Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-08-25
WHERE THEY HAVE GOOD ROADS,

WHERE THEY HAVE GOOD ROADS.
1t may surprise Vermonters to learn
that they can get pointer in good roads
from Siberia.
Yet such is the case. The turnpikes
through the province of Siberia are about
100 feet wide, writes Consul Erdman
from Breslau. Three .fourths of the
width are macadamized and one fourth is
natural dirt road. The roads are kept in
a better condition than a good many
macadamized streets that he has seen in
the United States. A good reason for
this Is that the felles and tires of the
wheels are never less than two .iuches
and sometimes eight inches wide, and
the guage of all wagons, whether carri-
age, truck. or farm wagon, must be u
meters q 90 feet. This law in regard
to the width of the guage and the tires
of the wagons is strictly enforced. The
fellies and tires of all wagons must be
not less than four inches and for heavy
freight wagons, from six to eight inches.
The roads are kept in good order by men
who have charge of certain sections,
under the supervision of the roadmaster.
The man who keeps his section of the
road in the best order during the year
receives commentator from the road
master for the performance of faithful
service, which testimonial is looked up
on by the laborer as great honor.
On each side of the public roads are
pathways for foot passengers, which are
kept in good condition. Along the in
side of the footways and outside of the
roads are trees, planted about thirty feet
apart; most of them are black, white
and red cherry trees, of very fine
quality, and plum trees, known in the
United States as the blue egg plum.
These trees not only give excellent
shade, but also return considerable
revenue to the treasury of the various
counties, the fruit being sold at auction
so much per tree for a term of five
years, the buyer binding himself to keep
! the trees well trimmed and free from in
sects, and whitewash them in spring up
to the first limb. Stones are placed
along the roadside to keep the hubs of
wagons from damaging the trees. The
law against defacing or damaging any
tree or shrub on the public highways is
strictly enforced. AS soon as caterpil-
lars make their appearance they are
burned out with cotton balls saturated
with coal oil.
There is no toll collected on any of the
public roads, either for vehicles or foot
passengers, excepting when new
bridge Is constructed. Then toll of 10
pfennigs equal to 2.3s cents per horse
Is collected until the construction Is paid
for The roads and bridges are kept in
repair by the county, which obtains
revenue for this purpose from taxation
of the realty adjoining the highway
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS
The Swiss government has issued
$4,000, 900 of 30 per cent bonds for the
purchase of the railways of that country
The plan is to exchange the bonds as far
as possible for the stock of the rair Dads
The rapid consolidation of railroads In
the United States has revived interest In
the possibility of government ownership
Those who regard the proposition with
favor insist that the progress of con,
solidation is in the direction of govern
ment ownership. They argue that hat
the government undertaken to secure the
railroads some years ago innumerablt
corporations would have had to be deal
with, and these would have he'd tt
consult with a great number of stock
holders. Roads that might have beer
connecting links In system would have