The Newtown bee., 1909-12-17
EDITORIAL INK DROPS.

Some people throughout the state have been criticising very strongly of late, State Highway Commissioner Macdonald, and the methods he em- ploys in road building. The Editor of this paper has been among the number who have criticised the com missioner for the apparent slowness and failure to get contracts started. But after a better personal acquaint- ance and a fuller understanding of the problems MT Macdonald is up against, The Bee is convinced that the most of the criticism against him is unwarranted and unfair. MT Macdonald has five times been hon. ored as president of the National Association of American Road Build CTS, and wasre-elected to thisposition at the recent meeting of the associ- ation at Columbus, o. In this con- nection we quote letter written by Civil Engineer F. M. Smith in the Danbury News. In his letter MT Smith says: The farmer, as a gener- al rule, appreciates and understands the importance of good roads, though he may be disgruntled because the substitution of a two degree curve for a sharp corner has inconveni- enced him. During the past few months all the criticism as to build ing and maintenance of roads in Connecticut has centered on Con- missioner Macdonald. Not but that he is able to defend himself, but I think most of it is unwarranted. No doubt he does too much himself, but who could have done as much and as well? The layman thinks ten inches of macadam will wear a liftime, but forgets that wear is similar to a pair of shoes, all in one spot. A little de- pression on a rainy day is made a mud hole by a few packards or Lo- comobiles There should be system of maintenance estaDlisheu WnereDy at small expense a new road could be kept in good condition for a term of years. I doubt if New York or Massa-
 usetts has better roads at the same cost than Connecticut. Sometimes a town naturally desires a local stone used. If the commissioner insists on trap rock the local paper cries graft" but if he permits the use of native stone and after year the ruts and mud predominate, the commits siOner is to blame. Every aggressive man makes mistakes, but after MT Macdonald is out of office no one will find padded contracts. We are prone to forget the sandy hills our horse was forced to walk some years ago and blame some one for the ruts our own autos are making to-day. The state of New York is spending $100,- 000,000 for barge canal and possi- ply in ten years or less it will regret the expenditure. Connecticut will never regret spending few million on highways, but haste may mean waste and the commissioners appar- ent delay may be economy in the end.
 While meditating on this question we were interested ? read an edi- torial in Fridays Waterbury Repub- lican. We quote a few paragraphs: No other state in the union compels it's commissioner to lay out work in every town in the state, as in Con- necticut. It makes no difference if there are 40 or 16S towns that apply for an allotment. over this feature the commissioner has no control. This has been the practise since 1895 and is in force at the present time. It is quite different matter to take stretch of 25 or 30 miles on the main trunk lines, or wherever the commissioner may want it, central izing his forces and running one con- tract, instead of having two or three dozen contracts in as many towns with the additional detail of building specifications and suiting conditions under widely diversified plan. Tn addition to this, the state is working on 14 different trunk lines today