The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-14
HARDLY A LUXURY.

The Vergennes Enterprise, in the
current issue says:
THE dream of trunk-lne highways
may be a pleasing sensation It's first
agitation was about a decade ago
when the Vermont Good Roads Asso-
citation was in existence, but it will be
many decades in the dim and distant
future before Legislature of YER
mont will vote to issue ponds for such
a luxury. 1t would be great to have
them, but the expense of maintenance
would be greater and far beyond
our means, necessitating a large in
crease in taxation or a direct tax
upon the people. The present system
is about the best we can afford and
it certainly is accomplishing a great
improvement of the highways of the
State. More extensive bodybuilding
along the some plan will be better for
Vermont at the present time instead
of chasing after lofty ideals that are
beyond our reach. We must grow a
little bit, and quite a bit before we
can expect to live in luxury"
The Vergennes contemporary may
be good prophet, but We hope not in
the matter of road building. 1t does
not seem to this paper that trunk line
highways are luxury, but rather a
necessity. Bad roads are an extra
vagance and good roads are a matter
of economy. State Highway Commits
sioner Gates and his assistants are
doing splendid work with the means
at their command, but it will take
many years to give the State good
roads at the rate we are building. We
cannot afford to tax the people suf-
ficient amount to secure the building
of permanent highways much faster
than the present program calls for
yet we need the better roads Just as
soon as we can get them. Our State
is in excellent financial condition and
our credit is good. To bond the State
for trunk line highways would be a
good investment, just as business men
find it profitable to borrow money to
permit the enlargement Of their enter
prises.
If it were possible to set forth in
dollars and cents the amount that the
people OF this State lose every year
on account of bad roads, we would be
greatly astonished. The farmer loses
in the extra time he must spend in
going to market and in the small load
he can haul through the mud. The
merchant loses because bad roads
diminish his country trade. Then
there is another important phase to
England now receives the enormous
rvenue of $60,000,000 from the sum-
mer tourist business, while Vermont S
share, allowing a liberal estimate, is
not more than half million dollars.
One of cur serious handicaps is poor
roads About half of the summer bust
ness is said to be automobile traffic.
Vermont is the scenic paradise of
New England, and yet we are getting
about one-one hundred and twenti-
eth of the business. With good roads
it would increase enormously for our
natural attractions, in variety and
charm. surpass those of the other five
New England States. New Hampshire
is entering upon an extensive good
roads program. Massachusetts has
been building fine State roads for
years. To the west, New York is en-
gagged in building permanent high
ways OH a large scale. We are sur
rounded by enterprising neighbors
who realize the value of good roads
now.
Can we afford to build good roads?
Rather, can we afford not to build
them? We need them. first for our
own people, and next as means of
getting our fair share of the lucrative
summer business. When we consider
what improved highways mean in
time saved, in increased transporta-
ton facilities and in general comfort
and peace of mind, also in the vast
increase of the tourist business which
IL VIII DIllS, snail we hesitate be-
cause good roads cost more to main
tain than poor roads? The increased
cost of maintenance, which the State
should assume, would be trifiing COM
pared with the value in good hard
dollars that such ronds would bring.
The whole matter is a business
proposition in which the element of
line Is an important factor. Let us
ook at 1t from every point of view
and then decide whether we shall
send to the next Legislature men who
ire not afraid to start Vermont on a
more progressive career in 1911, or
we prefer to keep in the old
'uts and watch our neighbors grow
1t our expense.