Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-27
LYME AND CHESTER FERRY,
 NEW BOAT NEEDED.
Opposition to Bill Introduced Appro- priating $1o,ooo for This Purpose.
Especial to The BulIetin.)

Especial to The Bulletin.)
 Hartford, May 26.-The towns Of Chester and Lyme. especially the for mer, are|considerably aroused over the conditions surrounding the operation of the Lyme and Chester ferry, which runs between Hadlyme and the Had lyme station on the Valley branch in tke town of Chester. They have there an old ferryboat built ten or a dozen years ago, which requires constant re- pairs, amounting yearly to almost the value of the boat, and Inspector Withey of the government inspection service, located at New London, has been in the habit of ordering the boat to that port for repairs every year, and last year stated that at his August in spection this year he would condemn the craft.
 This will require the building or purchase of a new boat and a bill has been introduced appropriating $10.000 for this purpose This was referred tc the committee on roads, bridges and rivers of which Representative Smith of Chester is a member, but did not meet with the approval of this com mittee, which finally reduced the amount to s5,000, to cover the annual deficits for the next two years and provide a sufficient sum for rebuilding I0e Ol0 DOdl e0OuBf LO uldhe IL ldSL until the new Connecticut river bridge between Old Lyme and Old Saybrook is built, when the boat now running between those two towns can be se cured for this Ha1lyme ferry.
 A measure to accomplish this has been reported by the committee on roads, bridges and rivers and referred to the committee on appropriations, which held hearing on it this after ho selectmen of the two towns, Fish and Game Commissioner r. Hart Geer. Senator Day of that district, Repre- sentatives Simpson of East Haddam. who is wharf master at the ferry and steamer landing at Hadlyme, and Dan iels of Lyme, and numerous others. Mir. Smith explained the situation as to the bill, which he introduced. and enlarged on the fact that his town doesn't use this ferry to any extent at all. It crosses the river where it forms a part of the most direct route between New Haven and Norwich and one which will be very greatly used when the good roads appropriation has been spent on it. but is little used at this time. the ferryboat at the mouth of the river or that at East Hadddam be- ing better fitted for automobile patron- age,
 The town doesn't use it, it being sit uated two miles from Chester proper. and as it is in the very northern part of the town of Lyme, where it is used only by a part of the people of Had lyme, which lies partly in that town and partly in East Haddam-from both of which it derives it's combination name-and therefore they don't see down there why the two towns. and especially the town of Chester. should be obliged to maintain the ferry. This was imposed on them about 1890 and they have since faced deficits nearly every year. Two years ago the legis- lature gave them an appropriation of 3200 for the two years, but the ex- penses for maintenance and repairs to the old boat have been so heavy that the town of Chester has pocketed a loss of about $500 or s7O0 for each of the two years.
 There would be enough surplus in an appropriation of $5,000 for the next two years to enable them to put a new boiler in the old boat and keep her running for g. couple of years yet. They can't get rid of the ferry and as long as the state obliges them to main- tain it they feel that the state ought to help. Senator Blakeslee seemed ln- clined to put it that they wished the state to pay all of the maintenance ex- pense and MT. Smith admitted that this was largely so. but thought it q fair because of the state of af- fairs.
 First Selectman Lewis of Chester said that q new boat could be pur- chased for $4,000> and the town of Chester would certainly be very will ing to purchase one. The committee took the matter under consideration, but there seemed little hope of money for a new boat