The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-11-12

bodied in the new road law of 1892,
assessing State tax for general high
way improvement. The intent of the
law was that the towns should use
their apportionment Of State aid for
permanent road work, but no means
having been provided to enforce this
provision it was practically nullified by
turning this money into the town
treasury to be used in pursuing "the
old and Improbable road operations
to the dissatisfaction Of those who
furnished a large portion of the
money, '-excepting from this indict-
both the law and their own best in
terests" by adopting better practices
in road matters. :"
To remedy this perversion of the
purpose of the law of 1892, State su-
pervision was instituted in 1898 iii
law creating the office Of State high
way commissioner, who should have
supervision, through the town COM
missioners, of the expenditure of all
moneys appropriated by the State for
highway improvement. Under this
law % town was not to receive its ap-
portionment of State aid until it had
first expended on the highway an
equal sum of its own money, to the
satisfaction of the State commission
er. Gov. Smith appointed Hon. W.
B. Wall to this Office in 1898, and in
1900 Gov. Stickney appointed the
present commissioner. Mr.. Sanford S
first task was to institute system of
administration that should help to
insure the observance Of the law, in
its letter and spirit, in the road work
done and the apportionment of State
aid Therefore and he devised a system
combined Of instruction as to what
the law required, and as to the practi-
cal and practicable details of efficient
country road building; to insure the
observance of his instructions he
formulated blanks, embodying the de-
tails of road work, in cities, villages
and on country roads, and covering
the various items of drainage, founda-
| ton surfacing compacting and finish
ing, construction of culverts, price
paid for materials, for men and teams,
! etc. On this blank town commits
sioners present their claims for State
road work done.
Under this system, and having him
self practical knowledge of the kind
of work town should do to entitle
it to its share of the State apportion-
ment, so far as the provisions of law
it might be more accurate to say
non provisions permit, Mr.. Sanford
has labored diligently and with pa
thence to secure the faithful expendi-
ture of the money accruing from the
State highway tax. The vital provi-
sion of law still lacking is personal
inspection of work by the State com
missioner. Oustside of the law, out
side of its provisions for compensa-
ton, the commissioner has personally
inspected much of the work done by
town road commissioners, the better
to inform his own Judgment and
equip himself for the duty of passing
upon claims.
The missing link in the law is
authority to inspect and compensa.
ton therefor. 1t is not meet that the
State should annually expend some
500, 600 ON the roads, through some 25(
local road commissioners, and not duly
inspect the work before payment il
made.
A commissioner of higher compe
tency for the varied and difficult dutie
of his Office than 10 Mr.. Sanford could
hardly be found in Che whole State O.
Vermont The shame of the circum
stances Of his laborious and painstak
ing administration of the road law i
that he should do so much hard an,
very important work. so well an,
faithfully, for the paltry compensa
ton paid him, or that there shoult
! be haggling in paying him even tn
small allowance provided for services
D of the highest value and merit
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The post-office department is con
| t..s a 4 If. Il.