The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-21
HIGHWAYS IN
REDDINC TO
BE WELL BUILT
Highway Commissioner MacDon-
aid Finally is Made to See
What is Just and Fair

RedSing April 2o-TroublouS and in
.eresting is the time we have been
having about our state road work on
the Ridge. Having assembled his Ia
borers and teams Contractor Osborn
t,eean operations on Monday as
further delay meant to him financial
loss. Meanwhile word had been an
xiously awaited from Highway Com.
Macdonald in response to the appeals
made 10 him by First Selectman San
fora for q change of plans which
would provide a stone or telford rock
instead OF one with dirt alone as the
construction material. personal APP
neal 10 the commissioner at Hartford,
an emphatic repetition of it to the
commissioners subordinate who was
here last week and subsequently a
letter to the commissioner comprised
the efforts put forth by Mr.. Sanford
10 get a suitable road and there was
besides the appeal to the commission
or by Representative Peck. All this
seemed entitled to some recognition,
but none was forthcoming until Tues
day afternoon when Representative
Bradley phoned from Hartford that as
the result OF an interview just con-
Guided with the commissioner the lat
ter had said they could have all the
Teiford they wanted" Furthermore
Macdonald would arrange to have
here today and consult with the first
select-nan regarding a revision of the
plans
nv the time this welcome message
was received the excavation for the
lone 800 feet OF telford below the Epis-
cppal church corner had been pretty
we'll advanced. the dirt as 1t was re-
moved being dumped in the roadway
further south to raise the grade. Mr..
Sanford said this disposition of the
dirt ought not to continue as he should
seek TO have this stretch telfordized
which would involve second shift
ing of the dirt To this the contractor
replied that il the reform construc-
ton plans did not go through. and
there was only informal assurance that
tiley would, he would be put to ex
TIA expense while the stoppage of work
"a til all uncertainty was removed
liant loss OF $40 day This mat
$50 was at length temporarily adjust
Il leaving things generally UP in the
air until Surveyor Innis and the first
selectman should arrange a new pro-
gram.
The history of this particular i'm
provenent furnishes a striking illus
tration of and commentoTy the
methods by which Connecticut's
Good Roads department has been
conducted under the administration
of James Macdonald. The greater part
nf the money to pay for the improve
nent Just started will come from the
appropriation made by the Legisla-
tnre Of 1907. The project itself had the
official sanction of the commissioners
IN 1893 and he encouraged eXpecta
tfons that the construction work would
be done that fall. It was not then
done and last year the seIectmen i'm
portuned him on the subject without
result other than the letting of the
contract too late in the season to per-
nit of the works accomplishment. A
few weeks ago renewal OF the i'm
portuning process began with results
which have so far been locally exas-
perating and a present state of affairs
anything but creditable to the COM
missioner despite his concession at
The last moment.
While the prolonged, successive de-
lays are bad enough they by no means
constitute the worst feature of the
situation. The inexcusable fault of
the commissioner was in decreasing
style of roadway that would have been
anything but a good road-that would
in fact have meant q waste OF the
money expended and produced condi-
tons scarcely better than those now
existing. How this came about is an
other interesting story or an interest
ing phase of the main story.
The apparent explanation is that
the plans adopted by the commission
ct and Wnlcn, against earnest expos
tulation, he persisted in adhering to
until it was nearly too late were Based
on survey made nine years ago.
Why this should be so is another puz-
zie because the commissioner had an
other survey made for this particular
job in the summer of 1909. Why this
vas discarded no one here knows
That the nine year old survey should
call for a road mainly created from
grading, reshapilg and improved
drainage Is not remarkable because
Zine years ago the destructive effects
OF the fast increasing volume of auto
mobile travel was not realized.
macadam road was then regarded as
equal to all requirements whereas
further experience has demonstrated