The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-05-08
STATE HIGHWAY
TEAMS WILL BE
USED ON PL0WS
Practice in Massachusetts
Favored by Governor
Holcomb.

rams IOr releasing state highway
and town and city teams for work on
the farms have been made by the
Connecticut Committee of Food Sup
ply and will be carried through with
the cooperation of State Highway
Commissioner Charles J. Bennett and
the selectmen of the several towns.
Letters have been written by Com
missioner Bennett to all supervisors
and foremen in the state highway de-
partment instructing them to co-ope-
rate in the food supply work by re-
leasing horses in use on highways for
blowing and other agricultural pur-
poses." even at some cost in the con-
dition of the roads," The food sup
ply committee has written to the Sc
lectmen and mayors urging their CO.
operation to the extent of putting
town teams on the farms to assist the
farmers in preparing for bumper crops
this year, and help in local gardening
movements.
Commissioner BENEFITS letter to su-
pervisors and foremen in his depart
ment follows:
This department has been request
ed to cooperate with the Commit
tee Of Food Supply, and we must do
our utmost to help in this work, even
at the sacrifice of. some of our own op-
erations.
my attention has been called to the
fact that in many instances, teams
are used on the highway, when horses
are needed for blowing and other ag-
ricultural proposes. May I ask that
in. every case where there is need for
teams for agricultural work, the Fore
men employed by the Highway De-
partment make some arrangement to
release teams which are at work up
on the highways. This can be done
by the substitution of trucks, or in
certain cases, by the elimination or de-
ferring of the work.
IT realize that this will work hard
ship and detriment, but it seems that
the increase of food supply in Con-
necticut is extremely vital, even at
some cost in the condition of the
roads.
please give this matter careful at
tention and do your best to help out
the general situation.
Particular difficulties can be re-
ferred to this Office, but you must use
your own judgment SO far as is pos
sible.''
The letter sent to se1ectmen by the
food supply committee is as follows:
This committee has been in re-
ceipt Of requests from a very great
many sources, from people in the
various towns who are trying to get
small areas of land plowed up for gar
dens or for other agricultural purpos-
es, to see what could be done in the
way of procuring teams to plow and
fit such land.
'In several of the towns of the state,
the town teams have been turned over
by the town authorities to doing this
class Of work temporarily. A great
deal OF the town road work at this
time Of year can be postponed for ten
days or two weeks without any ma
teria1 damage, while the same post
ponement in the blowing or fitting of
land will mean total failure of the
crops to follow.
I'VE would say for your information
that in Massachusetts, this plan of
turning cover the town teams for the
use Of farmers and others who are be-
hind in their blowing and fitting, has
become universal, and we are also en-
| closing to you a letter from Highway
Commissioner Charles J. Bennett to
all Supervisors and foremen in the
state highway department, by which
you will see that he has not only
sanctioned but given Instructions that
this plan should be carried out as far
as the state teams are concerned.
Please give this matter your best
attention, and in case you have teams
| in your. town that can be so diverted,
It would be of the utmost use if you
would make theffact known by notice
or other means Of publicity best
adapted to your needs"