The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-11-11
ROAD IMPROVEMENT.

Now that State league has been form
ed to promote the cause of good roads in
Vermont, highway improvement ought
to make big step in advance. The first
thing to be done, of course, is to secure
the adoption of some plan of road i'm
provement for the State and its embodi-
ment in law by the Legislature. The
next question that presents itself is as
to what general scheme for the improve
ment of our highways will be the most
practical and the most feasible. There
should undoubtedly be a thoroughly
qualified road commissioner in every
town, as provided in the bill introduced
by Senator Brownell and some means
should be provided for their instruction
in the best methods of road making. The
bill introduced by Senator Amsden of
Windsor county provides for the appoint
ment by the Governor of a State Com
mission of Roads and Bridges, to con-
sist of three civil engineers, who shall in
turn appoint a civil engineer in each
county in the State, to have charge of
the roads in the county. If a good civil
engineer could be secured in each county
State engineers would be useless ex-
pense. There might be State road
commissioner, and it would be a COM
paratively easy matter for the county
civil engineers to see that the town com
missioners did their work properly.
1t must be taken for granted at the
outset that the work cannot all be done
in the next five years or in the next ten,
but some plan can be adopted, however,
the use of which will render the roads
permanently good SO far as they are i'm
proved hereafter, and that is all that can
be reasonably expected.
Th second question that naturally
arises is as to what roads shall be sub
jected to highway improvement under
State scheme. 1t is evident that only
fraction of the roads in the State cou Id
be comprchended by project like tn at
intended at present. although all road
improvements could be rendered more
permanent in character. There are
numerous by-roads and cross roads
which could not be included, for they
have only a few scattering residents, who
caud not afford to bear the burden of
any material portion of the work them
selves, and these roads are so seldom
used that the State would not be justi-
fled in making any large expenditure
upon them for the present.
1t seems to us, therefore, that any
highway improvement project should at
first concern itself with those roads
which are most used. We would men,
ton in this class those roads which con-
meet the villages in one town with the
villages in adjoining towns, and main
roads leading to railroad stations. Take
the highway leading from Stowe to
Waterbury, distance of ten miles as an
illustration. This road at certain times
of the year is almost impossible, and we
understand that the present method of
repairing it is to 90 through with road
machine after the mud dries down in the
early summer and make ridge in the
centre, which the next rain converts into
a mass of mud. Thousands of tons of
freight and an enormous quantity of
lumber are hauled over this highway, not
to mention the pleasure travel to Mount
Mansfield. Now this road macadamized
would be of inestimable benefit to the
people of the town, including those who
live on the cross roads and possibly
those living on parallel roads. 1t would
of course be unnecessary to improve any
approximately parallel road in like
manner at present, but this would come
in time. The same argument would APP
ply to the road leading from Stowe to
Morrisville and so on. At thesame time
the town road commissioner should see
to it that the improvements upon all
roads were OF permanent nature. 1t
would surprise people of Vermont to see
how soon even the present road tax, eX-
pended i'll this manner, would give us
line roads OF permanent character.
Free Press.