Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-07-27

IOWn ou aux -
Viee.President c. Il. Graffam called
the meeting TO order and briefly stated
the object of the meeting, namely, to
pave the way for Good Roads con.
vention to be held in Brattleboro and
organize Good Roads movement in
this town and vicinity, Mr., Graffam
then gracefully introduced Col Moore,
who spoke in part as follows
We are greatly pleased to be here tonight
and have the pleasure OF meeting so many
Of you good people II has taken us IL
years. OF systematically building and ys'
tematicalIy maintaining good roads, TO reach
Vermont. But before speak further
wish to tell you what we have done In Mas
sachusetts. There we went before the legis'
lature and were allowed 80 minutes to state
our case, After listening to our plea the
legislature Immediately appropriated s325''
600 to help along the movement and II has
done a great work.
The story OF II years is necessarily a
long story. We have travelled between 49,
600 and $4,000 miles a year aud held hun
dreds Of conventions. At conference OF the
National Protective association In chicago
10 years ago were 700 delegates from all
parts OF the country. There II was stated
that there were over 100000 arrests an
nually besides a horde of other shiitless
men who were being supported by soup
kitchens and charity. We were asked wha'
we thought was practicable to be done win
such a class. There is one practicable thing'
Put them to work in camps, in quarries, IN
stockades and in gravel pits. The majority
of states now use convict labor. The thing
for conyicts, with the exception of murderers
Ia mi
less charity and more work and less pun
ishment. At present Vermont is not over
run by such a class bu, the time is soon
coming unless more stringent measures are
adopted when this state will be overrun by
his defective class Hoboes and other
yagrants will flock here, driven out OF other
states by the stringeney Of their regulations
When the Worlds fair was held at Chi'
caro in 1898 we asked for an appropris'
ton 10 build roads at the fair as an OBJ
;ect lesson to the world. As 100000, 900 was
already appropriated for the fair commit
tee our request was refused owing In part
perhaps, to the hard times and the stagna'
ton of business Of that period,
Our object was to invite all Europe TO
come and tell how they build and maintain
their road system. Finally after long argu'
ment $4,000 was given us and we went 10
work. convention was called at Chicago
Over 3,200 delegates were In attendance
including several from Vermont and there
the National Good Roads association had
its birth. We are now spending s66,Ooo,ooo
a year.
The things which we most need are leg
islation, organization, education and agra
tion. Organization is the greatest OF all
You all know its power. II 1t were not ior
organization we would not have with US
tonight the greatest manufacturer and dls'
penser Of rubber boots and shoes IN 'he
world tmeaning Mr.. Dunham).
There are about 3,50o,000 miles OF roads
in this country and between $1,000 and 90.
600 miles in Vermont You are doing wei
in making roads but you are moving too
slow. Yon have the 4se,sest natural advan'
tares for good road building of any city IN
the world. Your rock and gravel is right
At hand. Buy drill and blow up some OF
your ledges. Put layer Of five or SIX
Inches of crushed rock on your roadbed ana
cover that with a good layer OF gravel ana
Won have as good a road as there IS IN ex.
| istence. You are doing good work IN roau
building but you are by no means using 'ne
best methods.
II makes no difference who is sent TO con-
,ross or senate. The time has come for the
neonIe 10 demand that the government build
and maintain roads in the same way that IL
| takes care of rivers and harbors.
| II has been said that the railroads are
eold hearted corporations but we have nol
found them so. special car was proviaeu
to take us from st. Louis to see fresiuen'
Mckinley. He greeted US kindly and was IN !,
the spirit OF our work with us ne saiu
10 us ~ shall mention your work IN my
message TO congress, which he did' IN "e
paragraph, "The subject Of pubic roaas i'
so important TO the public welfare OF tht
limited States that congress should help the
people" II. ,Lod
,s ,.Wbat do vou want me to DOR We
told him ave want a train Of IA cars we
want 10 load II of them with the best and
most up.to.date road building machiner!
made We want two Pullman private cars
one for officers and one for laborers, and one
dining car.'' We got them for three months
The expense to the railroad company was
over $40. 900. We built miles OF road IN ~
different states. Along the old New VI
leans canal we built "a miles OF ROAD IL
Ave davs Before we took hold it was I'M
possible to draw single cottonbaie osel
Il in wagon, such was its condition. ai.e'
we had finished the work President Mchii
Law and cabinet went over it and pronounced
II one of the best roads over which tne!
had ever travelled.
For the mast three years bill mas peer
before congress that congress approPr".
one.half the expense and the state one-haii
THAT hill has not yet been passed. IL IL ha'
hoo, framed so that the government woul'
nav 10 per cent and the state 80 per GEM
il would have been passed long ago iher
should be in each state a competent ensi'oe
Mt the head of its roads department
each county there should be an engineer
work in cooperation with the local men
build the roads in the best possiple man
ner. ou,
When we first started in upon our wor,
we were wanted nowhere. Now we are wei
coined everywhere. There is possipii'
that we may hold as man! Us - 'o
tions in Vermont.
Colorado has spent millions Of dollars
/. tbis work in cooperation with us. Vine
President Roosevelt visited Colorado ias
year on his hunting expedition he at on
time exclaimed ''This is the play groun
. ~ America feel sure that he had neve
: visited Vermont or your city of Brattieoor'
There are two Fairgrounds of America
vermont is one of them. We have traveie
n tho world over from the east to the ives
from the north to the south, from the Rock
maintains to the Himalayas. We have foun
places Just as good but nowhere have
= found place better, place which has pc
ter scenery or more fertile farms All I'M
Vermont needs to be perfect is good road
r The government is expending bundles
money every year on the improvement
:. roads and share of that money belongs
/ Vermont and may just as well come me-
as go any where else.
Mr.. Graffam then introduced M