The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-09

fight, as long as The Connecticut Good Roads Association exists Their first step logically is to discredit and drive our association from the field, if they can. They are now engaged in that attempt. Let them continue. We have nothing to cover up, while they have a, whole lot of that will not look well in print.
 The biggest graft in the United States today is the field of highway building. New York state, some years ago, appropriated $5O,0OO,OOO for highway construction. According to reports from New York, the investiga- tions which followed showed that some $30,000,000 of that immense sum had gone for graft, pure and simple, and about all the state had to show for the entire s50,OO0,OOo was the receipts duly signed. Other states have had similar experiences, though on a smaller scale.
 One particular highway building company has been participant in the contracts in these states. That con- cern has been lowering around Con nectictu for the last four years It apparently has in it's employ certain politicians of importance. There is nothing criminal in their employment as they hold no official positions They exercise their political pull to deliver over contracts to their employer. The compensation, as rule, is on a com- mission basis. Anywhere from 10 to 20 per cent. of the gross amount of the contracts delivered is the pay ment. The exact figure depends on the price per square yard for the work.
 The Connecticut Good Roads Asso- citation does not believe that we need these gentlemen in control of our state highway department. As long as Charles J. Bennett remains high way commissioner there is no danger of their putting over on the state.
 Some few years ago, before Com missioner Bennett took office. our highway department was a splendid political machine. It covered every town in the state of Connecticut, not with roads, but politically. As to the roads it built, the least said the bet ter. Politicians apparently controlled every appointment to the department.
 The men who today are prominent in The Connecticut Good Roads Asso- citation fought this evil condition. The state had spent some $10.0OO,OOO on it's highways and had little left to show for the money except the grades that had been established The roads had no top surface. Shortly after being opened to travel they became loose beds of stone.
 The highway department was made an issue in the first campaign of Gov ernor Baldwin. He won the election on his promise to reform our highway department. He failed to reform it because a partisan senate rejected his nomination of a new highway com missioner. Two years later the people returned him to office and gave him senate controlled by his own party. placed at the head of the highway department.
 In the session of 1915, Commits sioner Bennett came up for reap pointment. The road building com pany I have before mentioned had it's campaign mapped out. Commissioner Bennett was to be dropped and a commissioner appointed in his place who would "1isten to reason" An appropriation of $5,0OO,0OO was to be put through, and every cent of it was to go to this one concern. You can figure the commission for your self. It would have been fine stroke of business for the politicians controlling the new highway commis- sioner
 What was the stand of The Con