The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-16
NO EXPERIMENTS
ON STATE ROADS
Why Macdonald Has Never
Taken Kindly to Assem-
bling Stone with Mastics
Explained by Commits
sioner.

att makes no difference to the COM
missioner if he stays l. day or 90
years. not one dollar will he expend
in experimental roads until he knows
that there will be an adequate return
for the money!
So Highway Commissioner ames II.
Macdonald declared in his address be-
fore the Waterbury Automobile CLUB
at the special meeting of the club held
in the rooms of the Home Club recent
ly. He was speaking Of the demand
for the use of masttcs on the roaas
at the time he made the above state
ment, and while on this same subject
he said. sit is not through ignorance
that your commissioner has not used
mastics. Other states have been ex-
perimenting and we have used only a
little dust layer while waiting for the
problem to be worked out. We have
no right to take the peoples money
and prostitute it while we are just
at the open door Of this problem. When
we start to build our system along
permanent lines, let's build 1t right.
7 want our system to be the best that
can be laid out Of DOORS" The COM
missioner said further, along this same
line that he hoped to be able to use
this year a mastic on some of the
trunk lines. He would try to get leg
islative permission to do so, and he
hoped to use a material that could be
obtained right here in Connecticut
home product.
Commissioners Macdonald was in
troduced by President L. e. Fitzsim-
mons of the Automobile Club after
short business meeting had been held
and his remarks were given close at
tention by the large gathering Of club
members and other men who are in
terested in the good roads movement.
The commissioner said at the outset
that he had no use for the kicker who
would not go to headquarters with his
grievance or complaint, but who, in
stead rushed to the press with his
troubles Never have ! replied, and
never will I reply to such notices." he
said. "There is only one jury that
can try my case out, and that jury
is the House and Senate, representing
the entire voting strength of the
state"
Mr.. Macdonald spoke of his 1s years
of service as Highway commissioner.
and what had been accomplished in
that time, and then said: Gentlemen.
you are only standing on the thresh-
old of the improvements that will be
necessary in this state. It will take
a large sum of money before you will
have continuous system Of trunk
lines" He explained the Connecticut
system of dividing the good roads
money between the towns applying for
it, and said: eff it hadn't been DEM
onstrated that the money was being
honestly expended, and to the salts.
faction Of the towns, you would have
waited until doomsday before getting
an appropriation of s4500,0 900. Our
system is unlike any other in any 9TH
err state, and you can't take the money
and build continuous system of high
ways Even the trunk line money
has to be distributed over the IA trunk
lines that the state is working on"
Continuing, the speaker said: "Our
main roads have ceased to be local in
character, and it Is a righteous thing
for the state to do to construct these
trunk lines itself. I am going to ash
the state to relieve the towns from
all the expense of the upkeep of these
roads, as it costs a. large sum for
resurfacing, and the towns are hardly
able to stand it. We spent $204, 900
for repairs alone during the past year,
and we could have spent S400 900. Mas
sachusetts spent 100000 1t is an
arduous task, trying to suit the entire
state, and what we want is for every