Putnam patriot., 1915-05-07
CITY MEETING
For Highway Improvement
Citizens Asked to Appropriate Money for
Work

There will be a special city meet
ings at the municipal building next
Tuesday, to see if the citizens will ap
propdate total of $3.50 for the i'm
provement of streets.
Mayor Macdonald has consistently
advocated improved highways as one
OF the greatest benefits to the city, and
no one person in the city has done SO
much as he in getting the improve
ments that now exist. He has devo-
ted much of his time and energy to
the end that Putnam hassthousands of
dollars worth of improved highways
that have not cost the city penny
and the town has received more than
three for one on its investment. 1t is
douotfGf if the citizens of Putnam re-
alize the benefit that Mr.. Macdonald
has brought home to. them in the
shape of good streets and avenues of
ingTess and egress to and from the
business center. If one stops to con.
slider, the large amount of money ex-
pended is very apparent. The inn
provement of Elm, Pomfret and
Front streets alone cost about $4,000
and for this not penny came from
the pockets of the taxpayers of the city
and MayorM acdonald's efforts brought
it about.
The most important improvement
asked for is continuation of this am
icite roadway from the junction of
Main and Union streets to the junction
of Main and Harris streets including
Union Square. This is the center and
most used section of the city's streets.
1t is the approach to the railroad sta
ton which all people coming or leav
ing the city .use, and upon arrival OF
people on the trains improved Union
Square cannot help but make a
good first impression. 1t is a section
used by every citizen of Putnam more
or less, and there is little doubt but
that everyone will want this improve
ment made as soon as possible
The Improvements asked for on Ia
tenn, Brown, George and Florence
streets, while moi of anywhere near the
importance to all of our citizens, las the
above, are nevertheless greatly needed.
The streets serve as approaches to ma
ny residences and nothing has ever
been done to them. There are no side.
walks or cutters and those living in
4l,3,- -aat;av, 80 FOroaa 10 u.sda RI rouob
mud nearly ankle deep after heavy
rains. 1t is a section of the city in
which the mayor lives, and during his
sixteen or seventeen years as Ga MEM
Der of the city council no request for
improving conditions in this section
have ever before been asked for. The
council is pursuing its conservative
policy and only asking for appropria-
tions where there is an imperative
need of them. That an Investment in
permanent highway improvement lis
one of. the best paying investments a
city can make goes without saying.
There are OF course other localities
where improvements would be great
benefit. Providence street and Grove
street, two of our main thoroughfares,
are in need of attention. The matter
of Providence street was brought be-
fore thescouncil by Alderman LaRue
and plan was at once suggested for
taking care of that street and COM
mittee is now investigating the matter.
1t is hoped that the street can be inn
proved from the junction with Wood
stock avenue on the west and toSchool
street on the east as this is connect
ing link between two trunk lines and
is much used. BY doing little at
time Putnam will soon have all of its
streets in excellent condition and it
only needs a glance to. see what great
progress has been made in this diree-
tion in the past few years, and with
but comparatively a small expendi-
ture of money on the part,of the city.