The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-28
CONTRACT SYSTEM
 IS APPROVED BY
 BEDDING CITIZENS
More ENacting Terms Will Be Contained in Agreements
 With Contractors ]

Bedding, Sept. 28.-The outcome of the meeting held in the town house last Friday evening was a dec!aratlon in favor of working the highways un- der the contract system This actlon indicates disposition to return to the old contract methods when the Jop was divided among score or more or bidders who performed the work with varying degrees of inemciency. One result was a narrowing tendency which threatened to contract the roads to trail like dimensions. The defects of the old way are fully recognized and an effort vii be made to avoid them by the more exacting terms con- tained in any new agreement into which the town may enter. Is It prac- ticable to provide specifications which will secure the accomplishment of that object7 The meeting believed it to Lc within the range of possibilities as otherwise their decision would not have been what it was.
 About 75 substantial citizens attend ed the meeting which was notable 1oz its earnestness> of spirit and the ,cour- teous tone characterizing the discus sion w c. Sanford was chairman and c. H. Plump secretary. Select
 man Barnes said that in the past year the town had spent approxima te1y $7, coo for road repairs. Part of the owrk done had been of a semi-perma- nent character, Improvements on the road east of Pleasant Valley and near Putnam Park being examples. That class of work should be continued as far as financial conditions permitted and the speaker feared that this could not be done with the contract system. Therein lay the chief objection to it. J. L. Blackman favored the supervisor plan and thought a competent local man could be obtained for the job. On the latter point his son Lloyd dis hi SSif1 ion that the right sort of a supervisor
 meant a salary outlay of 8, ,000 which avs more than the town could afford. The necessity of improving the drain age ways by dynamiting. out obstruc- tive rocks when necessary was urged the contract system was made by B. B. Banks. The statement by Sanford Osborn that he would not be a. bidder for the proposed contract because the chance of heavy rainfa1ls made the risk too great caused a surprise as he has a better equipment of hofses and apparatus than any other man In town Peter Osborn thought that the town shouldd have a stone crusher to get out material if the policy of semi permanent improvements was to be followed. W. c. sanford made a plea in extenuation of the shortcomings of the selectmen and expressed the opin- ion that a form of contract could be drawn which would safeguard the in terests of the town and facilitate the purpose of road betterment.
 After the speakers had been heard a ote was taken, which showed a de- eided majority for the contract sys- temi This sentiment was then ela.b- oriated in a resolution. It provided that the working of the roads should
 be contracted out to 8 single party for
 a period of five years. the selectnen to act as the agents of the town in the making of the. contract and the over sight of it's extension and to have in this task the cooperation of a commits sion of five citizens whose Assistance should be of an advisory and associate 1 supervisory nature. The resolution
 was adopted by a unanimous vote and ] H. s. Barnes, S. H. Osborn and c. H. Plump were appointed a committee to
 draft an enacting resolution along the same lines for presentation to the town meeting next Monday.
 The fate of the measure-win of
 course be detern1ined by the action then taken. Its adoption and enact
 ment into local legislation is seemingly
 assured provided it receives the SUD-
 port of those who gave it their sane
 ton at Friday evenings conference.