The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-12-03
(St. Adams Messenger

oulosis is a germ disease and one
diseased COW can contaminate the
herds of an entire county, the State
will expend $4,000 a year in at
tempting to get the upper hands
Of the plague, and, when the moneys
gone, will let the remaining germs
work?
Doesn't it seem as if such part
way measures were pretty much a
fetal waste of money? We do not
tolerate them in any Of our hygiene
prescribed for humans. When the
health officer says destroy or cleanse
Or quarantine or whatever it may
be, we have to do it completely.
And at our own expense.
The State does not recompense
a day laborer, for instance, who
lsses the value of COW in wages
because he was quarantined in his
home with his family. Why the
discrimination between him and
the farmer?
If the tuberculin test is a wise
thing to do and the only thing to
do, to safeguard the public health,
why isn't it done anyway, done
completely, and done at the ex-
pense of the men whose cattle are
dangerous to the public health?
Why do we fool with this menace
and try to destroy it on the install
ment plan, when two heads spring
up to threaten in the place of every
one that is Topped off?
1t seems to The Messenger that,
whatever hardship this works to the
farmer, any stand short of a con-
certed movement for the exter-
mination of this disease puts the
State of Vermont in the attitude of
distrusting, first, the diagnosis, and |
cond its own prescription.
Mortified News
To those who advocate bonding
the State for the purpose Of building
trunk lines of permanent highways
there is much for consideration in a
recent address by James H. Melon
aid, highway commissioner of Con-
necticut, who has accomplished |
highly satisfactory results in per-
manent road-making in this State.
Mr.. Mcdonald says on this point
ut is unwise for any State, in |
my judgment, to appropriate too
large an amount of money at the
outset. 1t is bid for the extrav-
agant and wasteful expenditure of
the money, by reason of the fact
that no commissioner can intelli-
gently and economically spend
too large sum wisely and economi-
cally excepting he has a full knowl-
edge of every condition by which
the requirements of his State are
uTounded. 1t has been the policy |
of this State (Connecticut) to make |
haste slowly. Now, in my judy |
ment, any State will act wisely |
when she carefully considers that |
particular feature of how to eco
nomically use the money at her
disposal for highway improvement. |
This, if the News is not mistaken,
ALPHABETICALLY the position of Yer
mont's State highway commissioner,
Charles w. Gates. Another point |
made by Mr.. Mcdonald in his adj
dress also agrees with the views of
Vermont's highway commissioner,
in regard to road material and build
ing. He says in part:
After you have commenced under
a small plan of operating, and it
would be wise, in my judgment,
to take the smallest plan under
which you can work, indeed, very |
few States can afford to establish a
macadam system. We do not find
even in our own State, small as it is,
that we can yet afford to import |
material into the several towns of the
State to use: we purpose to use the
material we have in these towns.
1t is wise at all times to reduce
grades to a minimum; it is good road
making to take out all unnecessary
rocks and boulders from the road,
to properly underdrain and take
care Of the surplus water, and then
wait until such time as the people
can feel the importance of further
improving the roads, and can con-
tribute Of their means without
running into any excessive burden
of taxation and any large expendi-
ture of money. 1t is better to have a
road system grow along with the
times. and be an assistant to the
town and the people rather than to
,be q constant burden and menace
No the citizens. We have
built some very good gravel roads
hat accomplish the purpose Just
vel as the best macadam, and u