The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-02
WILLIAM J. COX
 ASSUMES DUTIES
(Continued from Page 9

the department. Cox was named late Friday, only few hours after the governor asked for and received the resignation of John A. Macdon- aid, who headed the highway agency for 15 years and who was held re- sponsible by Fairfield county ex- traordinary grand jury for waste ineffic.ency and incompetence" in connection with construction of the $20,00O,000 Merritt Parkway. It was anticipated in view of the jury's re- port, that personnel cnanges might be made under the new administra- tion.
 Welden Dismissed
 Dismissal of Elmer c. Welden as first deputy state highway commis- sioner, was revealed today as Will liam J. Cox, appointed by the gov ernor to replace John A. Macdonald, took over active administration of the $20,O00,000 a year agency.
 Weldon, who joined the depart ment in 1909, was cenSured by the Fairfield County grand jury which last week recommended Macdonald's immediate dismissal"
 Cox announced "the position of first deputy in the highway depart ment is now vacant" and explained that Welden automatically lost his job when the governor accepted the resignation of Macdonald"
 The new commissioner, a Yale professor drafted last Friday to ad- minister the huge patronage and spending division, said that he would name a successor to Welden "very quickly" He said the appointment probably would be a temporary one.
 Cox Will Run Department
 T am going to run the depart ment from an engineering and bus mess standpoint" Cox said at a press conference.
 "The people of this state are spending the money. They are en- titled to have it spent that way"
 He said he would summon divl- sional heads of his staff to a con- ference at 9 p. m., and I'll talk to them"
 Regarding the jury's and the gov ernor's recommendation that the services of Republican State Central Committee Secretary Clarence G. Willard as press agent for the de- partment be discontinued, Cox said there will be some action on that.
 Willard received $3,000 a year by legislative appropriation for this work and held the job for many years.
 WeIden ReinStated
 Welden as his departments first deputy was followed Immediately by his reinstatement "on a temporary basis"
 The rehiring of Welden, who had been censured by the Fairfield County grand jury which recom- mended immediate dismissal" of Macdonald last Friday, was made within fifteen minutes after Cox re- vealed that he automatically lost his job when the governor accepted the resignation of Macdonald"
 Welden joined the department in 1909 and was one of its oldest em- ployes in point of service.
 Hustle Merritt Parkway
 The new commissioner said q realize the peop;e are interested in getting the Merritt Parkway in use as quickly as possible. I am going to try to do that.
 "The funds of the department will be divided between mainten- ance as far as possible so that funds for new construction may be as large as possible"
 Cox said he would confer during the day with former Highway Com missioner Charles J. Bennett who at the governors request, submitted a report on the Merritt Parkway Bridge and conveyance lanes con- struction to settle dispute between Macdonald and PupIlc Works di- rector Robert A. Hurley.
 Bennett Knows Dept.
 Bennett, he said, "is probably more conversant with the highway department than any man in the state."
 Cox also said he had copies of the reports of Bennett, Macdonald, Hurley and the grand jury, but had only read the jury's report in its en- tirety. Eventually, he said, he could absorb all of the reports to acquaint himself familiarly with the controversy which started early this year and ended with three known, and several other unnamed, indict- ments by the grand jury at Bridge port.