Connecticut western news., 1912-02-15
TAKE STATE AID
Resident Gives Reasons Why Canaan Should Accept Good Roads Money.
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citizen, explains itself
 To the Editor of The News:
 wish to briefly state why the town of North Canaan should accept State aid for highways.
 First let us consider certain matters which are acknowledged to be true by everyone. We all agree that it has clearly been demonstrated that the town of North Canaan ought not to take any contracts for building highways. This has been shown to be folly because the town has no one to personally supervlse such business. If any town lets con- tract to any contractor for the building of highways, that contractor has at least one foreman and sometimes more than one right on the job every minute look ing after his interests. This foreman is paid large wages and is considered a good investment to look after the one thousand minor details which come up ull the while. The town has no such person to watch its interests, and there fore we can expect no different result than the one accomplished when this was tried. Therefore, we are agreed that it is best to cut out any idea of the town taking contracts in it's own name for the building of highways. as It has been proved that this cannot be advan- tageouslv done.
 There is strong feeling among several oF our baSk r,aapSpp o;t;1ana thaA .ho only possible way to avert a repetition of the former outlay aud expense in road building is to absolutely turn down the whole proposition. and do nothing along this line. It seems to me that these good, worthy. aud well-meaning citizens are making a great mistake in taking this attitude. If one of them were i'll and tried certain doctor, or certain medicine, and received no im- mediate relief therefrom, does 1t seem probable that he would thsreupon for ever thereafter refuse to try another doctor or take any other medicine, when he again became ill? If we have been ''stung" once by the acceptance of State aid it does not necessarily follow that we are to be taken in again if we,should vote to accept it, but rather let us take advantage of it and do so without taking any chances. #..>
 The state of Connecticut today is re- ceiving annually from the town of North Canaan a state tax of approximately one thousand dollars. Are we to derive nothing from this Doesn't it seem as though we ought to get some return for this state tax or are we going to continu. ally pay our share aud allow the other towns in the state to receive the benefit which ought to be ours Are we going to pay for roads in the towns of Sails bury, Norfolk, Falls Village and other towns and not receive any benefit there. from, because some honest, sincere and we'll meaning citizens have told us that if we vote for state aid we will increase our taxes Let us make them prove it to us The state has appropriated large sums to be expended somewhere for building of public highways. It has also derived a large revenue from license fees of automobiles which of course wear and tear our roads. Are we going to pay to the state of Connecticut, take this revenue from tho automobile owners and turn 1t oyer to the other towns so that they eau use it upon their roads, but we do not want any of it? The auto mobiles tear our roads to pieces but we do not want any revenue derived from them because some one has said If we do accept this money and repair our roads with it, we will be called upon to pay more taxes. This seems to be too retrogressive for the intelligent voters of North Canaan to swallow. Our taxes are enough and we do not want to see them increased, but do not let us be carried away by some mistaken views upon this subject aud thereby miss the profit or money which rightfnlly be- longs to us.
 have dwelt for some length upon the conditions as they exist and now I wish to propose remedy whereby we may derive. the benefit without the sting. Let us first of all go to the special town meeting, to be held next Saturday, and talk over this matter, and give it care ful and unbiased consideration. Let us see if we cannot vote to accept this state aid. but at the same time tie up it's use 90 thnt there will be no danger of foolish expenditure or waste of it. Wouldn't some vote like the following accomplish the desired result? "Re- solved, 1t is the sense of the voters of the town of North Canaan that the Se- lectmen of said town be hereby in- structed and requested not to use any money derived from the state during the ensuing year for the purpose of building public highways within said town unless a majority of a committee of three, named at the special town meeting, shall give their assent thereto, and also that the money so derived snail be used in such amounts and in such localities as a majority of said commit. tee shall direct; and, furthermore, that the committee so named shall be George 8. Fuller, John B. Reed and Edward s. Roberts,"
 After passing the above proviso let us pass vote to accept the state aid for the purpose of building public highways within the town of North Canaan and