Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-04-03
FOR GOOD ROADS.
Highway Commissioners of Windham
County Meet at Call Of State Com.
.o n CanFord

N''S'S
County Meet at Call Of State Com.
missioner J. o. Sanford.
The meeting of the state highway
r0mmissioner, j. o. Sanford, with the
road commissioners of Windham
county yesterday was of more than or
binary interest because of the uneX-
ucctcd pleasure of remarks by State
Senator Earl of Michigan. chairman
of The Michigan highway commission,
and by Congressman Kittredge Has
Eins of Brattleboro. The meeting
was held in Festival hall and was in
session from three to four hourss
There was a large attendance, includ.
ing the following commissioners:
Brown of Athens. Ware of Brookline.
Eames of Brattleboro. Hale of Dover.
Walker of Dummerstoh, Prouty of
Grafton, Thomas andwShepardson of
Guilford, Scott and Wheeler of Hall
fax. Howard and Men of Jamaica.
Curtis and Stewart of Londonderry,
Snow and Bishop of Marlboro, Sted-
man of Newfane, Scott of Putney, Os-
good of Rockingham, Magoon of STRAIT
ton. Follett of Townshend, Akley of
Vernon. White of Wardsboro, Butter
field of Westminster, and Jennison of
Windham. There were also present
Coleman of Winhall. in Bennington
county. and Coolidge of Plymouth and
White of Chester, in Windsor county.
The forenoon session opened at II
o'clock with an address by Prof. j.
w. Votey, professor of civil engineer
ing in the University of Vermont and
a road building expert, who spoke for
an hour in a way that showed that he
had a thorough understanding of the
subject. He took up various phases
of road building, especially drainage,
the use of gravel and the use of the
road roller. Proper drainage S alb
s~olutely necessary for the preservation
of roads, and one way in which to
learn the needs of roads in this di-
rection is to get out and watch the
drains during heavy showers. If prop
erly built a gravel road is ample for
all our needs. 1t pays to get good
material. and it is cheaper to go three
times as far for good gravel than it is
to use poor gravel at any price. In
his estimation the Dad roller is in
~dispensible. Prof. Votey recently
spoke on the subject of good roads be-
bore a New Hampshire legislative
hearing at the request of Winston
Churchill.
Commissioner Sanford spoke at the
afternoon session, defining the scope
of state work, taking up the subjects
of location, grades, drainage, sub
drainage, foundation, surfacing, width
of road, shoulders, compacting and fin
ishing, culverts, conduits, road main
tenance. etc. His address was com
prehensive and intelligent and ar
reused an interest in the commission
ers, which was shown by the numer-
Gus questions which they asked.
MIR. Sanford introduced first Sena'
tor Earl of Detroit, a native of Yer
mont. whose home is in Mt. Holly.
Mr.. Earl came to Brattleboro for the
sole purpose of getting points by
listening to the addresses. He gave
a humorous talk which convulsed his
hearers with laughter. making no at
tempt at a technical address. He
complimented Vermont by stating that
he should make an attempt to have
Michigan adopt the Vermont highway
law. with some notifications. The
Michigan highway commission incor
porated the whole of Commissioner
Sanford's last report. tabulated fig
ures and all, in their report just pub
lished.
Congressman Haskins, the last
speaker, told the commissioners some
thing about the roads division of the
department of agriculture, of the high
way bulletins which might be had or
application to him or the department
and of the privilege each commissioner
has of sending samples of road ma
terial to the department to be nal
yzed and their availability determined
He expressed his disapproval of the
law enacted at the last session of the
legislature which gives the towns the
right to elect two road commissioners
stating that he objected to a division
of responsibility in highway affairs
Over $50 towns in the state elected
two commissioners each at their an
nual town meeting in March. Sena
tor Earl agreed with Congressman
Haskins's view.
County meetings will be held mex
week in three counties, after which
state meeting of commissioners AM
village authorities will be held, prob
ably in Burlington, to consider tn
subject of paving,