The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-17
AUTOS And GOOD ROADS
A FEW SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE
SUMNER TRAVEL AND HOTELS.

An Awakening Needed-Are You At
tending Any Of the County Meetings
in the Interest of This Subject
State Highway Commissioner
Gates Doing His Share-AutOmo
bile Owners Should See That This
Topic Does Not Lack Ginger-Shall
the State Bond for Good Roads =
List of Meeting Places.
Many things go to prove that the
State is waking up on the good roads
movement. No doubt this has been
brought about by the owners of auto
mobiles taking a hand. 1t is certain
that the State Highway Commission
er, Mr. Gates, is cooperating to the
best of his ability to help this mat
ter along. The State Highway Com
missioner has been holding meetings
in each county of the State with the
end in view to make better roads, and
to stir up an interest in this import
ant subject.
Below will be found list of such
meetings ana the dates on which they
are to be held. Already four enthu-
siastic meetings have been held in St.
Adams, Middlebury, Rutland and
IDepniuutop DrOr,inont enoolyore oro
being enlisted to talk on this timely
topic. The meeting in Rutland, held
Wednesday, was a good one, and
Frank N Howe, editor of the Ben
ningtonvBanner, sounded the alarm in
good shape He made the statement
that Vermont had stood still on the
good roads movement for over 80
years. He mentions that a trunk line
should be built on both sides of the
State. A mighty good suggestion. It
has been suggested that the best thing
Vermont could do would be to bond
herself for a million dollars, and put
it all into roads. A good many men
who are careful financiers think this
is the proper course to pursue. They
cite, for instance, that large corpora
tons bond themselves for the up
building of their industries, and one
hard headed business man said that
business could not be carried on to-
day without borrowing money at GER
tain times. 1his man is no spend
thrift, and he said Vermont would
never get anywhere on the automo-
bile map if she did not wake up pretty
soon.
In a circular letter State Highway
Commissioner Gates has sent out tc
the road commissioners he quotes
from the statute as follows:
Sec. 400S p. S.-"The road an,
street commissioners ot the severa
towns and villages in tn djil zen
counties shalllmeet the State .!i.hWa,
Commissioner in county meeting a
least Dncn annually, at sncn lilo
I and pla ~ as said Stale Highway nn
missioner may direct. to consider sUCl
matters a (; h may present tn thei
ttention and to discuss such meth, d
of road Improvement rs may lc }
special III. nSt to .ch board. an
said connus s'Cn rs sHa'i l." cntilla
to receive their per Ciem anh n,t'c
sary expenses from their several town
and VILLAGES for attendance at Il
meetings"
Sec. 4OO5, p. S., as amended by tn
last Legislature, reads in part as foi
ows:-"All money appropriated o
apportioned to towns by this chapte
shall be laid out and expended by
commissioner appointed by the sci
ectmen of each town with the consen
and approval of the State Highwa
Commissioner, except that the select
men of any town and the State High
way Commissioner may agree upo
any plan of expanding the Stat
money in that town that may seem t
them best under the existing condi
tons. Whenever the selectmen fail o
refuse to act, the State Highway Com
missioner may act, and in all cases
shall have full control of the eXpend
ture Of the money provided for in thi
chapter. The location of each year
work shall be determined by the Stat
Highway Commissioner, but the Sc
ectmen and town road commissioner
shall be consulted in regard to plan
and location of the work.
Mr.. Gates says in this circular le
ter that it is very important that til
selectmen as well as road commi!
sioners attend these meetings to col
slider matters pertaining to their d.
ties under the law, and to take part
the general discussions Our pre-!
ent State aid laws are on trial, and I'll
future road policy of the State wi
depend largely upon the way in whic
these laws are administered this yea
The question of continuing the pre-
ent policy with necessary improv,
ment, or changing to trunk lii
policy, will be discussed. All who al
interested in the subject of highwa
improvements are cordially invited
be present.
In this connection the Highws
Commissioner has suggested that a.
tomobile owners be invited to after
these meetings that are being held
every county in the State, and a
dress the gathering. Montpelier ms