The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-09
Road Fund Contracts
 In Connecticut Big
Mcdonald Refutes Washington Claim That State Has
 Completed Smaller Mileage" Than Others

Highway Commissioner John A. Macdonald to-day corrected the recent statement from Washington that Connecticut has completed n smaller mileage of It's public works projects than any other state in the Union. Of the 20 projects made possible with the appropria- ton of the 1883 emergency con- gross all but four have been 100 per cent com mpleted and more than half of the additional smaller ap- propriation made last year is al- ready under contract, he de- clared.
 "A recent news item from Wash ington said that Connecticut had completed a smaller mileage of Its public works highway projects than any other state fin the Union'," Commissioner Macdonald said. "This gave the entirely erroneous impression that Connec- ticut has been slow in making use of its emergency appropriations. The facts of the matter are that, at the present time we have com pieted 18 of the 20 projects under the original appropriation to Con- necticut of $2,S66,00O. The other four are between 75 and 9S per. cent completed, and will be fin- ished early in the spring. Under the second appropriation of $l,- tracts valued at $s18,446, and rest of the work. These jobs will get under way as soon as weather permits in the spring.
 "If Connecticut has completed q smaller mileage of public works highway projects than any other state in the uplon,' 1t Is only be- cause. the appropria tions made to Connecticut were a m 0 ng the smallest made to any state in pro- portion to population. The federal governments method of apportion- ing highway funds gives southern and western states far more than Connecticut or other eastern states. ways practically double that of oral highway unds is even more disproportionate when tho objec- tive of unemployment relief ia considered. Under the original ap- propriation Of the emergency con gress, Connecticut received $13.14 per gainful worker unemployed, Nevada got, $360.80 per gainful worker unemployed and most of the other states were somewhere in between.
 Moreover 1t Is not necessary for the southern adn western states to build the high types of roads which must be constructed to bear Ia In txS hA atn states. Narrow highways with lit- tle more than a thin surfacing sufficc in most of the southern and western states, while Connecticut must build wide, reinforced con. crete and solidly based macadam highways.
 "It Is only natural that having more money and requiring less ex- pensive roads. other states can build public works roads totalins more in length than Connecticut. If the writer, of tho news item re- fcrrcd to had figured out the per- centage of mileage completed out thief unds available, he would have and would not havc given the im- presslon that we in thi state have been slow to take advantage Of tho funds allotted to Us.
 Tt should also have been point ed out that, in addition to the pro. jects made possible with outright Appropriations, Connecticut has undertaken 15 PWA jobs upon which the federal government will pay 90 per cent of the cost of labor and materials. All but Ave of these have been 100 per cent com- pieted, and the i've are between O2 and 90 per cent finished"