The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-05
M'QUILLAN STATES
 HIS VIEWS ON THE
 HIGHWAY QUESTION
Stratford Man Tells Why West Broad Street Should
 Be Improved

Stratford, May 5.-Thomas McQui1- Ian of Barnum avenue is one of the strongest advocates of the plan to have the money recently appropriated by the state for use on state roads in Stratford, spent on West Broad street instead of on North Main street. MT. McQui11an states some good reasons why the money should be spent on improving West Broad street instead of North Main street.
 Here is a road,'' said MT. McQutI- Ian the other night, which was in use as state road-a post road in the days of Benjamin Franklin and even earlier. Franklin himself is credited with placing milestone on the road near the junction of Ord ner's lane, and this milestone is still in place Yet there are men in town who say that West Broad street Is not one of the main thoroughfares of the town and therefore should not be improved as state road. Why, West Broad street was in use as the main road between New York and Boston for years before North Main street was ever opened up.
 eTt could again be made one of the principal thoroughfares through the center of the town and would take a lot of the traffic off Barnum avenue if a little money was only spent on it.
 "Yet when the state appropriates money to fix up West Broad street some of our leading citizens go up to Hartford and buIl-doze the highway commissioner into believing that the appropriation should be transferred from West Broad street to North Main street.
 eff these leading citizens would only wake up and see what is going on in their state they would know that $3,000,0o0 is to be spent on inn proving the trunk line roads of the state during the present year. North Main street being one of the trunk roads would be placed in fine condi- ton, without a cent of expense to the town, if the people of the town would only let the matter take it's own course. But they trot up to Hartford and try to have the highway cOmn1s-' sioner take the money which was ap- propriated to fix up West Broad street, and spend it on North Main street, l which is marked for Improvements entirely at the expense of the state if the worthy citizens of the town would not persist in standing in their own light.
 '-If the money is taken from West Broad street and spent on North Main 1 street, 1t means that the town of Stratford will have to appropriate an equal amount out of the town treas ury, for the money was voted to the town to be expended on state roads, which means that the town must | share in the expense of repairing any | roads upon which the money is ex- pended
 eff the money is left where it was first. on West Broad street, the state will go ahead and fix up North Main street because it is a trunk road, and the town will have | running right through the center of the town, two fine roads at less ex- pense than it would be to construct one.
 ''If the plan of some of the North Main street property owners is car lose the money which otherwise would be appropriated to fix up the trunk road-North Main street, and will al- so have to continue to put up with the abominabIe state of affairs at present obtaining on West Broad street.
 ''It is to be hoped that when the matter is put up to the people as 1t will have to be now, thanks to the of some of the North Main street property owners it is to be hoped, I say, that the people will display a little common, ordinary, own light by voting to spend on North Main street the money which was appropriated for state road on West Broad street."
 Russell Appointed Sheriff.
 Daniel Russell of Elm street has just been appointed deputy sheriff of realizing at last an ambition which he has had for some years, but which for some reason or another failed to materialize when William VolIrner first stepped into office as sheriff of Fairfield county. John Williams was appointed at that time, but Williams never seemed to care for the job and his resignation and the consequent appointment of Russell in his place was made known Saturday.
 Turning the Sod.
 The ceremony of turning the sod at the site of the proposed new St James church on Main street, took place yesterday afternoon, Rev. M. J. O'Connor conducting the services. The choir of the church assisted in the | slngtn9 a nunm5~r of |