new
appropriation. This embraced taking
Up the appropriations from 1900 down
TO 1906, and while there was a small
balance, only of the earlier apprOpria-
tions, the total of unexpended balances
represented very considerable sum
of money. When completed the work
amounted to $780, 1859 which, added
to the appropriation OF $4,000 600, and
also the sum Of representing
what the towns would contribute as
their share Of the 1907-190S appropri-
ations-made the entire amount of
money to be expended up to October
l. 1909, $2,062, 727.S9.