The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-10-19

III lnere Is growing sentiment III
favor of good roads in this state, it is
certainly a fact with which every one
should be pleased. Good roads are a
convenience in all communities, and a
necessity in many. But why should
this sentiment, if it really exists, show
itself nowhere but in the legislature?
If there were real demand for better
roads-if the business enterprise and
local pride of towns or counties called
for it-would it be long before good
roads would materialize in various Sec
tions of the state? 1t is not at all sur
prising that towns far removed from
centers of population, to which new
methods come slowly, should be very
backward in doing anything to perma-
nently improve their roads. The sur
prising fact is that even about the larger
towns there does not seem to be interest
enough in the subject to prompt active
measures for Improvement. There is
no sufficient popular demand for good
roads TO justify the state in adopting
any comprehensive scheme-especially
scheme involving much expense.
This lack of popular demand for
any definite method of road building is
forcibly illustrated by wild plan of
the St. Johnsbury Republican. With
Touchstone, the Republican calls it "a
poor thing, but mine own" If it had
contented itself with calling it "a poor
thing" the Characterization would have
been perfect. The Republican proposes
to have the legislature appropriate
100000 for building and macadamiz-
ing two state roads, one running from
Swanton along the west side to Ben
nington, and the other along the east
side from Newport to Brattleboro. The
roads would cost, the Republican reck-
ons, about $250,000 apiece, or $500 900
for both. But the appropriation of
100000 would be amply sufficient, as
the plan would compel towns of, say,
1900 inhabitants to pay the expense of
the roads through their territory, while
the smaller towns would pay one-half,
the state standing the balance of the
expense. "Then we would have two
first-class highways, running the entire
length of the state, and they would be
good for century or more with mere
trihe for annual repairs. And the
farmers and others who use the roads
continually would save the entire cost
of the improvement in single year.
We regard this plan as entirely prac-
ticable, and in the long run the most
economical investment the state could
make" When the state adopts this
little plan the Waterbury asylum will
imperatively need considerable ex-
tension.
But what better plan has any one to
suggest than this? 1t is true a state
engineer might give valuable sugges.
tions as to the particular needs of diff
ferent communities. He might offer
to these communities methods of road
building which the best engineering
skill in the world had pronounced de.
sirable. But if the local communities
after receiving such suggestions, die
not feel impelled by business or Other
considerations to adopt them, would il
be worth while for the state to present
such communities with good roads,
The point is that roads in large meas
ure reflect the social condition of com
munities. Where there is enterprise
and industrial activity there will be
better roads than where there is a lacl
of these things. Is it right to tax thu
energetic community, which wants
good roads and will have them, for thu
benefit of the unprogressive community
which takes no particular interest in tn
matter?