St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-02-15
THE RoADLAW CRITICISED.

Some three weeks ago the CALEDO-
MAN called attention to the forth
coming reports of the road commits
sioners, called for by the secretary
Of state, and expressed the hope that
these reports would be complete
enough to furnish a substantial basis
for intelligent comment on the work
ings of the new road law. Since
then many of these reports have
come in, and the Burlington Free
Press, having obtained access to
them, takes occasion to make certain
criticisms, and to suggest some i'm
provements in the law. The neg
1ect to secure good road builders to
direct the work of highway construc-
ton is Justly criticised, and is held
responsible for the patent failure, in
many sections, to attain to any
appreciable degree Of improvement
in the roads. The Free Press finds
that the funds realized from the road
turned into the common treasury,
instead of being kept separate as the
law provides. Upon this provision
for distinct fund the success of the
scheme depended largely, and reck
less disregard of it would operate
materially to defeat the object of the
selectmen in some quarters of the
state have, it seems, come into con-
f1ict over the respective duties of each,
and this too has proved a serious
hindrance.
The Free Press objects strongly to
that feature of the law which asks
the larger towns, like Burlington,
St. Adams, Montpelier and St.
Johnsbury to contribute by way of
taxes to the improvement of high
ways not only in their respective
counties, but sin other parts Of the
state, including the most remote
mountain roads from which few if
any of their residents ever expect or
are likely to derive one cents benefit.
In a like manner the taxpayers of
Brattleboro, Rutland and Benning-
ton are contributing to the support
as well as construction of high
ways in northeastern Vermont and
other remote parts" Our contem-
porary calls this taxation without
representation" denounces it &C
cordingly, and suggests as a remedy
that the tax assessed and collected
in the several towns be paid into
the respective county treasures, in
stead of the state Golfers, and be
expended on the roads within the
county only.
If each county is to jealously guard
its own interests and refuse to con-
tribute towards the welfare of the
state in general, the Free Press sug-
gestion might be in order. But this
IS somewhat narrower view than
we like to take, since we believe that
interest in the state as a whole |
should bear upon this question to a
reasonable degree. As the CALEDo-
MAN said on a previous occasion, in
only FIVE counties-Benningt
Chittenden, Franklin, Rutland and
Westinghouse the share in the re-
apportionment less than the amount
of the tax paid by these counties.
Chittenden and Rutland stand out
prominently as contributing to the
highway benefits in other localities.
There is no doubt that, as the Free
Press claims, several changes for the
better-in the line of a clearer defini-
ton of duties, and some other de-
tails-should be made; but it is
a question whether the present equal
ization feature OF the highway law
can justly be regarded as a hardship,
or whether the county scheme would,
on the whole, prove any more salts
factory.