Connecticut western news., 1911-12-28
STATE ROAD REPAIRS
Public Service Corporations Must
 Get Permit on Highways.

Get Permit on Highways.
 State Highway Commissioner James H. Mcdonald has sent to the select men of all the towns of the state a copy of the following letter which he has sent to all public service corporations in the state, accompanied by copy of the law relating to the attitude of the state concerning the entrance upon trunk lines by public service corporations: | "Gentlemen-The highway commits sion has been put to 8 great deal of an noyance, large amount of expense and considerable trouble by public ser vice corporations entering upon our highway systems. Through careIessness For neglect on the part of the workmen, or those in charge of the work, our roads have been destroyed. think it is only fair to say that this has not been by design, but rather through ig- norance or the absence of the exercise of sufficient care in carrying on the. work. ~. z..t.-,.
 ''Many roads have been destroyed and large bill of expense for repairs has been entailed. This matter had as- stunned such proportions that is was considered of sufficient importance by the committee on roads, rivers and bridges, during the session of 1911, to enact a law requiring public service corporations desiring to enter upon any of the highways under state care or construction, first to obtain 8 permit from the highway department to do so. l "The object of placing all of these roads under'som degree of protection was to enable the state to keep them in @ proper state of repaIr. The thought of having law of this kind was not to work any injury to these corpora tons, nor to deny access to the main highways, but rather to provide that all public service corporations entering upon the roads shall do their work de. gently and in order, and with a proper regard for the work done by the state prior to the time of entering thereon by the public service corporations.
 Enclosed herewith you will find a copy of this law. If your corporations should desire at any time to enter up on any of the state highways, if you will kindly notify this office, giving 8 statement of the class of work you wish to do and designate the particular sec. tion, or sections, of highway you wish to enter upon, we will provide you a specification to govern the work and permission to enter upon the highway upon which you may desire to operate. "Very respectfully yours.
 JAMES H. MACDONALD,
 "State Highway Commissioner. The commissioner has also sent to the selectmen a circular letter form of application and copy, of the new highway law relating to allotment of | state aid for highways.
 The circular letter to the seIectmen calls attention to the changes made in the old laws, pointing out that the most important change is that relating to repairs. Heretofore" says the letter, "three. quarters of the expense of re- pair of all roads for which the state has contributed of her means, has been paid4 by the state, and one quarter by the town. Under the law of 1911. the state is to pay the entire expense of the up- keep and all repairs on all of the four teen trunk line highways appearing on the map accompanying the reports for the years 1907-19O8.
 Another important change is the protection of this system upon which the state has been at work for several years, in having it completed in a reas- onable length of time by the embargo, or safeguard placed around this system, that it is the intention, distinctly en- phasized, of completing this system be- fore the trunk line money is to be used for any other road than one of these four trunk lines.
 "The trunk line appropriation is now $2, ,OOO, ,000, to be used solely and exclu- sively on the trunk line system as shown on the map accompanying the reports for the years l907-1906."