Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-16
PRoCToH AND GOOD ROADS.

Mr.. Proctor said that Mr.. Clements
personal convention platform is SIM
ply a restatcment OF his hobby that
an economic administration of our
state affairs would permit the con
struction of a complete and permanent
system of good roads throughout the
state within the few years. 1t is a
thoroughly misleading proposition. No
good business enterprise would start
out on a large and long extended ex-
penditure on the face Of some hoped
for saving. Good business absolutely
disassociates the two propositions. He
said we ought to build good roads for
the sake of good roads and to "a
what We can by economical admins
t%ration, but the two things have alb
s~olutcly nothing to do with each other.
Mr.. Proctor said that Mr.. Clements
democratic platform called for the
abolition of the state highway tax
which it charactcrizes as an effort to
bleed the larger towns. lie cOntended
that the State highway tax and the
state school tax are right in principle
and are not unfair toward the larger
towns and cities. The State has a
duty with respect to schools and high
ways generally and maY properly raise
money to perform that duty. The high
ways of the State for example are for
the common use of the state to a GER
tain extent ana it is not right nor fair
that small towns with a large mile
age of highways should be compelled
TO assume the entire burden of through
roads.
II a,f1 IL. 49, l.. +
declaring contrary to Mr.. Clements
whole theory of state aid for high
ways. Mr., Clements first political adj
vertiscment claimed that highway
taxes are an enormous strain upon the
smaller towns and that the remedy
was State highways, built and main
tanned by State aid. II the State should
and can undertake the construction OF
permanent highways out of common
state funds why may 1t not raise a
common State tax for the purpose? II
Is the same thing in principle whether
money used for state highways is rails
ed by n direct tax or from corporation
taxes or saved by economy. 1t Is the
State money and belongs according to
the grand list, to the people generally
OF the State. When you take 1t and
put II into highways, and Mr.. Clement
himself admits that ought TO be done
you are doing tho very thing which his
democratic platform calls bleeding
the larger towns and cities" to relieve
the smaller ones
CLEMENT OFFERS NOTHING.
The speaker said the whole highway
matter resolves itself into this. Mr., Glenn
ent stands committed to the abolishmen'
OF the State highway tax without thu
substitution of anything in its place but
simply promises to build n complete
system of roads out of economy in State
administration. The republican platform
proposes to continue the State highway
tax. to Improve the method of spending
1t by ~stricter supervision over It's loca'
ton and expenditure, r. Proctor addet
that he believed also that the State
should contribute something from its
general funds to build permanent high
ways as fast as the names of the State
would warrant it without the creatior
of a State debt or the levylng of an ad
ditlonal or direct tax.
NO CREDIT FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
MIR. Proctor said in ALL that Mr.
Clement and his literary bureau have
put forth regarding he increase In oul
state expenses we find no acknowledge
metn of the improvements which have
been made in our state institutions, Of
the new burdens which tho state has
assumed and of the increased activities