New Britain herald., 1927-02-10
PAY As YOU GO" POLICY
 BREAKING DOWN?


 Official displeasure is being voiced at the workings of the state highway construction policy; the kickers are no less persons than Governor Trumbull and Highway Commission CT Macdonald.
 They emphasize the deficiencies Of the present system and advocate important changes. They do not come openly out against the pay-as- you-go policy. but that is what the objections amount to. in the opin- ion of many observers.
 The highway commissioner neatly parries the blame for the failure to construct roads authorized by the Legislature: and it must be admitted he presents a very sound case. How the Legislature, during the last ten years, authorized 250 miles of high way to be constructed, which as yet have not been built because no money was authorized for their con- struction by the Legislature, is upon the records. To induce the Legisla- ture to authorize construction of new highway is no great trick; to get it to find the money for the construction is quite another.
 It has been noticed, of course, that 8 little politics enters into the equation at this point. The money for readbuilding being limited after the needed sums for maintenance and rehabilitation are subtracted from the highway funds it is clear that those new roads will be built which are desired by the most politically influential in the Legislature. This is why some roads which seem ab- solute necessities and which if logic held full sway would be constructed first, remain unbuilt to this day; while others, of less importance, but being backed by the gentlemen with political influence, seem to be pre- ferred. There has been a tendency to blame the highway commissioner for failure to construct certain roads which have been authorized; it ap- pears from what has been disclosed that the Legislature, in failing to ap- propriate sufficient money for all of the highways it would see con- structed, and then pulling strings for it's favorite paths, is mostly to blame.
 Comes Governor Trumbull with a brand new scheme-for this state which cannot be regarded other wise than as an indirect criticism of the pay-as-you-go policy he has heretofore invoked. He would have the Legislature and the highway commissioner provide a three-year building program at cost of s55,- 100000. In this way, he says in an article in the Financial Digest, roads would be constructed according to a set plan and there would be no un- necessary delay after the Legisla- ture gets through appropriating the money.
 The governor Is incontestably right in this matter. If the state is to keep up with the requirements of better road-building system than the present a change in policy is essential. Although there is valid objection 10 constructing "five-year reads with 2O-year bonds" there is no objection to constructing high ways that ought to last as long as the bonds. And this can be done.
 The y-as-you-go policy, if fol- lowed to excess, is inappropriate in highway construction because of the heavy first costs. The governor should go a step further and point out that the failure to keep up the necessary pace in road building is in large part due to the p-a-y-g- sys- tenn.
 If there is to be a program of new highway construction costing S55, ,000,000 in three years the issu- ance Of bonds for at least part of the work will be financially sound and economically prudent. The Leg islature is not likely to appropriate such a huge sum, even if it could do so. The governors plan calls for bonds.