The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-09-08
Build The Highway Immediately

Dr. William Hall Coon of Bridgeport has written an open letter to Governor Gross exhorting him to force the immediate construction of the proposed Merritt High way. So far as we know construction on the Merritt Highway has actually started. If it hasn't then the State Highway Depart ment has been giving out misleading in- formation. But we certainly remember reading in various of its periodical releases concerning state highway construction and maintenance that stone and dirt exeavated from a highway project was to be used as fill where the express boulevard crossed the Stratford meadows or was it viee-versa.
 At any rate money has been appropriated for the highway. perhaps not enough to. complete this mighty engineering task, but certainly sufficient to keep the department working on it during the, remainder of 1o32. Unfortunately the state has not yet been able to secure right of way from the New York state line to the eastern terminus of the route. Perhaps this has been delayed by the necessary publicity given the me- morial road. We can't blame the state authorities if they refuse to be railroaded in paying exorbitant prices for rights of way to land owners who see an opportunity to get their asking price or hold up the entire project.
 We certainly hope to witness the speedy completion of the express highway that will relieve so much of the present Post Road traffic, but we certainly wouldn't want the state to start blindly building road for which definite markings had not yet been secured. If the state owns clear right of way from < eastern to western terminus, then there is no good reason why work of digging the road bed and laying the hard surface should proceed apace. But until we are satisfied that the route is completely mapped from end to end we shall continue to place our faith in the discretion of the highway commissioner and his aides. know ing that as their past achievements speak for themselves, so will this mighty new one.
 As to the Bridgeport Telegram's sugges--. ton that tolls be levied to finance the cost of the road we are heartily in favor of it on one condition only, namely, that the state issue bonds to pay for the cost of the road. That would be the only reason why the state should feel obliged to collect tolls on the road. Inasmueh as Connecticut has never floated bond issue to pay for road construction (nor for any other project for that matter) we think it unlikely that it will resort to this method of financing at this late date, at least it won't while the republicans control the Legislature. The Telegram believes money could be borrowed from the Reconstruction Finance Corpora ton. It makes little difference to the avef- age citizen where the money is borrowed provided 1t is forthcoming.
 As to the road work supplying employment for many of our unem- ployed in the state that should hardly need to be answered. Commissioner Macdonald has explained time and again that even such great undertaking as the' Merritt highway would not create more than scant hundred temporary jobs. But that is no argument against speeding, up work on the road. We want to see that done as much as the next man. but we do think that the Legislature must bear as much blame as any other agency. It delayed action on the road, as we'll as appropriations, too long.