The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-10
WHAT AUToIsTs MOST DESIRE.
An Article Written by 3. s. Ballard,
Secretary Automobile Club of YER


In the automobile number OF The
Burlington Clipper, s. S. Ballard of
this city, writes as follows on What
Autoists Most Desire"
have been asked to answer this
question: What do the Automobiles
of the State Want Most?"
, That question is easily answered
in two words, good roads"
The most important thing to be
done to make driving of automobiles
pleasant, to make it safe for the own
ers and drivers of machines and for
other users of highways, Is good
roads. Good roads are a desirable
asset for any town or State, and they
have become especially desirable in
these days when so many self pro-
PEELED machines are using the high
ways. .n
The patronage OF automobiles is
the most important form of summer
business Vermont is likely to secure
for some years, and 1t can secure
plenty of that sort of patronage if it
prepares for it. The building of sum-
mer hotels is not nearly so neces-
sary as good roads, for the automobile
can cover so much ground in one
day, and so many automobilists are
ambitious to make long trips, that
they make only short stops along the
way. Yet on those short stops they
distribute great deal of money in
various ways and the visits are de-
sirable.
Vermont automobilists desire good
roads for their own use, but they do
not urge them on selfish grounds
alone. They realize that every str,
of good main highway built
State is a benefit to the State and it's
people. 1t not only affords better op-
portunities for local owners of ma
chimes to enjoy themselves, but it Gre
ates an inducement for outsiders to
come here.
not confined to automobiists alone,
though they have been most urgent
in asking for them. Every mile of
improved highway makes travelling
easier for the owners of horses, makes
travel safer as well as easier, and
: makes it possible to haul produce to
: market much more cheaply. The pros
perity of a State OF county depends
: ty of it's means of transportation, and
the great initial transportation must
be over the highways. Manufactured
products may not appear to call for
= much use of the highways
! but the raw material has to be haul
] ed to the factories and the finished
l product has again to be hauled over
the highways for it's final distribution
; ket and hauls his supplies back home
5 1t makes great deal of difference
, to him, as regards his feelings, his
2 expense and the wear and tear of his
OuLIl, WHtIntI Ht Cdu Idul Ildll a lOl
: or two tons, and that difference in
weight of load marks the difference
between improved and unimproved
highways.
So it is plain that if the automobile
list seems selfish in asking for good
roads, he is really working for the
2 public good, for any improvement OF
} the highways benefits all the people
= benefits more than those who actual
ly reside along the line of the i'm
provement.
= This demand for better roads ought
= to be needed because automobile ow-
= ners are paying today a large part
of the cost of what improvements are
being made. The tax imposed or
their machines appears to be excess
= I've, out of proportion to what is PAID
by owners of other classes of proper.
/, ty but is paid by them without demul
i, because they realize the public bene-
fit that will result from it. The
money they pay into the State Treas
! ufy as TAX Oh tHelT lldCIlueS is us
I ed as a part of the highway fund fol
the purpose of highway Improvement
and while it is so used, even though
it may appear to be excessive, they
e make no objection to it's being levied
= The tax of 81 per horsepower for {
[ car produced a revenue to the STATE
S last year of $4,000, which was pait
:. into the State Treasury to be eXpend
s ed in the betterment of the highways
S of the State This money has beer
e well and judiciously expended undel
the direction of Hon. c. w. Gates, the
d State Highway Commissioner, and thu
e friendly relations existing between
y the Automobile Club, the automobil
I lists, the Secretary of State, Hon. Guy
e w. Bailey, who drew the present Law
and the Highway Commissioner who
exrends the money derived from the
taxation Of our machines, tends tt
; make matters pleasant for us in Yer.
mont, and the Vermont automobilists
; arc satisfied to have the present re-
lations continue, and the money they
pay into the State Treasury used, moi
for their benefit alone, but for the