New Britain herald., 1929-01-28


such q toll road will bs but the en-
tering wedge for tolls and mere tolls
throughout the entire nation. Motor
lists are already paying tolls to cross
bridses-wih many more to come;
they are paying tolls to pass through
the vehicular tunnel under the Hud-
son, will do 70 at Detroit. and II
more such bores are constructed. AZ
seems probable. there will be more
tolls. Scarcely a bridge Of importance
10 being contemplated nowadays
without the plan Of charging tolls is
part OF it.
Long before the automobile was
invented there was . plethora OF
toll roads in some Of the states. and
in Pennsylvania they existed until
comparatively recent timea They
were exceedingly unpopular. and this
is putting it mildly. In most instances
their rights" were obtained by the
public authorities when their fran
chises expired; and In some cases
the toll road companies had to be
paid a lump sum by the counties to
forego their road collection agency.
Now it is a peculiar stroke Of prog
ress that the toll scheme again pops
up.
We don't think the toll scheme
will be settled at this session Of the
Legislature. 1t is too big a question
to be settled with a minimum Of
discussion. Our opinion at present is
that If authorities can build vehicu-
lar tunnels and bridges and charge
tolls, they also can build special
highways and charge tolls for a
special speed service.
And there Is the possibility that
the entire scheme may be flop. 1t
is a gamble with the public in the
first place. Such a special highway.
it is estimated, will cost $50, 100000.
If there should happen not to be
enough autoists willing to pay Pull
man rates to travel over it the COM
pany will need aid; and the first thing
it will think about will be to sell the
highway to the state-possibly at a
profit, That's what was done when
the private company which built the
Cape Cod Canal could not make 1t
pay-it was loaded upon the federal
government on the score that the
Washington government ought to
, own all canals; whereas everyone
realized that if the canal had been a
paying proposition the private canal
company would never have taken
this position.
As the state Of Connecticut may
ultimately own the special SUPER
highway anyway-if it doesn't hap
pen to pay-then 1t behooves the
legislators to be abundantly careful
before they allow a private company
to build it in the first place. The
company il not risking much: II the
highway pays a good profit 1t will
keep the road; II it fails to pay q
profit the state most assuredly will
be asked to buy 1t.
The company says it expects tc
spend minimum Of $80.000.0 900 ia
construct the road II given the
privilege to do so. Then 1t II stated
that if denied the privilege the state
will have to spend 150,o0O,0o0 to
construct an additional highway
This already il a difference Of $780,.
100000 in the estimates. II the pri.
waite concern is allowed to build the
road and later sells it to the state
the selling price probably will be OF
reproduction basis and 1t will b.
shown that the reasonable figure Il
beyond 800, 1000, 900.
Our statesmen in Hartford hav'
big figures ahead of them and neee
to walk humbly with their con
sciences. The only sensible methos
would be to have the road rever
to the state automatically after fee
pay for 1t and allow q reasonable
profit to the promoters. as IL tn
case in connection with the Bea
Mountain bridge over the Hudson. I
this was done in New York why no
consider it in Connecticut? Or is tn
political atmosphere different here
abouts?