Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-29
Good ISonds I'm Earnest.

GOOd KOadS IN Earnest.
Much has been said in Vermont during
the past few years in relation to good
roads, but comparatively little has been
| accomplished in the State as a whole in
the direction of improved highways. Dur
ing tho administration of tho late Gov
Fuller the subject was agtatcd to a de-
| gree that promised to produce important
results, but subsequently pang of econ
| omy struck the state Legislature; the
State highway commission was abolished,
| and all sections as rule continued their
| former shftless and wasteful methods of
| road construction. The feature which sur
vivcd was the State highway tax, but the
proceeds of this tax have come to he so
misdirectcd as to defeat tho end which
| the tax was expected to accomplish.
The manner IN which the revenue re-
| Celved from the state road tax is disposed
of in many towns Is nothing short of
scardalous. The fact was developed at
the good roads meeting in Vergennes that
| the fund has been diverted to all sorts of
incongruous purposes. One man announce
ed that town of which he knew diverted
its share of the proceeds to it's pauper
| fund, other towns cover II into their gem
oral fund and in nearly every instance
the money is not used for the construc-
ton of permanent roadway. as was the
original intention.
| In many towns the amount received is
so small that it would cut very little fig
ure in the direction of permanent i'm
provements, and the most satisfactory so
luton of the problem was undoubtedly
| embodied in the resolution introduced in
the Nergcnnes convention by Hon. W. ].
Van Pattcn, calling for the modification
of She law so that the fund raised i'm each
county shall be expended therein under
county supervision, in constructing per-
mnnent roadways on thoroughfaros con-
Meeting the respective towns Of the county
with the shire town.
MIR. Charles r. Harrison. the United
States special agent and road expert, was
asked by Il representative of the FREE
PRESS, whilc in this city, for n practical
recommendation as to highway legislation
in Vermont He was not surprised that
our highway law produced no satisfactory
results, with the fund resulting from the
highway tax distributed as 1t is at pres
ent. lie thought there should be a restor-
alton of the highway commission, whose
reports would have been worth thousands
Of dollars to the people of Vermont, If
adopted ana carried out, and he also heart
lily endorsed the idea of county expendi-
turc, which has been introduced in other
States with excellent results.
The county method Of handling the per-
tim makes 1t possible to give each town
the benefit of constructing machinery.
which many towns could not afford If left
to themselves in the matter. The OK
pendture of the fund in permanent i'm
provements on the roads leading to the
shire town results in the greatest good to
the greatest number as all residents of a
town use these highways to II greater or
less degree. The following of this system
for considerable period will result in
the permanent improvement of our prin-
'cipal highways, the object lesson thus af-
forded will tend to the improvement of
all roads and our farmers will realize
marked benefit through the increased ca Sc
and consequent economy of hauling their
products to market.
1t is understood that Gov elect Smith,
who is an enthusiastic advocate of i'm
proved highways. Is formulating recon-
mendation embodying the most approved
ideas in relation to good road construc-
ton. and the adoption of measures that
will lead to the general adoption OF mod
, ern methods in the building Of roadway.
1t is TO be hoped that the leg!slators-c ELECT
will give the subject the attention which
its Importance deserves before the Legis-
,lature meets and he prepared to enact n
, highway law that shall embody the public
spirit and progress which the public has
, come to expect from the Green Mountain
, State. Good roads would be n lasting
monument to the Vermont Legislature OF
1898. and by providing therefor the mem
bers would enttle themselves to the graf.
itude of the people for generations tc
come