Norwich bulletin., 1920-08-11
ASHFORD

AsOk 1E OENH
 Another successful meeting of Ashford Welfare association was held last Satur- | day evening in Bakers hall, Warrentille, with a good number present in spite of 1 the intense heat and threatened showers. There was no set program but an infor- ] nal fieighborly discussion of local prob | lens with special reference to good roads, | better farms and local industries.
 With reference to good roads, it was | announced that plans were completed to | continue the construction of the state road | from near Wafrenyille north towards | Westfofd village, beginning opposite Al | exander M. Bassette and going as far as the money holds out Ashford voted 1 about two years ago to cooperate with l the stats in this plan but labor condi- | tions have prevented actual construction until now. Recently First Selectmah Bert Gardner, Fred chisrn, A. N. Baasett and other citizshs have been in conference with the State highway department to assure the commissioner that the men of Westford were ready to provide the necss- safy labor right after having if the de- paftmsnt would go ahead with the West ford road as voted 30 now the work is actually in pfoEYess, with westford men on the job-a good instance of the old adage, the Lefd helps those who help themselves"
 The first thing in hand Is to build a new bridge over the state highway ai- ready running just northeast of the War renville schoolfodse, over the Mt. Hope river, and this work is in progress this week. The big stone crusher and road roller arrived on the schoorhouse lot last week, but could not safely proceed over the old bridge. Tinbers for the new bridge have been at hand for some time It is expected that the bridge will be
 ready for use within few days, and then the road roller and stone crJsher will invade the new territory and begin
 the actual extension of the Westford road
 These facts were greeted with pleasure by the meeting There was some discus sion of the present condition Of the state roads south of WarreaYiue and the state n1ent was made that it seemed mfortu-
 nate not to keep existing state roads in better condition. It was explained that the new construction would undoubtedly have the effect of putting the entire course in better condition as far as the state road is now built and that 1t was up to the men living along the line of travel
 to render every possible assistance to the state department. Considerable comment was offered as to the wretched condition VI lAAol pOA IAOAl OA I16 W IOdQ between Nit Hope through Atwoodville to
 Mansfield Center. where the state road begins again. It was hoped that the town of Mansfield would soon get busy and remedy this, as AShford's part is se- l riousiy handicapped by the poor stretch 1 of road in Mansfield.
 The matter of better farms was brieffy touched upon in its relation to good roads and the advantage thus given to reach rk1fa -1Y.% l. l Ashford did not raise enough to feed it's own people and that the welfare assoeia ton might well enlist co-operation among 1 it's own citizens along that line A Iead- 1 ing farmer in a nearby town, himself a large producer and not afraid to inVest l money in agriculture, WAS quoted as say- 1 ing that one trouble with farmers is that 1 they are not willing to invest money in i food production, aS manufacturers invest 1 for their production. and that when more 1 of the farmers were ready to invest rnon- ey in machinery and fertilizers, to mauu 1 facture food. there would be better results l in agriculture. Reply was made that few 1 hack-country farmers nowadays had I money pr capital. to work with to which 1 rejoihder was made that men in Ashford
 who had money to invest might well use | it to encourage agriculture, for the uIti- 1 mate Eoed of the community. Certainly.
 1t was said in the discussion. If the world
 needs more food, there is no reason in
 thees days of auto trucks and with good
 roads coming why Ashford should not
 plan for develoDment on this line.
 Concerning new fndzaatries, attention
 was called to the fact that, because of the | overcrowded conditions and high cost of 1 operation in biz centefs of population | there iE a tendency anong certain small l industries to move out into the less Dop-
 n1ated regions and to utilize, as in days gone by, the available waterpoWer of inc
 hill-town streams, either direct, or by the generation of electricity. The possib;l,ty , of running big power cables from cities
 was spoken of
 1 There Were certain srnan fnf3strsss
 which it was believed could be aeyeI6ned l along the streams of Ashford as well as | in other small towns. There are sava,.sI
 sites in the town where abundant uater4
 power is quickly available for small in l dustrfes in some instances where raw
 material for certain. 6foducts is near at l hand. It was Believed worth while ts iaek 1 into this possibility.
 1 As result of the evenings dssc1ss;o,, | two cofnfiittees were named one to affsr l civic co-operati6h to the stafa fT,r,is 1 siener and the town selectsnef in tba
 matter of good roads, the other to ,oo,y
 into the haatteF of possible new ifid1striss 1 The civic committee on roads is FFed . Chisnn, John Hnath and Robert M. Ralch | the committee on new industries f. HeS,ly I E. Church of Hartford, native of Ash l ford, whose summer home is near War | fenville, J. VI. Affnftage of Westf6Fd f4;l, and Everett Barlow 6f b4fIowss MiiIs These two committees were fguasstSd -'i,, to
 report progress at ths September rseef- | ing
 Among those who took part in the dis l cussions were Henry E. Church r,-+;n E
 Durkss, tfef5ert Brown, John Enatb l Fred C. Chism. John vostinsk, 4 NJ Bas, sett, Frank Bennett and Maurice Bick- nell Allen B. Lincoln presided,