Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-06-17
Natphmau g. journal.
Liability Of Towns.-II.

Liability Of Towns.-Il.
The laws relating to highways need revis.
ion in order to effect two things, to which
they are now confessedly incompetent
First with reference to The security Of per.
son and property against municipal negi-
gence and incompetence The highways
Of the State are usually in very bad condi-
ton some Of them are intolernble There
is often work aud money enough expended
on them to make them safe, but they are
wasted, or worse than wasted by ignorant
and incompetent surveyors. If the road
tax Of the State was laid out under the di.
rection Of intelligent and competent men, it
would 60 further and give US much better
result. There is nothing that so facilitates
business, increases comfort and adds to the
wealth and material and social welfare Of
people as good roads. Bad roads are the
index Of barbsrism, while good roads are
an index Of civilization. The old Roman
built roads wherever be carried the grandcst
Of the old world civilizations. Italy, Ger.
many, France and England are now tray.
ersed by the splendid thoroughfares made
by the Roman Empire. They were so well
built that they have survived the wear and
tear Of nearly two thousand years The
bridges that were constructed by the En-.
pirc still span the turbulent streams Of Italy
and bid defiance yet to the tooth Of time
and the war Of the elements. The primary
evidence Of high civilization is safe and
substantial highways that can bear the
transit of commerce, the heavy trains of
war and the light carriages Of pleasure.
And it is about time, in the old States Of
New England, and in this, the most beau.
tiful State Of New England, we should have
better class Of roads, more substantial,
safer, and more secure for all the purposes
oftranst. Itwould be wise to take the con.
struction and repairs of roads out of the
hands of the thousands Of surveyors, who
now work without system, or provision, or
for the future who do all their work TO eff.
feet merely temporary purpose, and pay
no attention to durability and security, and
put the business into the hands of a few
competent and able men,-a commission
perhaps, in each county,--who should have
the right and power to direct, in all cases,
IN regard to the expenditure of taxes and
the management Of the highways, or in
dict, at least, insufficient highways. The
roads should have systematic and intelligent
care, as much so as the bed and track of
railway, and there should be men employed
in the charge of them who would be mas
tiers of their profession, and give the State
an equivalent in roads for what il pays in
taxes. The present irresponsible and un.
systematic manner of constructing and re-
pairing roads occasions, we doubt not, the
actual waste and loss Of more than fifty per
cent of the highway revenue. Aud in no
case do we get perfect or even a sufficient
road. We traverse our State in mortal
fear Of corduroys, water bars, deep pits,
holes and wash outs, which render the roads
unsafe by day and positively dangerous by
night. 1t becomes a man to make his will
before he starts on long journey in this
State, for it will be only by the exercise of
consummatc prudence, combined with the
care Of Providence, that he will return 10
safety to his family.
The only thing that can remedy this, and
give US safe roads at all seasons, is to put
the general oversight and superintendent
ofthe business of road.maSing and repairing
into the hands Of men who know how to do
1t. Then our meagre taxes will at least be
intelligently devoted to the object for which
they are raised, and in due time we shall
get streets and highways which it will be
safe to travel on by day or by night. The
money will not be squandcred in the pres.
ent hap-hazard way, and the liability to
damage will be greatly diminished. The
time will come when the water bars which
disgrace our roads, break our carriage
springs and lame our horses, will disappear
as rclict Of primitive barbarism, when the
ditch will be at the side, aud not in the
center Of the road, and we can drive at
gentle trot for twenty rods distance without
mortal peril. And all this without half
the cost that We are now at in keeping up
the old needless modes of road repair. The
first requisite then, to safety in transit, TO
economy and excellence in our highways, is
to take them out of the care of the thous.
ands OF men, as now, and put them under the
control Of hundredth part as many. That
is the first step which is absolutely neces.
sary to the building up ola system of sub
stantial roads. Let the law strike fatal
blow at our present irresponsible, expensive
aud shamming way of road construction
and repair, aud substitute in its place,
responsible, efficient and able highway com.
mission in every county. Then in fifty
years, or in twenty, Vermont will have safe
and decent highways. Then also, the first
thing which law always should aim at, will
be in a measure effected the security of
person and property 10 transit on the pub.
lie highways.
The second thing which the law should
accomplish, and which II most unhappily
fails to do, is the security Of the town
against unjust claims for damages. If the
law is revised as we have proposed, it will
90 far toward preventing injuries and losses.
1t would help determine also, what the town
Is responsible for, and for what it is not Ii.
able. But there should be a stricter legal
definition Of causes Of damage and reasons
for liability on highways. Now the law is
without any modification. 1t ought to be
qualified, and qualified according to the ma.
ture and cause Of the damage.
There are three classes of damages on
highways. The first are those which are