Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-06
WHAT OUR NElGnD0RS SAY
valuable sugsestions BY the stnte
Highway OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Work on the Hishways.
(From the Rutland News.)


G. w. Gates, Of Franklin. gives evidence
of being an efficient and progressive Of
ficer. He has entered upon his duties Of
his important position with an enthusiasm
that ought to communicate itself to every
road commissioner in the State. We fully
expect that the good work so well started
by the late Hon. j. o. Sanford of SIAM
ford will be continued vigorously and
successfully under his successors super.
intendence.
The meetings of the State commission.
or with the city and town highway OFF,
Ger are now being held and will engage
the attention OF these officials for the
next two or three weeks. Every town com.
missioner should show his interest in
the work Of correct and approved road
building and give evidence that he Ia the
right man in the right place by attend
ing these conferences and getting the
most possible good out OF the discussions.
Commissioner Gates has prepared the
town officers for these meetings and for
spring work on highways. lie has sent
copies OF the law passed by the last Leg
islattire, providing for State aid to towns
doing permanent work on tho roads. He
makes many valuable suggestions for
carrying out the work. All claims for
State aid must be made in accordance
with certain regulations, and the law
requires that certain portions Of main
thOroughfares must he selected for i'm
provements. Mr.. Gates does well to re-
commend that work on highways be done
in one continuous section rather than
scattered in small pieces In different parts
of the town. If this suggestion Is fol-
lowed, and the work done as it should
zc, 1t will not be many years before all
of the main hchway- in the town are put
in permanently good condition.
Others of Mr.. Gates's timely sugges-
tions follow:
DO your work carly in the season. Late
work is usually unsatisfactory because
it cannot be properly finished.
Select only the very host material to
be had 1T will be economy to reject
"A poor quality of gravel that is near by
and 20 a mile for that which is good
Use wide tire wagons and carts in road
building: they help build the road.
Give the subject Of drainage more at
tention than you ever have done Water
is the greatest destroyer of our roads,
the enemy we have To fight
Keep the portions Of improved road that
have been built in GOOD repair from the
town road tax.
Employ section moN to keep mud holes
filled. loose stones removed. sluiccs and
culverts OPEN to turn water from the
Travelled road in time of storms and
frashctA. and to make other small repairs,
all under your direction.
Don't depend too much on the work of
the road machine. Money spent in scrap
ing worn out soil from the sides of the
road or bitches into travelled track is
money thrown away.
Keep bitches well opened and surface
smoothed with the machine and mud
each year il possible part of the reau-
lar town road tax tn cxpcnd with the
Stltc tax Forty towns last year each
expended 500 or moro of their own money
in this way.
Preserve the beauty and natural at
fractions along Tho roadside and help
make our State attractive not only to
ourselves and to summer visitors. but to
the wealthy and ed Who may seek r.
establish permanent homes in Vermont.
VERMONT AS A SUMNER RESORT.
(From the Montpelier Argus)
Again the press is tax = up the sub
iect OF Vermont as a summer resort and
discussing ways ana mems of bringing
people to the Stat" to t1ioy its climate
and its scenery. Armour ement of the
building of new and costly summer
hotel has prompted nue. tina; has thus
| far been written. and he newspapers
very properly take the r1sitiom that if