1902.] GOOD ROADS. 39 



SO that official acts may be suborned in catering to his desire 

 to acquire a new prominence. Nor is it necessary to secure 

 a man without any friends, so that he may be induced to 

 prostitute his official position, in any way, for their advance- 

 ment. We don't want a man of necessity who is wealthy, 

 who has no ambition, and has no friends, because such a man 

 would be a poor stick in any place you might put him. The 

 proper gauge in the selection is to pick out your men and 

 put only those in official power who have a special fitness for 

 the duties to which they may be assigned. I do not think it 

 wise in city or town matters to be too prodigal, nor at the 

 same time to be too illiberal. It took a great manv vears to 

 find out that the older brother of the much-talked-about 

 prodigal son was quite as bad as his unfortunate brother. 

 The world has since found out that one can sin quite as much 

 in illiberality as in prodigality. There are too many people 

 in the world who expect that a great deal can be accomplished 

 with a very little money. I have never found this to be true. 

 I have disposed of for the State of Connecticut, when this 

 appropriation is exhausted, nearly two millions of dollars, 

 and up to the present time I have found that if we want any- 

 thing well done we have to pay the price. There are too 

 many people in the world like the old lady who was a little 

 deaf. She came into a dry goods store one day and said, 

 "How much are those stockings?" The clerk said, "One 

 and six pence." " Oh," said she, " Two and six pence? I'll 

 give you two." " No, madam," the clerk said, " I said one 

 and six pence." " Oh," replied the old lady, " I'll give you 

 one." It don't make a great deal of difference with some 

 people what a thing costs, they are always looking to see if 

 they cannot get it for just a little less. There are always 

 some who have an idea they can do just a little bit better. 

 The best way for a city or town to do is go right in and 

 select your men. and then pay them a fair price for their 

 services, according to their competency. Our selectmen in 

 the State are not well paid. If they were to depend upon 

 their salary from the town they would have but very little as 

 a recompense for their labors. It averages up but very 

 small pay for the time expended in the service of the town. 

 The Lord generally blesses the selectmen of our State with 

 large families, and they naturally love their children and 



