Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-10-21
FRIDAY, OCTOBER al, 1910.
Our Hig hWays.

people of Vermont are beginning 10
understand the great expense Of bond
ing the State to build roads for auto
mobiles, and refuse to do it. But it is
equally important that they should
also fully realize the necessity of stop
ping every unnecessary expense in road
building until what is best to be done,
under existing circumstances, is fully |
understood.
In the last few years the most sacred
rights of the people to safe highways
have been invaded by comparatively
few, through permission of Legisla-
lures, to say the least, most carelessly
given. This throughout the world has
resulted in the killing-in many cases
amounting to murder-of thousands of
people, and most seriously injuring
thousands more. Many have been left
on the roadside to die after being
run over. Children are frequently
killed or injured in going to or return
ing from school; whilst playing;
or when sent on errands. In every such
case or in any case, the person who
simply for pleasure thus uses the high
ways, is responsible, both morally and
legally, for these fatalities; for every
person has an equal right to the safe
use of the nations highways.
But this is aside from the main OBJ
ject of this article, which is to give as
complete as possible, in brief space,
the history of the building of our high
ways.
The roads of Vermont from the be-
ginning have been mainly built by the
citizens of the different towns. The
first law we can find on record providing
for the construction of highways was
passed in 1887 and is as follows:
Each male citizen of the State be-
tween 81 and 60 years of age Except
clergymen, school masters and members
of Colleges) shall pay each year tax
of four days work ESTIMATED at four
shilings day. for the construction and
repairs of highways and bridges.
Changes in this law were made in
1892, 1897, 1918, 1924, 1926, 1880, 1884,
1876, 1851, 1858, 1864, 1880.
In all cases the roads in each town
were built and repaired by the citizens
of the town. In 1924 the road tax was
still four days work, rated at 92 cents
per day. In 1926 tax of cents on
the dollar of the grand list was laid for
e l. ;-L
ways.
Since 1864, the tax for such purpose
has been not less than 20 per cent. of
the grand list of the whole State each
year. And in 1892 there was added a
State highway tax of per cent. which
is apportioned to the different towns
of the State according to the mileage OF
their roads and is expended under the
direction of the State highway
commissioner.
In 1866 the grand list of Vermont was
$l,074, 1909 in 1892, 81, ISL, 745. %; ir
1900, $1,772, 436. %; in 1908, $2,O27,-
1885.
In 1906 law was passed appropriate
ing $50, 900 year for building and repair
ing highways, each town having the
privilege of receiving from this appro
priation sum not to exceed $500 pro
vided the town raised an equal sun
above its regular tax. In 1908, this
appropriation was increased to SIS, 000
The particular object in each case was
to build roads for automobiles, a par
of which are owned by very small
proportion of the citizens of the State
and the remainder by citizens of othel
States, and all of them an element o.
great danger and discomfort to at leas
seven-eighths of the people.
Besides the rs per cent. as above
voted by all towns and cities in Vernon
for road tax, they can vote as much NOR,
as they please; thus this year Riptor
voted so per cent, and Middlebury, som,
30 years ago voted in the aggregate
during several years $1,000 extra t.
build certain stone roads, which road,
with very little repair kept perfectly
good until the automobiles came
Much money is undoubtedly RAISED
in this way over the State eacf
year, and is to be added to the othel
large amounts which all come from
the same source, the taxable prop
erty of the State, except the compare
lively small sum contributed most un
willingly and with much protest by tn,
Automobiles. This last amounted il
1909 to SIS, $50. Is, and in 1910, $40, $685.
70, sum altogether insufficient to re
pair the damage to the highway
caused by these machines.
The whole result is that for 1911,
there was 25 per cent of the grand lis