The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-05-05
GOOD ROADS MEETING.

I
commission for Washington county
was held in the court house. Thurs
day. This meeting is the last of the
series that has been held in the differ
ent counties of the State.
/ The meeting was called to order
about II O'Clock by J. o. Sanford,
State highway commissioner. After
a few remarks Mr., Sanford introduced
Prof. j. W. Votey. of the University
Of Vermont who spoke on THE Prob
lem of Good Roads in Vermont. Mr..
Votey said in part as follows: The
cutting of grades is one of the most
important tasks in the good roads
problem in Vermont By the reduc-
tion of grades only can heavy loads be
hauled. Then, too, permanency, in the
( putting in of culverts and systems of
drainage, should be the goal Build
for fifty years. not for season. Con-
slant renewal is necessary in the sur
face of the mecadamized roads. But
the foundations should be put in to
ter stone roads than any other coun-
try. The superiority of foreign over
American roads is due to the fact that
more work is done on them in the way
of keeping them up. We call road
finished when the last crushed stone
is levelled on it, abroad the work is
but just begun at chat point. The
State of Massachusetts has caught the
foreign idea and is expanding 500 per
mile for the maintenance of its per-
anent roads. In Vermont all work done
with State or town money should be
put into permanent roads. The towns
should, as they do to quite an extent,
cooperate with the State in carrying
out the work.
In the solution of her road prob.
lem Vermont stands alone, her condi-
tions are unique. Because Of the
great amount of mileage, the small
amount OF capital available and the
light traffic it is impossible to
judge the question in this State by
laws in other States. The problem
can be worked out here in Vermont
more economically than in any other
State on account vf the abundance of
material for repairing roads.
In the afternoon the session was
called to order by Mr.. Sanford, at
100, who addressed the meeting briefly
on the work that has been done by
the commission and the plans for the
future. He said that greater progress
was made this past year than ever be
fore and that this next year will be
still better in the work People now
understand that State aid will come
to the towns in the form of improved
highways. Regulations governing
the work of building and maintaining
the roads are being made more strict
and will be rigidly enforced. 1t is
the intention of the commission to put
a stop to the scattering of the State
money about. The work will be con-
fined to main roads where it is posi-
BILE to make long sections of good roads
that will be respected as State roads.
Much more rigid requirements for
the Telford foundation work of the
stone roads have been made. During
the last three years 5, 900 culverts for
draining the roads have been put in.
Last year there was expended by the
commission a total of sos, 1913 Ga,
which sum includes $40, 1913. SO that
was expended by the towns in excess
of their apportionments. The sum
of 81, 1923. 10 is still in the treasury.
There are IA, $40 miles of road in the
State. During 1908, 92 S miles of road
were built OF which 2S3 were made
in stone. No State has as good country
roads as Vermont. This is due to the
admirable system that has been estab-
lished of giving aid where most need
ed, on the country roads. In other
States the largest amount of money is
expended on roads in the most popu-
lous sections.
AT the close of Mr.. Sanford's ad-
dress, helpful conference meeting
was held. The following road com.
missioners were present: J. H. Jones,
Barre, G.. W. Pratt, Berlin, j. M.
Southwck, Cabot, l.. Meyer, Cabot
Village, @. A. Moore, j. Daniels, and
E. W. Gate, Calais, B. F. Atherton,
Duxbury, E. E. Perry and H A,
Fitch. East Montpelier, f. A. Bragg,
Fayston, d. E. Lamberton, Marshfield,
G. o. Evans, Moretown, H. H. Pres
colt, Northfield. W. McAulitf, North
field Village, O. M. Clark, Plainfeld,
f. O. Tracy, Roxbury, j. A. Smith.
Wsitsfield. W. A. Miller, Warren and
II. B. Tassie, Woodbury.