Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-10-13

railroads or into the larger towns. it will
be but IL few years before these smaller
towns reap IL benefit "A hundred fold over
the present arrangement. you cannot
reap any benefit in this direction by hav-
ing 2i5 heads control the distribution of
the SS6, 1000, as under the present law. You
must put 1t In the hands of a few, and
these must be experienced In the business
and must be responsible to and controlled
by the state. The State Of Massachusetts
and many of our sister States nav" al
ready seen and proved the wisdom of the
state care of highways. 1t IL no expert
ment. | earnestly ask that the highway
aw of Massachusetts, modified TO suit the
cxiCcncics of our state, be adopted here.
recommend the appointment of highway
commissioners to whom shall he turned
over the s per cent highway tax; who
shall control the cxpcditure thereof under
the provisions hereinafter named, and
who shall have charge of what shall be
called state roads. The expenditure, Tor
he present at least, in Il general way.
ought to be for improving and mailing
permanent the roads from the smaller
towns to the lines of the railroad. and the
work should be distributed fairly among
the different counties of the States so that
no one shall be favored over another.
Where permanent work Is decided to be
done in any of the particular towns, the
lselcctmcn of such town should be the tlrst
offered the contract to do such work 50
that The money for such work shall be
spent in such town. In the event the
lsclcctmcn decline. the contract to be al
forwards let by publication. and the bids
Of Ncrmonters in all cases to be given the
preference. Provision should be made
that no road can become Il State road en-
cept through the request of the mayor
and aldermen of the city or the sclcctmen
of the town where the road is located, so
that where any town or city desires to
have the state assume any particular
highway il must be by petition to the
highway commissioners and In this way
the cities ard towns will keep control Of
the matter entirely. Whenever. however,
such Il petition Is made to the highway
commissioners. and Is granted. the road
described should thereafter become Tn"
property of the state, and he subject to
the jurisdiction Of and repair ny the STATE.
This is in substance the present law OF
Massachusetts on this subject. and you
will make no mistake in following II.
In making the proposal for a state road
commission. and fer the eNpediturc Of TINS
money in making good roads, | do not
wish to he understood as meaning to pro-
pose to make city reads out of country
roads. but simply to insure permanent
work on tho travelled path only. tn"
traffic i'm this state is not 50 heavy as TO
require roads of over ten feet in width,
in my Judgment. and by continuing the
commissioners to this width and to proper
construction the money will 20 much FUR
ther. and avoid that extravaganza which
is the most serious menace to the success
of good roads.
IT -, a curious fact that civilization and
good roads go hand in hand, the hisscr
the civilization. the better the roads. This
Is true the world over.
The United States has made enormous
gtri1ag in other methods OF trln<nUTfH-
ton. but until recently has been s'nEula'ly
ircmiSS In the matter of good highways
our sister States are now fast realizing
the incalcu!ablc benefits of them. not only
as profitable highways for traffic, but as
civilizc"s and as advertisement to secure
the patronage OK summer tourists and va
cation residents. They are spending mil
lions of dollars I'm improving their high
ways. they are reapin9 the benefits IN IN
I crease of summer population and OF
} wealth. Vermont with natural attrnc-
, lions, rivalling any OF our ncigniors, cam
not afford To delay vigorous progress I'm
r the ore direction that will produce tho
r greatest. immediate and lasting benefit TO
7 us all.
earnestly hope YOU will adopt the prin-
! ciplc suggested in ~" above method OF
p dealing with this subject. and then pas
as large an appropriation in addition to
2 the > FER Ger. nis.tEdy TAX - carry OUT
| :hc law as your conscience and sound
/, Judgment will permit.
= 1t would be contrary to every instinct oil
D Justice If | failed, In closing my message,
Z to notice officially the list Regiment of
G Vermont and its work in the war with
. Spain.
J., 1t T., given to some mon who walk tbs
; path of severe duty, to receive at once the
@ shining reward OF their faithfulurss tt
! hear the trumpet of fame herald thcil
greatness on the heels OF their achieFc