Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-07-25
CAUSE OF GOOD ROADS.
In All Parts of New York 1t Is Pros
pering ms II Never Has Pros
pered before.

The action of the board of supervis-
ors of this county in recommending
the building of 35 miles OF good road
under the state aid plan, and the APP
preparation of the county's share Of
money for the improvement of four
miles of road on which estimates had
already been made, bring the matter
of good roads to practical test where
it has heretofore been a theoretical
proposition.
IT shows the growth of good road
sentiment which is shared all over the
state. The Utica Press printed in a
canal town. comedies that the good
roads sentiment has a ma iority over
the canal sentiment, and it suggests
that: ''1n case the legislature fails to
sanction the submission to the people
of CONSTITUTE onal amendment author
izing the appropriation of $685.
100000 for the further improve
ment of the canals, there may
be chance for the proposition IN
reference to good roads. There
is undoubtedly more sentiment favor
able to road improvement than to canal
Improvement. AS road improvement
would be shared by all the counties in
the state. it is practically certain that
there would be popular approval of an
amendment to the constitution permit
ting the state to issue bonds to the
amount of 100000 to carry on this
movement"
Certainly here is more argument for
a tax on the New York farmer to get
his products to market than there is
to tax him for getting the products of
his western competitor to market. The
Legislature has probably refused to
sanction the submission of the canal
proposition, and if it remains in its
present determination the way is
clear for the submission of the 500 OOO.-
600 proposition for good roads, as both
subjects could not be submitted in one
year. 1t is believed that the people
would accept the good roads PROPOSE
ton, in which all would receive equal
benefit.
The legislature is pretty sure at least
to grant 100000 this year to the states
fund for aid in building good roads. 1t
is an epoch of good road building. The
favorable to securing better roads.
There is the O'Brien bill, which pro-
vides a county option plan, whereby
any county may adopt the most mod
ern system of caring for its roads and
bridges. 1t codifies the present laws,
provides for the cash system, a county
engineer and the proper care of bridges
and the contracting therefor. The
Green compulsory adoption of cash
road tax system has reached third
reading in the senate, and the bill to
compel the use of wide tires after 1905
is on general orders in the senate.
Assemblyman O'Brien, of Clinton,
has also passed his bill to allow villages
to bond themselves and thus raise
money for the purchase of steam roll
Ter, stone crusher and engine and
other roadmaking machinery. This
bill has met with no opposition.
One of the best of good roads meas
ures is that introduced by Assembly,
man Plank, Of St. Lawrence county.
which has been signed by the governor,
and is a law. It provides a measure for
localities that object to the more ex-
pensive requirements of the Higbie
law. It is an amendment of the Fuller
law of 1898, and gives towns adopting
the money system of highway improve
ment so per cent. bonus from the state
treasury, instead of 25 per cent This
law takes effect Immediately. Towns
which have or do adopt the money sys-
tenn will get an immediate benefit on
future work. w. Pierrepont White. of
Oneida, who is a leader of the good
roads movement. says that this law
will go far toward intelligent improve
ment and work on all country roads.
This seems to be an era of good
roads. Those that have been made
create demand for more. The money
cost is great, but the cities and vii
lagos pay it and it is converted into
labor in the rural districts, and the
good road remains as The result
Watertown On. W Times