Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-11-22
The Highway District System.

Senator Childs of Rutland county was
one of the earliest TO comprehend the neces-
sity of reform in the system of highway
management and to present in the senate a
simple and comprehensive measure for Sc
curing the needed reform. His bill has
passed the senate and will soon come up for
consideration in the house. The senator's
bill abolishes the wasteful and inefficient
district system under surveyors and places
the roads and bridges directly in charge of
the selectmen. 1t also provides for the pay
ment Of highway tax of fifteen cents on
the dollar, collectsble in the same manner as
other town taxes. The towns may vote such
additional road tax as they think necessary.
All the road taxes are paid into the town
treasury and the money is drawn out on
selectmen's orders as it is needed. A fine of
ten dollars for failure or neglect in the dis
charge of their duties under this proposed
law is laid upon the selectmen. Other Sec
tions Of the bill provide for extraordinary
repairs and for details incidental to the
changes in the old law which this measure
contemplates.
The proposition to abolish the district
system of road management came up at this
session as an incident in the general discus
sion of the highway question, rather than as
the outcome of any previous agitation. The
idea was received with favor by the public
and enlisted large following among the
practical and progressive men in the general
assembly. Much has been written and said
in its favor and no good reason has been
given why the change should not be made.
Indeed the only hardship which has been
suggested in the discussions of the subject
is that the local gentry would be deprived
of the distinction which attaches to the
Office Of highway surveyor. With its twin
relic, the office of prudential committee OF
the district school, it suffices to furnish to
the yeomanry about the only opportunity to
crafty the ambition of the true-born Amer.
lean citizen to hold an Office. There can be
but one overseer of the poor, few can attain
to the higher rank where the selectman lux.
uriates in honor, and only to the immortal
few who were not born to die, is vouchsafed
the biennial shower Of glory at the state
capital, so, as pound keepers and fence
viewers, prudential committees and high
way surveyors, common people have their
brief hour of exaltation above the envious
rank and file. The objection to the survey.
ors is general lack Of capacity for the work
committed to them. Dividing town into
twenty to thirty highway districts, it is not
possible TO find in all or any considerable
portion of them capable and efficient men
willing to take the Office TO whom should
be entrusted the responsible duty Of collect.
ing highway taxes and expanding them upon
the roads and bridges, or Of directing the
outlay of labor in which, instead Of money
many taxes are paid. The system tends
to wastefulness. A correspondent of this
paper, thoroughly and practically familiar
with highway matters and one of the infiu-
ential members of the last legislature, has
shown that the highway tax of his town for
the last twenty years has averaged sl,70O q
year, costing annually s25 mile for the re.
pairs on between sixty and seventy miles OF
road. In the past twenty years that town
has paid s34 900 for the repair of its roads
or an average of about $500 mile. In
view of these facts the correspondent peril
nently asks, "Does any sane man suppose
that, If this amount of money had been ex
pended with decent honesty and the aver.
age ability of business men, we should not
have a paradise Of good roads >" This com.
munication was published in last weeks
Waterman, and we commend 1t to the
careful perusal of the men who are Ia
vote upon Senator Child's bill. The town
in question is Middlesex, in this county
which has something more than thirty dis
tricts OF from two TO three miles each. This
can hardly be called an extreme case. On
the contrary, we believe 1t is a fair average
OF the experience of towns under what oul
correspondent calls the miserably wasteful
and slovenly way of doing business through
surveyors.
Frauds and abuses prevail under this dis
triot system In another town in this county
1t is sverred that an inscriptions surveyor
made several hundred dollars out of the of
fee in one year. Full days are charged fol
fractions Of days. Teams are taken out Il
browse by the roadside and the town pay
therefor. Dily-dallying with hoe or shove
in the place of vigorous industry, 1t Il
everywhere conceded, is the general charac
teristic Of work on the highways under thu
district system, Men are apt to regard